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Unit I question: Why is housing so hard to afford.

Unit 1 Subquestion:

1: Why is one state paying more for houses then other states, when the housing sizes are the same.

2: When having prices so high for houses, why is it causing people to give up in life.

3: By having prices so high in certain states, why are people moving states

Unit II Working Thesis: Housing affordability should not stay the same. They need to lower the prices. People struggle with finding affordable houses, let alone the fact that everyday people are walking the streets to find somewhere to sleep for the night. Sure the government provides homeless housing, but being able to have affordable housing could make a difference in everyone's worlds.

Subclaim 1: Some state are selling houses higher then other states because they have to follow the law of supply and demand, but also because of food and services. Another reason is because economic factors.

Counterargument: While some states might have higher average housing prices, they may also offer higher average incomes or lower costs in other aspects, making housing relatively affordable when considering overall living expenses. For instance, although housing prices in California may be higher, the state also offers higher median incomes compared to many other states.

Subclaim 2: The growing affordability crisis compels individuals and families to relocate to more affordable regions, often disrupting social ties and destabilizing local communities.

Counterargument 2: Although supporters argue that changes in the population could encourage regional growth, attention needs to be paid to the fundamental problem of housing affordability in order to avoid community fragmentation and displacement.

Subclaim 3: Inflated housing costs can hinder the growth and viability of local businesses, adversely affecting the economic health and vitality of cities and towns.

Counterargument 3: Excessive housing costs have the potential to help specific industries, like real estate and construction, but they also have broader negative effects on inclusion and long-term economic viability.

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Taylor Oberg - Impacts of Deforestation 

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Taylor Oberg - Impacts of Deforestation 

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INQUIRY QUESTION- What are some things that we can do to help stop the impact of Deforestation

Working Thesis Statement- To mitigate the impact of deforestation, we can promote sustainable forestry practices, support reforestation efforts, and advocate for policies that protect natural forests

SUB CLAIM 1- Will we lose some to most of our animals that keep our ecosystem stable?

COUNTER ARGUMENT 1- While some species are indeed at risk due to deforestation, many conservation efforts and ecological management strategies are effective at preserving biodiversity. Human technological advancements are constantly improving our ability to protect wildlife habitats, which helps maintain ecosystem stability. Plus, many species are adaptable and can adjust to changes in their environment, which means that not all animals are equal risk of disappearing

SUB CLAIM 2- What can we do as a society to help the impacts of deforestation

COUNTER ARGUMENT 2- While individual efforts are important, the most significant impact comes from systemic changes. This includes enacting strict environmental regulations, holding corporations accountable for unsustainable practices, and investing in large-scale reforestation projects. Additionally, technological advancements in agriculture can reduce the need for new farmland, thus decreasing deforestation pressures.

SUB CLAIM 3- Deforestation significantly cuts our carbon sinks, which increases climate change

COUNTER ARGUMENT 3- It can be mitigated by sustainable forestry practices, for example selective logging, and replanting the trees that were cut. This can help ease the pressure on the climate change issue.

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Thesis: After lowering costs, finding cleaner ways to produce them, and allowing traveling to become more manageable, electric cars will be the future of the automotive industry.

Sub Claim: Impacts on the environment, and how making cars is becoming eco-friendly.

Sub Claim: Cost to own, and maintain an electric car and the California law on electric cars.

Sub Claim: The use of an electric car for traveling and everyday use.

Counter-Argument: It takes more harmful pollution to make an electric car than it does to drive a traditional combustion vehicle.

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INQURY QUESTION: How does urbanization affect wildlife?

Working Thesis Statement: The importance of wildlife has been affected by urbanization. Urbanization has its positive and negative effects on wildlife but, the positive effects cannot outweigh the negative effects.

SUB CLAIM 1: Pollution has had many harmful effects on wildlife by creating hazardous conditions for the animals to live in. It takes away the resources like the land that they live on and their food sources start to dwindle.

SUB CLAIM 2: Urbanization has forced animals to find new land to make new homes due to deforestation, habitat loss, and the extraction of freshwater.

SUB CLAIM 3: Urbanization is causing many species of wildlife to begin to go extinct. The lack of the land and resources forces many animals to not be able to reproduce.

COUNTERARGUMENT 3: Many over population species are beginning to have a normal amount of numbers when researchers are looking at how many of each species there are.

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Thesis Statement: Deporting all Immigrants would send various US families into poverty. Immigrants have expanded various companies by starting their own companies or being willing to wake up at 4:00 am and working until night. Immigrants come to the US for what they call “A Better Life” but they seem to feel like people are getting in the way of that. I believe that immigrants have and will continue to change, expand, and bring more opportunities to the US.

SUBCLAIM 1: Immigrants have increased and expanded job opportunities for other immigrants and US citizens

COUNTERARGUMENT 1: Although immigrants have expanded and offer job opportunities to many there are still a handful of US citizens that believe they are stealing their jobs.

SUBCLAIM 2: Immigrants start of young and come to the US at a young age for a better life and to help out their families and themselves

COUNTERARGUMENT 2: Studies have shown that most immigrants speak fluent English or are learning fluent English and 13% of those immigrants are people from the age of 18 or over. These immigrants have started businesses in blue collar jobs and people believe that if we deport them US citizens will get more tax money and they will be able to have a job in the field they like.

SUBCLAIM 3: Deporting immigrants would not only send the US into poverty, but it would also effect our agriculture and decrease the employment of blue collar jobs

COUNTERARGUMENT 3: Not having employees who will be willing to go to work early in the morning and go home late at night would drop the level of productivity in the US and jobs wouldn’t get done in the amount of time they need too. Leaving immigrants jobless would mean that there is a high possibility that US citizens will be too.

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Thesis Statement: Despite the considerable financial investment associated with obtaining a higher education, the long-term benefits of increased earning potential and career opportunities make pursuing a college degree a worthwhile endeavor for students seeking a more secure and prosperous future.

SUBCLAIM 1:  Individuals with a college degree typically earn significantly higher incomes over their lifetimes compared to those without a degree, indicating that the financial return on investment can be substantial for college graduates.

COUNTERARGUMENT 1: The rising costs of higher education, coupled with the burden of student loan debt, can deter prospective students from pursuing a college degree and limit their future financial flexibility.

SUBCLAIM 2: Attaining a higher education expands career opportunities and enhances job security, as many industries increasingly require advanced degrees for specialized and higher-paying positions.

COUNTERARGUMENT 2: In some cases, individuals may be able to secure well-paying jobs or pursue alternative educational pathways without the need for a college degree, such as vocational training or self-taught skills, raising questions about the necessity of traditional higher education.

SUBCLAIM 3: Beyond financial advantages, pursuing a college education fosters personal growth, intellectual development, and the cultivation of valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication, which can benefit individuals in various aspects of their lives.

COUNTERARGUMENT 3:  The opportunity cost of attending college, including time spent not working or gaining experience in a chosen field, may not justify the potential long-term benefits for some individuals, who might opt for immediate entry into the workforce or alternative career paths.

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Thesis: Despite the political and societal viewpoints regarding Supervised Injection Facilities, these facilities aim to improve and save the lives of those who suffer from substance use, and provide a safe environment for usage. The United States should implement supervised injection facilities in order to increase harm reduction and save the lives of thousands of citizens.

Sub claim 1: Supervised Injection Facilities increase harm reduction in cities where facilities are implemented, by decreasing the exchange of needles and syringes, diseases, and the disposal of used needles and syringes in public.

Counterargument 1: While Supervised Injection Facilities increases harm reduction, these facilities violate the federal drug policies and decriminalized substance use.

Sub claim 2:  Supervised Injection Facilities decrease drug/ opioid related deaths by providing a safe environment where users can receive medical services if overdose were to happen.

Counterargument 2: Although these facilities provide a safe environment, substance abusers may feel more encouraged to continue or start substance abuse.

Sub claim 3: Supervised Injection Facilities aim to improve the economy by saving resources and money where  medical and law enforcement could be allocated elsewhere.

Counterargument 3: Supervised Injection Facilities impact the economy in the areas which they are implemented as they allocate recourses and money into hiring medical providers, social workers, and equipment.

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UNIT 1 INQUIRY QUESTION: “ How do grazing and CRP fields impact the productivity and diversity of an ecosystem, and what are the effects on the animals in these ecosystems?”

UNIT 2 WORKING THESIS: Overgrazing is one of the main contributing factors to grassland degradation, reducing vegetation cover, leading to the debasement of topsoil and a reduction in soil infiltration rates, which affects the diversity of native grass growth and influences a decrease in the population of grassland birds, arthropods, and mammals, however, the works of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been influencing the growth of these natural inhabitants of grasslands.

SUBCLAIM 1: Overgrazing contributes to grassland degradation, reducing vegetation cover, leading to the debasement of topsoil and a reduction in soil infiltration rates, which affects the diversity of native grass growth and influences a decrease in the population of grassland birds, arthropods, and mammals.

COUNTERARGUMENT 1: Grazing of cattle on rangelands is much the same as it was with bison many years ago, with studies even saying that the only negative effects being with herptile communities.

SUBCLAIM 2: According to studies done on CRP fields, the biomass in the leaves, stems, and plants as a whole had highly significant allometric scaling, leading us to conclude that CRP positively affects plant growth.

COUNTERARGUMENT 2: There is a current lack of studies on how plant traits affect above-ground biomasses that are affected by CRP. This leaves a major gap in our understanding of the mechanism of the grassland productivity decline.

SUBCLAIM 3: The Conservation Reserve program positively affects not only the vegetation in grasslands but also the animals and insects, which is seen in a study taken by the United States Department of Agriculture. Ducks, Ringneck Pheasants, Northern Bobwhite Quail, and grouse all saw significant growth in their population due to CRP.

COUNTERARGUMENT 3: Although there is lots of research done on the animals that CRP contributes to, understanding how it affects soil productivity and greenhouse emissions could better help us understand how it affects an ecosystem as a whole.

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unit 1 question: Should college athletes be getting paid?

Unit 1 subquestions:

1. What are the rules on college athletes getting paid? What do student-athletes think about the rule compared to the coach's thoughts?

2. If college athletes did get paid who would pay them

3. Is NIL helping college athletes and keeping them focused on their education

Unit 2 working thesis:

College athletes should not be paid; this would worsen the current imbalances between sports programs, take funds away from academic programs, and mess up the divisions between unprofessional and professional sports

Subclaim 1: NCAA rules are that student-athletes are not allowed to be played by the university athletes are only allowed to reserve money by NIL this is an unfair system and could change the forces on college sports

Counterargument 1: allowing college athletes to get paid by NIL would help them get recognition for how much time they put in every and help them financially by paying off student loans and other personal expenses

Subclaim 2: NIL gets its money from sponsors and brands who promote products. Another way that colleges could pay their athletes is by using the money they get from ticket sales, merchandise, and media rights

Counterargument 2: By paying these athletes they would be getting fairness and equality they out in 4 hours a day and deserve to be ignored for the time they put in.

Subclaim 3: The NIL helps college athletes stay motivated to stay in college and complete their degrees pay-to-play culture is making sports more prioritized because they are getting paid rather than paying for education

Counterargument 3: This is helping athletes understand how to balance their work, study, and social life. Staying in school is a major factor because that means they can have better jobs in the long run

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Thesis Statement: Despite what the majority of people think, GMOs show little to no evidence that they are a safety concern for the environment or human consumption. There are many beliefs people have when it comes to GMOs including that they cause cancer, they are an invasive species, and that they are harming the agriculture industry. However, science can prove that most of these accusations are false.

Subclaim 1: Genetically modifying plants and crops has saved endangered plant species by making them resistant to diseases and pests.

Counterargument 1: GMO crops are taking over the industry and the amount of organic crops are dwindling constantly. Organic crops are all natural which are better for consumption.

Subclaim 2: By genetically engineering plants to naturally be more resistant to pests there is less need for pesticide use.

Counterargument 2: Pesticide use may be lower but there is still a need for pesticides in food production no matter what.

Subclaim 3: Farmer’s crop yields have grown significantly since they started using genetically modified crops.

Counterargument 3: Although crop yields have improved since GMOs became popular in the agriculture industry, that does not mean they are 100% safe. There are concerns that foods containing genetically modified products cause cancer and can trigger unnecessary allergic reactions.

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Thesis: Although immigrants do take jobs and use the social services provided by the U.S. they also pay taxes and greatly contribute to the economy and infrastructure of the U.S..

SUBCLAIM 1: Immigrants greatly contribute to the workforce, especially in blue-collar occupations.

COUNTERARGUMENT 1: These jobs are in the U.S. therefore these jobs are intended and could be used by U.S. citizens.

SUBCLAIM 2: Immigrants contribute to economic growth by, working in the U.S., participating in the economy, and taxes.

COUNTERARGUMENT 2: immigrants can cause a strain on public resources. Illegal immigrants may use public resources like education, healthcare, and social welfare without paying taxes.

SUBCLAIM 3: Immigrants help demographics in the U.S. like age population, and birth rates that help population growth. Immigrant families also contribute to communities with social contributions by exchanging ideas and sharing culture.

COUNTERARGUMENT 3: immigrants tend to be younger so it could affect healthcare and education and some argue that cultural diversity might not be a good thing.

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Thesis: While the exotic pet trade can be harmful to people, animals, and the environment, a nationwide ban on keeping exotic pets in the USA would not only be ineffective, but would cause the current problems associated with this trade to worsen.

Subclaim 1: A ban on keeping exotic pets in the USA would not impact the sources these animals come from.

Subclaim 2: A nationwide ban on exotic pets would cause the demand for these animals to rise, supporting black market sales and smuggling.

Subclaim 3: Current regulations in the US have not been very effective. People always have and always will find ways to get around bans, and sometimes these "solutions" are dangerous. (Ex. prohibition, backstreet abortions)

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Thesis: Despite concerns that the rise in autism diagnoses coincides with increased vaccination rates among children, rigorous scientific research has consistently demonstrated a lack of causal relationship between vaccinations and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affirming the safety and efficacy of childhood immunizations as essential public health interventions.

Subclaim 1: Multiple large-scale, peer-reviewed studies have found no causal link between childhood vaccinations and the development of autism, debunking the widely discredited theory that vaccines are responsible for the rising prevalence of ASD diagnoses.

Counterargument: Critics may point to anecdotal reports or isolated cases linking vaccinations to autism, disregarding the scientific evidence and continuing to fuel vaccine skepticism.

Subclaim 2: Vaccines' primary function is to stimulate an immune response against specific pathogens, and there is no biologically plausible mechanism through which this process could cause the neurological and behavioral changes associated with autism.

Counterargument: Opponents might argue that the combination of multiple vaccines, their ingredients, or the timing of administration could overwhelm a child's immune system or cause adverse reactions, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting these claims.

Subclaim 3: The observed increase in autism diagnoses can be attributed to factors such as improved diagnostic criteria, greater awareness of ASD, and more comprehensive screening measures, rather than a direct link to vaccination practices.

Counterargument: Some may argue that environmental factors, including vaccines, could play a role in triggering autism in genetically susceptible individuals, despite the absence of conclusive evidence supporting this assertion.

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Thesis: Slavery remains alive and well in the twenty-first century through the modern-day institution called the prison industrial complex, aided by mass incarceration that targets people of color. Race and gender further structure how this modern form of slavery keeps  Black and Brown people, especially women, at the bottom of the American social ladder.

Subclaim 1: The US prison system, which currently jails around 2.2 million people or 0.7% of the population, is deeply embedded in our modern-day justice system and economy (Revoked 1). In the past, companies like McDonald's, Victoria’s Secret, and Whole Foods relied on unpaid prison labor, but have since changed their contracts due to public backlash. Yet still, prisons remain a multi-billion dollar industry reliant on racial domination and mass incarceration that acts similarly to pre–pre-Thirteenth Amendment times

Subclaim 2: Just as it was nearly impossible to escape slavery before 1865, and similarly as hard to escape the convict-lease labor system after the abolishment of slavery, mass incarceration now operates as the system that keeps people of color subservient to racial domination and capitalism.

Subclaim 3: Once in the prison system, it is hard for inmates to leave it because the vast majority of prisons do not provide social services to their inmates. Prisons are focused on punishment rather than reentry into society.

Subclaim 4: Systemic inequality driven by federal, state, and local policies contributes to why the rates of people of color in prison are so much higher than the rate of white people in prison.  Policies that enforce segregation and destroy minority communities by building public infrastructure like highways and bridges through them displace people from their homes and businesses.

Subclaim 5: the social construction of race makes mass incarceration more of a threat to some communities than to others. The prison system also genders inmates’ experience with labor inside prison populations. The women’s prison system remains different from the men’s prison system, which will be investigated later in this paper.

Subclaim 6: Men’s prisons remain a way to exploit labor for the institution of capitalism. Men in prisons continue to do America’s unwanted work—work that has been comparable to the labor in sweatshops of the global south (Smith and Hattery 90).

Counterargument: While the prison industrial complex does involve the use of low-wage labor and disproportionately impacts people of color, comparing it to the brutality and dehumanization of chattel slavery may be seen as diminishing the unique horrors of the historical institution. This perspective argues that, despite their shared elements of exploitation, there are significant differences between the two systems in terms of legal ownership, severity of mistreatment, and the complete lack of agency experienced by enslaved individuals

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Thesis: The contemporary prison industrial complex perpetuates the historical oppression of Black and Brown individuals, particularly women, by utilizing mass incarceration as a tool to reinforce racial and gender hierarchies, thereby maintaining modern-day slavery in the United States and preserving the subjugation of marginalized communities.

Subclaim 1: The disproportionate targeting and incarceration of people of color within the criminal justice system perpetuate the historical legacy of racism and discrimination, serving as a contemporary form of racial oppression akin to slavery.

Subclaim 2: The exploitation of incarcerated individuals for low-wage labor within the prison industrial complex mirrors the economic subjugation experienced by enslaved people, maintaining the systemic oppression and exploitation of marginalized groups.

Subclaim 3: The intersection of race and gender exacerbates the impacts of the prison industrial complex, with Black and Brown women experiencing compounded disadvantages, such as higher rates of incarceration, harsher sentencing, and fewer resources for rehabilitation.

Counterargument 1: Some may argue that the prison industrial complex serves as a necessary deterrent to crime and contributes to public safety, asserting that the disproportionate representation of people of color in the criminal justice system is a reflection of broader societal issues rather than systemic racial bias.

Counterargument 2: Critics might contest that drawing parallels between modern-day incarceration and historical slavery diminishes the severity and specific horrors of chattel slavery, asserting that there are significant differences between the two institutions.

Counterargument 3: Some may argue that the prison industrial complex can provide opportunities for rehabilitation and personal growth for incarcerated individuals, challenging the notion that it serves purely as a mechanism of oppression and control.

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Unit I Question: "What are gentrification's socioeconomic and cultural impacts on long-term residents in urban neighborhoods, and how do these changes influence the overall community identity and well-being?"

Unit I Subquestions:

1. How do rising housing costs associated with gentrification affect the displacement of long-term residents, and what are the implications for their economic stability and access to community resources?

2. In what ways does gentrification impact the cultural fabric of a neighborhood, including local businesses, community organizations, and social networks, and how do these shifts influence the neighborhood's identity?

3. What strategies or policies have been implemented in various cities to mitigate the negative effects of gentrification, and how successful have these approaches been in balancing economic development with preserving community cohesion and affordability?

Unit II Working thesis: Gentrification significantly impacts the socioeconomic fabric and cultural identity of urban neighborhoods by driving housing displacement, altering community dynamics, and diminishing affordability, necessitating a nuanced approach to balance economic development and preservation of community integrity.

Subclaim 1: Rising housing costs associated with gentrification lead to the displacement of long-term residents, exacerbating economic instability and reducing access to vital community resources.

Counterargument 1: While gentrification can lead to increased housing costs, it also often results in neighborhood revitalization and improved public services, such as better schools, transportation, and infrastructure. These improvements can benefit both long-term residents and newcomers, provided that measures are in place to mitigate displacement and maintain affordability.

Subclaim 2: Gentrification disrupts the cultural fabric of urban neighborhoods by introducing changes to local businesses, community organizations, and social networks, consequently altering the neighborhood's unique identity.

Counterargument 2: Although gentrification may alter the cultural fabric of a neighborhood, it can also introduce new opportunities for social and cultural exchange. The arrival of new businesses, organizations, and residents can breathe new life into a community and promote a diverse and dynamic environment.

Subclaim 3: Addressing the negative effects of gentrification requires thoughtful strategies and policies that balance economic growth with efforts to maintain community cohesion, affordability, and the preservation of a neighborhood's distinct character.

Counterargument 3: While balancing economic development and community preservation is important, some argue that gentrification is a natural and inevitable consequence of urban development. Critics may argue that attempting to control or hinder gentrification can stifle economic growth and limit the potential for urban revitalization.

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Thesis: With the importance of Child development in kids 0-18, lowering the age to play competitively to 13 wasn't the best for the community and players

Sub claim: Maturity and Communication - Competitive Rocket League often involves intense moments and requires clear communication. Younger players may lack the emotional maturity to handle frustration or criticism effectively, leading to arguments and toxicity within teams.

Sub claim: Time Commitment - Competitive Rocket League demands significant time investment for practice and scrims. Younger players may not have the same level of free time as older players, hindering their ability to compete at the highest level.

Sub claim: School and Social Life - The pressure to perform in a competitive setting could negatively impact younger players' academic performance or social life.

Counter argument: The change can grow the economic view (reaching a wider audience) of the sport and could help speed up the growth of the players (help them with anxiety and nervousness).

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Thesis: Since the invention of nuclear energy, it has proven itself as a powerful replacement to other forms of energy; in energy production and safety it leads the way for a greener future.

Sub claim: Nuclear energy produces more energy that other forms of carbon neutral or negative forms of energy.

Sub Claim: Nuclear energy costs less to maintain than other types of energy overall and have the lowest maintenance rate of almost all energy types.

Sub claim: Nuclear energy is the second safest form of energy production and places first when it comes to death rate per terawatt hour.

Sub claim: Nuclear energy produces the least amount of waste compared to all other forms of energy production, further reducing the cost of nuclear energy.

Counterargument: All government reports show that nuclear energy is the safest form of energy when it comes to terawatt hours. It produces the least amount of waste, which most of can be reused. The overall cost to maintain a nuclear reactor costs a fraction of what it takes to create a solar or wind farm, and takes land.

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The First Great Awakening was a significant and unique moment in women’s religious history because it allowed women to engage more actively in church communities and provided insight on regular women’s lives through personal accounts.

SubClaim 1: Unlike previous periods women were allowed more freedom to speak in churches. This can help show women’s agency in history, which will change people’s perception of history in general

SubClaim 2: The personal accounts are valuable in this period because of how much they illustrate personal and spiritual lives of everyday people.

Counter-Argument: These freedoms exercised did not continue beyond this period and were not influential in a larger historical continuity.

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Thesis: To improve the lives of sex workers we must allow them back into society trough the legalization of their profession.

Sub claim: Countries who legalize sex work find it far easier to protect the workers themselves.

Sub claim: Policing directly harms the people the are trying to protect as people who are trafficked or bribed are then forced into the legal system.

Sub claim: The stigma sex workers face will only increase as sex work stays illegal, due to many equate laws to morality.

Counter argument: In the District of Columbia they have seen an increased risk of HIV and STIs. The incarceration rate for the city puts 1 out of every 50 people or double the national average.

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The colonization of space will impact the development and tech growth of humanity.

Sub Claim: resources, the amount of raw resources yet to be exploited in space is incredible. There is asteroid with enough gold, platinum and other rare earth metals to last an entire century.

Sub Claim: technology, "necessity is the mother of innovation", this is true for space as the economic potential and need of those thing in space are something we will devolve to get

Sub Claim: More space for us to live in, with an expansion into space we will probably build space habitats or enclosed cities on other celestial bodies

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Keagan Murray

Thesis: US based scientific and business groups should keep CRISPR-Cas9 open to the public but behind a questionnaire type system linked to both factions to make sure it is used properly and not abused for fanatical gain or for scientific experimentation on patients.

Subclaim: CRISPR has too much potential for good to be put to the side

Other subclass are in the works.

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The Reintroduction of Wolves in Colorado

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The Reintroduction of Wolves in Colorado

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Thesis: The reintroduction of Wolves in Colorado will rarely affect Colorado's people and will positively affect Colorado by balancing the ecosystem, reintroducing native animals to their former homeland, and gaining valuable scientific insight about how wolves live in Colorado.

Sub Claim 1: Apex predators such as wolves cause the trophic cascade effect which will help balance Colorado's ecosystem.

Sub Claim 2: Wolves lived in Colorado for century's and bringing them back is the right thing to do.

Sub Claim 3: Studying how wolves interact with each other and with different species in the wild in Colorado could give scientists new information about wolves.

Counter Arguments: Wolves could potentially pose a threat to farmers' and ranchers' livestock. People who spend time outdoors deep in the wild could be attacked if the wolves are hungry or provoked. The cost of reintroducing the wolves can be quite high.

-Alex Donovan

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Physical Media vs. Streaming in a Modern World

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Physical Media vs. Streaming in a Modern World

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Thesis: The debate between streaming and physical media highlights the need for a balance between convenience and quality, with both formats offering unique benefits to different types of consumers.

Sub claim 1: The touchable experience of handling physical media, from browsing through record stores to inserting a disc into a player really makes for a personal connection to content and gives a nostalgia feeling to the user.

Sub claim 2: Physical media formats such as Blu-ray discs and vinyl records often have a superior sound quality compared to streaming services. The higher quality offers a more engaging exposure to the content.

Sub claim 3: Owning physical media is more accessible and reliable when you don’t have the internet to rely on with streaming or movies/music being removed or altered without notice.

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Thesis: True crime as a source of entertainment can only be ethical under strict guidelines that focus on protecting the privacy and feelings of the victims who are featured in such stories.

1. Sub Claim: The victims and their families can be kept in a state of trauma if they didn't want their story to be put out there like that.

2. Sub Claim: Being too unregulated can cause a lot of fear and anxiety within a community.

3. Sub Claim: True crime can still be entertaining and useful while still being ethical.

4. Counter Argument: Unsolved cases can sometimes be solved with the help of the public by releasing the stories as a form of entertainment.

5. Counter Argument: True crime can be a helpful tool for critical thinking or as a fear management system for women.

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Thesis: 1.     The US government should implement regulations to control the costs of prescription drugs to ensure equitable access to essential medications, alleviate financial burdens on individuals and healthcare programs, and foster a healthcare system that prioritizes both affordability and innovation.

1. Sub Claim: Regulation promotes equitable access to essential medications.

2. Sub Claim: Regulation alleviates financial burdens on individuals and healthcare programs.

3. Sub Claim: Regulation balances affordability with innovation.

4. Counter Argument: Government regulation could impact pharmaceutical innovation.

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Ethics of Voting Behavior in the U.S. -Estrella Avalos

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Ethics of Voting Behavior in the U.S. -Estrella Avalos

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Thesis: Although America has came a long way in regards of it's people being given the right to vote for their presidential leader, voting has become a weaponized form intended to vote against an undesired candidate rather than for a desired a candidate, as well as voting has become a source to spread negativity in return for power being gained.

1. Subclaim

Negative voting is a behavior in voting but can be flawed by distracting from problems that need to be solved and focusing on irrelevant matters.

2. Subclaim

When polarization is present it is made difficult to find common ground and for society to be able to work together, resulting in social tension, reduced social cohesion, and a loss of trust between individuals and groups.

3. Subclaim

Negative campaigning can be superficial and be used as a way to intensify citizens negativity and hate towards the candidates of the opposing party.

1. Counterargument

Although in consideration to all of the negative behaviors when voting in the U.S., those behaviors are subjective, and there are people out there who do favor a desired candidate, and who are willing to find a common ground with people who may have an opposite outlook and opinion.

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thesis: one of the many cores of society today is celebrity culture, since the early 2000s, the media has intentionally tried to influence the public to want a certain life and to live a certain way, with all that being said, there is evidence that celebrity culture has and will continue to cause inner and outer harm to people who consistently engage within the sect of pop culture.

sub claim: there is little evidence of the positive influences of pop culture being incorporated into individuals lives as compared to the negative aspects

sub claim: there is a concern of mental health issues being developed

sub claim: living in the world that is in front of you is more beneficial to an individuals success

sub claim: it is beneficial to spend time away from the media and electronics in general

(i am still working with the subclaims)

counterargument: pop culture or celebrity culture provides educational value, entertainment, and a source of inspiration for people.

teaches us about our past and how to interact with various types of people. it helps to build connection, fosters a sense of community.

can be used as a way to spread awareness, and promoting social change.

(also still working counteragurments b/c depending on how i go there can be a counteragument to each point)

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Is ABA therapy ethical within the disabled community 

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Is ABA therapy ethical within the disabled community 

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Thesis: ABA therapy has been the subject of intense debate within the autism community, with some arguing that it is a powerful tool for improving outcomes, and others illustrating its potential harms. This paper will explore both sides of the argument, and ultimately advocating for a more balanced approach to ABA therapy that takes into account the needs and desires of the individual being treated.

1. Sub-Claim: Each autistic individual has unique strengths, challenges, and needs, meaning there is a necessity for a more personalized and balanced approach to ABA therapy.

2. Sub-Claim: A balanced approach to therapy should integrate strategies from various therapeutic models, such as music therapy, exercise therapy, and play therapy.

3. Sub-Claim: Focusing on ABA undermines the ability of autistic people and their ability's. A more balanced approach should include encouragement to lead a more independent life.

Counterargument: ABA can teach autistic individual's skills that will help them integrate into society by targeting specific problem behaviors. ABA offers concrete strategies for behavioral interactions that improve the quality of life for these individuals.

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Thesis: Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis and with community engagement, advocation, and more awareness we can find solutions, mitigate the issue, and bring communities together.

1. Sub Claim

Economic challenges: such as job loss, low wages, and things like family conflict, domestic violence, and lack of social support networks can lead to homelessness, particularly among vulnerable populations.

2. Sub Claim

Systemic Issues: systemic issues such as discrimination, inadequate access to healthcare and mental health services, and gaps in social safety nets.

3. Sub Claim

Solutions: Raising public awareness about the root causes of homelessness and advocate for policies and funding that support effective solutions and address systemic issues contributing to homelessness. As well as foster collaboration within communities.

Counterargument: Some may argue that homelessness is primarily a result of individual choices or behaviors, such as substance abuse.

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Replacing Mental Health Medications with Exercise

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Replacing Mental Health Medications with Exercise

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Thesis: Although the scientific community and the public generally agree on the mental health benefits of physical activity, current research and data now strongly affirms the use of exercise as a treatment and replacement for prescribed medications.

1.      Sub Claim: There is already precedent showing that physical activity has nothing but positive effects on physical and mental health.

2.      Sub Claim: More trending data is emerging showing the concern of relapse and increased symptoms among those treated with medications as a first-line solution from providers.

3.      Sub Claim: Regardless of most health conditions, the recommended amount of physical activity is easy to manage and incorporate into a daily routine.

Counterargument: Physical activity is impossible for some people, and the actual risks of medication are low enough to justify the use as a first-line treatment.

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Thesis: Cults should not be legally protected under the title of "religious behaviours" due to the safety and wellbeing of the victims. A specific criteria is needed to differentiate between a "cult" and a "religion".

Subtopic: more in-depth investigations of cult cases need to be implemented.

Subtopic: schools need to explore the idea of more education surrounding cults in history and what makes a cult to save potential victims

Subtopic: the criteria for what makes a cult a cult needs to be constructed to bring awareness of what happens and the consequences for it

Counterargument: a cult is a religious practice. what stops the law from then prosecuting recognised religions?

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Thesis: Fort Collins must improve its bus and sidewalk infrastructure to best support wheelchair users.

sub claim: money should be spent on improving infrastructure rather than new projects that may or may not work.

sub claim: The Fort Collin's Bus fleet is in need of maintenance. This maintenance will improve the ease of access of wheelchair users by fixing hydraulic ramps, fixing wheelchair seating, and will improve the overall speed of the bus reducing transit times for all bus goers. "the metal plate problem", most buses don't have working ramp hydraulics so they instead use a very unsteady feeling metal plate instead that feels very unsafe.

sub claim: Fort Collin's roads need to be repaired to best support the needs of wheelchair users. Potholes are trouble for everyone fixing them not only makes driving easier but also prevents impassable areas for wheelchair users.

sub claim: Fort Collin's sidewalks and ramps are in need of dire repair. Massively uneven sidewalks slow wheelchair mobility massively and can be dangerous to certain styles of wheelchair. Fixing this not only helps with wheelchair access but they also make paths safer for bikes, scooters, rollerblades, and any other wheeled pedestrian transportation. Additionally the fixes that the city is making are unacceptably

Counterargument: Current infrastructure works well enough so money should be spent on new projects.

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Thesis: Our country needs to be more active in the prevention of childhood obesity instead of leaving it all to the parents to manage.

(Subtopic) increase education being taught in schools

(subtopic) government needs to step in and make stricter limits on the additives being allowed in foods

(subtopic) limit screentime and increase imaginative play

counterargument: Parents are in charge of the majority of what children and teens are eating and it is their responsibility to educate themselves properly on this topic.

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Mohammed Ali

Thesis: The Electoral College should be abolished to strengthen the US democracy.

1.     Sub Claim: The Electoral College is less democratic than the direct popular vote, which reflects the national will.

2.     Sub Claim: The Electoral College weakens the political participation in the most states.

3.     Sub Claim: The Electoral College does not protect small and rural states therefore it is not essential for the US federalism.

Counterargument: The Electoral College ensures qualified presidents and we have seen just five presidents who lost the popular vote throughout the US history.

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Thesis: The Death Penalty is an ineffective punishment.

1. Sub Claim: causes psychological affects

2. Sub Claim: Not Cost Effective compared to life in prison /No evidence found that it affects deterrence

3. Sub Claim: about 4% of executions have been later found innocent

4. Sub Claim: (Inhumane) US actually prohibits both physical and mental forms of torture...which is what the death penalty is.

5. Counterargument: Brings peace and justice to families and our country/ they do not deserve quality of life.

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Thesis: With such an important issue in the hands of farmers in America, the government should implement supplements that lower the amount of methane produced by cows and other livestock.

1. Sub Claim

High levels of methane and CO2 in an ecosystem show a direct link with the invasive species population.

2. Sub Claim

Methane produced by cows can be controlled better by implementing a different feed into their diet.

3. Sub Claim

Seaweed being supplemented into a cow diet can prove to be beneficial in slowing down the rates of methane production.

4. Sub Claim

The methane issue is even found in smaller farms with more local contributions to the surrounding environments.

5. Counterargument

The methane issue is even found in smaller farms with more local contributions to the surrounding environments.

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1. THESIS:

Raising the minimum wage in Colorado is imperative for alleviating income inequality and providing a foundation for improved living standards. Addressing the challenges of inflation and rising living costs and ensuring fair compensation for the essential workforce is crucial to fostering economic justice.

1. Sub claim

Although the minimum wage in Colorado has increased over the years, it is not proportional to the increase in the cost of living.

2. Sub claim

A person earning minimum wage in Colorado does not earn enough to pay for basic necessities.

3. Sub claim

Some people earning minimum wage in Colorado are homeless because wages do not correlate with the cost of living.

4. Sub claim

An inadequate minimum wage prevents the lower class from transitioning to a higher economic standard.

5. Sub claim

The cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck limits a person’s ability to access basic rights.

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"We should actively promote and adopt Blue Zone principles to improve public health and well-being in the city of Fort Collins."

Active and Health-Conscious Community: Subclaim: The community's commitment to health makes it more receptive to initiatives promoting well-being.

Counterclaim: Relying solely on the community's existing habits might not guarantee universal acceptance or participation in the proposed Blue Zone initiatives.

Potential Positive Impact on Public Health: Subclaim: The positive impact on well-being can extend beyond individual health to community vitality, supporting the city's overall development.

Counterclaim: Other factors, such as economic conditions or external events, could overshadow the impact of Blue Zone principles on public health outcomes.

Engagement of City Manager: Subclaim: Demonstrating the benefits of Blue Zone principles to the City Manager can lead to official support and endorsement, enhancing the program's effectiveness.

Counterclaim: The City Manager may question the long-term sustainability or cost-effectiveness of implementing Blue Zone principles, especially if immediate results are not guaranteed.

Potential Economic Benefits: Subclaim: A healthier population may lead to reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, and a more vibrant local economy.

counterclaim: Other factors, such as economic conditions or external events, could overshadow the impact of Blue Zone principles on public health outcomes

Positive Environmental Impact

Community Empowerment and Involvement:

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Thesis

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is highly misunderstood within the public, clinical spaces, and educational settings this widespread misinterpretation of ADHD symptoms and its current lack luster diagnostic framework highlights a critical need for heightened research initiatives aimed at redefining and refining our understanding of this condition, potentially necessitating a reclassification to encourage a more accurate and nuanced understanding for all.

Subclaim 1

The research currently available on ADHD has predominantly focused on young boys, neglecting potential differences in symptom manifestation in females. This gender bias has resulted in underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in girls and women, thereby hindering a comprehensive understanding of ADHD across genders.

Subclaim 2

Outdated perceptions and limited information perpetuate social stigma around ADHD, leading to misconceptions that label individuals with ADHD as simply lacking discipline or willpower. This stigma hampers acceptance and support, contributing to the marginalization of those affected and impeding their access to proper care and understanding.

Subclaim 3

Representation in today’s pop culture often trivializes ADHD, commonly depicting it in an oversimplified or comedic manner, which undermines the seriousness of the condition. This portrayal diminishes public perception and prevents a deeper understanding of the complex challenges faced by individuals living with ADHD, leading to a lack of empathy and appropriate support.

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The local government of Loveland and Fort Collins, Colorado, should protect and empower renters from corporate landlord exploitation and tenant’s rights erosion by implementing a comprehensive and progressive set of policies and programs.

Subclaim 1: Corporate landlord exploitation and tenant’s rights erosion are serious and widespread problems that affect millions of renters in the USA, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession. The rental affordability crisis has worsened in the past decade, with 47% of renters being cost-burdened and 11 million renters being severely burdened in 2018. Moreover, corporate landlords, such as Blackstone Group, have increased their market share and power in the rental sector, and have often used predatory practices to maximize their profits at the expense of their tenants, such as raising rents, charging fees, neglecting repairs, evicting tenants without cause or due process, discriminating against low-income and minority tenants, lobbying against tenant protections, avoiding taxes, regulations, and accountability. These practices have negative impacts on tenant’s rights, well-being, and stability, such as affecting their health, education, employment, and social mobility.

Subclaim 2: The local government of Loveland and Fort Collins, has the opportunity and responsibility to protect and empower renters from corporate landlord exploitation and tenant’s rights erosion, as it has the authority and capacity to enact and amend laws and regulations that affect the rental market and tenant’s rights. The local government officials of Loveland and Fort Collins are mostly middle-aged, educated, and politically moderate, and they have some experience with the issue as landlords, tenants, or policymakers. They are interested in this issue because it affects their constituents, their budget, and their reputation. They need convincing and compelling information, data, and sources that can help them understand the issue and its implications, and support their decisions and actions. They also have access to technical experts within their organization, such as housing planners, lawyers, economists, or social workers, who can provide advice, analysis, or evaluation on the feasibility, effectiveness, and impact of the proposed policies and programs.

Subclaim 3: The local government of Loveland and Fort Collins, can achieve the point stated in my thesis by implementing laws, policies and programs for rent control, just cause eviction laws, tenant organizing and advocacy, and alternative housing models and community land trusts. These policies and programs can provide affordability, stability, security, and democracy for renters, by limiting rent increases and evictions, providing due process and legal aid, enabling tenant participation and representation, and offering more affordable, sustainable, and democratic housing options. These policies and programs have been proven to be effective and fair in other states and cities, such as California, New York, Oregon, Seattle, and Massachusetts, and they have received support from various sources, such as researchers, activists, policymakers, and the general public.

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Thesis: Child Welfare workers should be held legally liable for the deaths of children who are involved with Child Protection Services, but not before more effective precautions are implemented to keep children who are involved in the Welfare system alive and safe.

Sub claim #1: Child Welfare workers are highly overwhelmed with the amount of cases they have; more help is needed within the workplace and the mental needs of these workers must be observed.

Sub claim #2: New laws/regulations should be introduced and implemented across the entire country, not just individual states.

Sub claim #3: Multiple levels within the Welfare workers should be put in place in order to focus on cases of urgency and those that are less worrisome such as fake reports.

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Thesis: For many years the debate between Vaccination vs. non vaccination has been a conceversal topic.

Sub Claim 1: Upcoming generations with their worries on vaccination due to the beliefs that they cause diseases and defects.

Sub Claim 2: Covid-19 has pushed many people around the world to get vaccinated but many feared due to the lack of testing.

Sub Claim 3: Many Americans believe that not getting your children vaccinated has more benefits than getting your children vaccinated.

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Thesis: The current US healthcare system has the average family of four spending 12% of their total income on healthcare, Medicare for all would solve this and be beneficial for all low and medium-income families.

Subclaim I: The funding for Medicare for all is in the tax dollars many millionaires and billionaires don’t pay. It’s fully possible to increase those taxes.

Subclaim II: The private healthcare industry puts hundreds of thousands of Americans in medical debt yearly.

Subclaim III: Medicare for all has worked in many democratic socialist countries in Europe.

Subclaim IV: Medicare for all couldn’t be passed in our current legislative system and climate.

Subclaim V: The private healthcare industry works together to increase profits and decrease costs related to patient's health and care.

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1. THESIS:

Critical Race Theory(CRT) is used as a talking point and/or political agenda against racial discrimination in many college campuses; however, when you look at the statistics of general American culture and the biases of the media, it's evident that the common American view of racial discrimination is skewed.

1. Sub claim

Modern media tends to push a political agenda that obscures facts by telling only one side of the story

2. Sub claim

American culture normalizes single-motherhood, which isn’t a problem until they can’t support their child/children because of a single income household, which also increases the likelihood of the child committing a violent crime because of the lack of a father figure and usually being raised in a high-crime area

3. Sub claim

CRT claims that post-civil rights era laws are still discriminatory towards people of color, while statistics say differently

4. Sub claim

Banning CRT is a restriction of free speech

5. Sub claim

Critical Legal Studies(CLS) which many people use to promote CRT, fails to recognize the interaction between race and law

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1. THESIS:

Over the years since Covid 19 hit the United States in 2019 people have been feeling the major effects and changes in their everyday life. These Things have affected everything in our everyday life as US citizens, there needs to be a larger light on why these changes are happening and what people can do to conquer them.

1. Sub claim

The learning and development of students in school has been affected in a major way we have never seen before since Covid 19 and this pandemic is at fault for these halts in progression.

2. Sub claim

Families' lives have been harder and harder with the rising prices in everyday goods and essentials, people cannot live the way they did before the pandemic.

3. Sub claim

The economy and the shift of the major change throughout consumers and price’s has caused businesses to struggle to stay afloat awhile very specific companies thrive.

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Thesis: While the death penalty is in place to stop violent criminals from reoffending, the practice of capital punishment bring more harm than good and can often be unjust.

Sub claim: Impacts minorities disproportionately - Capital punishment is disproportionately targeting lower class individual in economically disadvantaged areas. Which at the same time is often also areas with a higher demographic for people of color.

Sub claim: People can be wrongfully convicted. Although uncommon it happens enough to be of genuine concern. We cannot let that happen, and it has,

Sub claim: Ethically, killing is killing. And despite the crimes they have committed, living out a life sentence in prison is much more of a punishment than executing them.

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Thesis: The Winner-Takes-All voting system is not a democratically sufficient way to run politics in the United States.

Subclaim 1: This voting system aims for simplicity and causes an abundance of problems in the voting with choices.

Counterargument 1: “The system produces a clear choice for the electorate...this contributes to the strength, unity and stability"

SubClaim 2: Insincere voting tactics arise from voters and single-candidate districts that make the present voting system democratically flawed.

Subclaim 3: The Winner-Takes-All system causes mass amounts of misrepresentation and does not let minority or independent groups have a say in any of the federal government.

Counter Argument 2: "Here’s a simple measure of a fair distribution of House seats in our two-party system: each party ends up with the number of seats that corresponds to its share of the two-party popular vote."

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Thesis statement: Even though animal testing is very common, it should be should be stopped. There are other ways to test chemicals without it being on animals.

Sub claim: Animal testing is very unnecessary as it causes animals to be in pain while they are getting tested.

Sub claim: The money that they put towards animal testing they can use on different ways of testing.

Sub claim: Different countries have stopped/banned animal testing due to cruelty, and animal testing should be banned everywhere.

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Thesis: While social media provides a platform for free speech and expression from all over the world, consequences keep catching up, showing the harmful effects on individuals and society as a whole; addiction, overall decline in mental health, and stimulating negative behaviors.

Sub Claim 1: Due to the effect that it has on the brain, social media is addictive both physically and mentally.

Sub Clam 2: The increasing reliance on and use of social media puts users at an increased risk of feeling depressed, lonely, anxious, and losing self-esteem.

Sub Claim 3: Social media can foster bullying, harassment, manipulation, and other actions that are seriously damaging and can affect anyone easily and gravely.

Counter argument: Connects people from all over the world, fosters a sense of community and understanding, and facilitates the spread of information and awareness of social issues.

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Thesis: Cancel culture is unproductive and hurtful, many people agree that it stops people from growing and being forgiven for mistakes and keeps any actual change from happening besides lots of hate.

Claim 1: Lots of times people bash into others and try to cancel them only because they have different points of view.

Claim 2: The stress of losing jobs or personal connections due to toxic cancel culture causes people not to speak their points of view to peers.

Claim 3: Many people don't know what cancel culture is from and what it means and use it in an offensive way instead of a proper way.

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Thesis: The rise of the internet and increased use of devices are actively effecting the health of human beings in a negative way.

Claim one: A rise of internet usage is leading to an increased sense and diagnosis of depression among teens.

Claim Two: An increased use of devices and blue light is leading to health complications in human beings (I.e. Decreased Eyesight, Longer periods of inactivity, and Attention issues)

Claim Three: A rise in dangerous Social Media trends has led to the deaths and injuries of multiple people and more action should be taken before such trends get out of hand. (Blue Whale Challenge, Cinnamon Challenge, Kiki Challenge, Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, Etc)

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To ensure the safety of products we use, we need to make sure what we’re using and eating in our daily needs is safe, we should reevaluate the chemicals and harmful substances in our products as they are leading to an increase in sicknesses.”

1.  Claim 1: Chemicals in foods, products, and cosmetics can lead to health issues.

1. Counterclaim 1: Many chemicals undergo rigorous testing for safety and are established with approved chemicals

2. Claim 2: Chemicals in products can lead to an irregular hormone system, causing longer-term health issues

1. The FDA puts in strict guidelines to control the chemicals that disrupt the hormones, these are based on thorough research measuring the toxicity in these products

3. Claim 3: Some chemicals in products can trigger allergic reactions

1. Counterclaim 3: Allergies are different among individuals, and manufacturers provide ingredient lists to help consumers make choices

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1. THESIS: Over the years it's been apparent that it's more difficult to get help from healthcare providers, the problems of our healthcare system have caused many to quit and find different career paths. Nurse burnout is something that needs to be addressed in order to prevent physical and emotional distress and problems with patient care if there isn’t an effective solution put in place.

1. Problem: Nurse burnout emotionally and physically drains our nurses, which can put patient care at risk.

2. Exigency: If there isn't a change in our healthcare system we will be even more in danger of nurse shortage, risking the care for patients, and medical errors.

3. Solutions: There should be organizations and other support for our nurses to help them. To solve deeper issues changes to companies' policies like work hours, pay, and benefits could help.

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1. THESIS: Social media has negative impacts on teenagers and young adults due to the increased amount of screen time which can lead to decreased mental health.

1. Sub claim: Misinformation is constantly spread across social media. People twist the truth about certain events taking place around the world and post it to gain attention.

2. Sub claim: Younger adults and teenagers can develop body image dissatisfaction when viewing popular content creators who appear to have the perfect body or lifestyle.

3. Sub claim: Cyberbullying and harassment on social media is one of the leading causes of decreased mental health as it relates to depression, anxiety, etc.

4. Sub claim: Social media is very addicting which can pull a user's focus away from paying attention to important things like a lecture because they are zoned in on a video.

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THESIS: America has come a long way throughout the history of school shootings, that are still happening to this day. Families can be long-term affected, to not only those families, but as a whole country. If these continue, there will be fewer teachers and fewer students to make a brighter future.

Sub claim: School shootings affect in so many ways, especially those in the building that are getting affected.

Sub claim: Legalizing marijuana and not controlling gun control is what tends to cause these actions.

Sub claim: It's proven that schools can take steps to reduce the number of school shootings that happen, and this can lead to fully being prevented with the correct actions from the school district and the state governors.

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Thesis: Federal and State governments need to change legislation to restrict usage of consumer data to protect the privacy of the consumer. Data collection practices are intrusive, dangerous, can get you in trouble with law enforcement, and the problem is only getting worse.
Sub-Claim #1: The amount of data companies collect is intrusive and unnecessary.

Counterargument: The data companies collect gets sold to data brokers, allowing free services to remain free since it is one of their primary sources of revenue.
Refutation: When companies sell your information, they make a profit and you get nothing in return. Additionally, it's equivalent to selling pieces of your personal life, which is typically the only time you have true privacy.
Sub-Claim #2: The data collected is dangerous to the consumer in case of a breach or leak, resulting in real-life consequences.

Counterargument: Consumers should do better about protecting their information like passwords to be punished less when something like a data breach occurs.
Refutation: Data breaches can include things outside of your control, such as social security numbers and forms of identification like driver's license.
Sub-Claim #3: With subpoenas and warrants, data collection from tech companies can result in law enforcement getting information on you that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

Counterargument: You should not be afraid of law enforcement if you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.

Refutation: Law enforcement needs to be able to prove that you’re guilty, you don't need to prove that you’re innocent. Making it easier by allowing data collection only hurts you and any court case you might have.
Sub-Claim #4: Due to data collection becoming more and more prevalent on the internet due to the rise in digital population, federal agencies are beginning to go around subpoenas and warrants by buying data from brokers to discover things.

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Thesis: College athletes should be paid because of what they do for their schools such as giving the school a great reputation. Some college athletes struggle with balancing their sports and work. College athletes also do a lot for their school and should be paid for it. College Athletes also struggle with school and their own personal time away from their school and sport.

Sub Claim 1: College athletes should be paid because they do a lot for their school if they make it to be a professional their school looks good and has a good reputation. College athletes also struggle with paying for stuff like food and personal things.

Sub Claim 2: College athletes struggle with a healthy balance in their lives and some struggle so hard that they lose their scholarships because of it.

Sub Claim 3: College athletes struggle with paying for things such as personal or even food. College athletes also don't have extra funds to do extra things with friends or family.

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Thesis - College athletes should be paid even though they get  their athletic scholarships, many of them have a big name and want to utilize what they have worked for whether that is performing in their sport or just going to a well known school, finding a healthy balance between school, athletics, and jobs is something many of these athletes struggle with.

Claim 1 - Athletes are constantly struggling to find a balance in their lives.

Counter 1 - Athletes need learn to manage their time affectively and pick their priorities.

Claim 2 - Athletes have devoted a majority of their lives to their sports therefore they deserve everything they have worked for.

Counter 2 - Athletes choose to devote their life to their sport, no one makes them.

Claim 3 - While school can be overwhelming for anyone, athletes have an extremely busy schedule with school, practice, games, and anything else that is required of them so adding a job onto that makes it extremely overwhelming.

Counter 3 - Athletes are willingly signing up to do this so they should have to deal with the consequences that come along with it.

Claim 4 - College athletes don't get the benefits as pro athletes such as health insurance and many more, they often get exploited by their schools and the NCAA.

Counterclaim - They are still in college, a majority of them are still on their parents insurance. They are still armature athletes therefore they should not get paid.

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Thesis Statement: While some people think that rodeo is harmful to animals, rodeos do not abuse animals because it is safe for animals and people, it prevents animal cruelty and abuse, and they have strict rules in a rule book that has to be followed.

Sub claim 1: Rodeo is safe for animals and people.

Counter claim 1: Rodeo is dangerous there are going to be accidents because it is a very active sport.

Sub claim 2: It prevents animal cruelty and abuse.

Counter claim 2: Livestock is bucked and tied up.

Sub claim 3: They have strict rules in a rule book.

Counter claim 3: Although they are strict rules not everyone may follow them

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thesis statement: state testing may have the intention to help but it is just putting a burden on student's futures based on the test scores

Subclaim 1: what is testing anxiety and how are people affected by it?

Subclaim 2: pressure on educators and parents. how does state testing affect teachers and their way of teaching?

Subclaim 3: state testing is not fair to all students because every student is different in their learning and test-taking style.

counter argument: state testing provides a standard for everyone to be and and where everyone should be at

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Thesis:  Establishing consistency across legal age restrictions in the United States by setting the voting age at either 18 or 21 and aligning it with the same regulations for consuming alcohol, and recreational marijuana and renting a car would promote fairness in our legal system. This approach would ensure that individuals, upon being granted the right to vote or join the military, are subject to a cohesive and equitable age standard.

Sub claim 1: the brain development of a 18 year old to an 21 year old is more mature.

Sub claim 2: Having a lot of responsibilities as you move out of the house, pay own insurance, not understanding all what voting for.

Sub claim 3:  By establishing consistent age restrictions across different aspects of society, we can create a more cohesive and fair legal system.

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Thesis Statement: There are many social objections to legalizing prostitution and the type of work having to do with prostitution; however, the legalization of prostitution could reduce criminal activity, help the economy, and offer better protection and support for sex workers.

Subclaim 1: Legalizing prostitution could lead to less crime related to prostitution as a black market for sex work would be eliminated. This would reduce human trafficking and exploitation of sex work because it would be regulated and monitored by the government.

Subclaim 2: Legalizing prostitution could better our economy due to the fact that if prostitution was legalized prostitutes would have to report this to taxes.

Subclaim 3: Legalizing prostitution would increase the safety and health of prostitutes by allowing them to healthcare, social services, and legal protection without getting in trouble.

Counter argument: Legalizing prostitution would increase more prostitution which could also lead to an increase in sex trafficking and an outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases.

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Thesis: Electric cars are more environmentally friendly than traditional gas-powered cars due to their lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and improved energy efficiency.

Subclaim 1: The switch to EVs reduces the dependency on the limited supply of fossil fuels.

Subclaim 2: Electric Vehicles produce far less emissions than traditional vehicles

Subclaim 3: Electric vehicles eliminate smog and small-scale pollution in cities causing better air quality.

Subclaim 4: Electric cars have fewer moving parts than gas-powered cars, requiring less maintenance and being generally more reliable.

Counter argument: The technology for manufacturing and charging EVs is not advanced enough to facilitate zero emissions.

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Thesis: While the high price of college tuition does give a better learning experience for the students in the university, these high prices prevent many people from being able to go to college and we should be actively working to change these prices.

Sub claim 1: Almost 40% of people don't go to college because of the price of the tuition, causing them to have lower income jobs in the future.

Sub claim 2: The average amount of time to pay off college debt is 20 years, putting students in a hole as soon as they graduate.

Sub Claim 3: The state should have more funds towards universities to allow them to be able to lower their tuitions.

Counter claim: The cost of the tuition gives enough benefit to the universities and students in the university to keep the prices this high/

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Thesis statement- Regardless of the high cost of college and the high debt it will put you in; College is worth it for the following reasons: It opens the doors to better career opportunities, Personal growth, Better education, and Knowledge to thrive.

Subclaim 1: Qualifications and Job opportunities  The degrees offer access to novel job possibilities and represent a prerequisite for numerous professions.

Subclaim 2:  Knowledge & Education College contributes a structured environment to learn and obtain focusing knowledge in a particular field.

Subclaim 3: Network opportunities  It provides a different way to socialize with others, that including, classmates, roommates, suitemates, professors, etc; making beneficial networks for prospects of profession.

Subclaim 4: Improvement in oneself Higher education frequently obtains independence, problem solving skills and many more; contributing to improvement as an individual.

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Thesis: Although the development of hypersonic transportation technologies have proven in the past to be very high in demand for resources, time, and manpower, it should not be given up on because it would ultimately make it easier for global politics to ensue, the commerce industry would be greatly improved, it could increase national security and make for better military applications, and the developments being made also help towards the development of other technologies.

Sub Claim #1: Hypersonic transportation would make for better accessibility for political leaders to be where they need to be on a global scale.

Counterargument: Political leaders don’t need to be anywhere physically because everything in this world is online now.

Refutation: Sometimes being in person for global events is necessary. For things such as UN meetings or other representative discussions or support campaigns.

Sub claim #2: The commercial transportation industry would be greatly improved not only on a scale of efficiency, but also on a scale of entertainment.

Counterargument: There is no need for airplanes to go that fast just to produce emissions.

Refutation: There are a lot of people on this planet that find it entertaining to fly in airplanes. Also, many scramjet engines (hypersonic engines) use hydrogen based fuels, which do not cause emissions.

Sub Claim #3: Hypersonic tech would make for very effective national defense and military applications.

Counterargument: Humanity should not promote the creation of weapons that can intentionally cause harm to others, and enemies could just make weapons that can take down hypersonic craft.

Refutation: Hypersonic craft could and would most likely be used only for defense and surveillance (national security) due to the implausibility of attaching armament to vehicles going at such speeds. It would take very high tech precision targeting on any kind of defense weapon against a hypersonic aircraft, which as far as we know, nobody has.

Sub Claim #4: The development of such technologies would unveil discoveries that could aid in many other different scientific experiments, growing global technology even further.

Counterargument: The cost or risk in making these developments in the first place is not worth the reward, especially when you consider that that reward is not necessary to begin with.

Refutation: Many of the companies working on these developments today are privately owned, meaning a microscopic percentage of taxpayer money is actually going towards these developments.

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Thesis:  Providing health insurance for undocumented immigrants impacts both socially and economically. It is important to view the positive and negative effects by providing information.

Subclaim #1: Health care being more accessible for undocumented immigrants

Counterclaim: More people with be interested in immigrating to the United States

Subclaim #2: Will help raise the economy since they contribute money to the health care system

Counterclaim: Taxes for taxpayers will go up to provide more accessibility to healthcare

Subclaim #3: 34% of uninsured people will decline in California since more people will have access to it

Counterclaim: Prices for insurance will go up because the demand will be higher

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Thesis: In past American wars, such as World War 1 and World War 2, soldiers have been welcomed home with gratitude, honor, and admiration. However, in the 20-year long Vietnam War, soldiers returned to a divided country, where they were welcomed with only hatred and hostility

Sub claim 1: In the almost 50 years since the ending of the Vietnam War, even still, not enough gratitude has been expressed towards the veterans who served. The welcome home that veterans of other wars have received has not been given to Vietnam veterans, which since he ending of the war, continues to affect their mental well-being.

Counter argument: There are organizations and non-profits today that are dedicated to giving support and gratitude towards veterans from all wars- many of them being Vietnam veterans.

Sub claim 2: Since its building in 1982, the Vietnam War Memorial has been a subject of debate within the American public and from Vietnam veterans due to the memorial's implication of "defeat" and deeming the veterans as "anti-heroic".

Counter argument: Despite the heated dispute over the memorial, in the more recent years, the American public and the remaining veterans have grown to be more fond of the memorial.

Sub claim 3: The United States became a divided country during the two-decade long war- a side who believed the war was justified, and a side who believed the war was not justified. At the time, America's presence in Vietnam grew because of the threat communism had on American democracy, a vital system in the government.

Counter argument: The Vietnam War had significant casualties in that during the time, 4 million Vietnamese people were killed and close to 60,000 Americans were killed.

Sub claim 4: The treatment towards Vietnam soldiers from the American citizens who did no believe the war was justified was gruesome and unfair. Vietnam soldiers were not "wearing their uniforms around in public". While there were true tragedies that took place during the war on both sides, the almost 3 million people who served in Vietnam, drafted or volunteered, risked their lives for the protection of their fellow citizens and their government, and violence and hatred is not what they should have returned home to. Even those who supported the war resented the veterans due to America's loss.

Counter argument: Many people could not understand how there were soldiers who volunteered to fight, who weren't just drafted, that seemed willing to attack innocent Vietnamese people, even if it was for the protection of their country.

Sub claim 5: Vietnam soldiers received a lot of hate from many Americans who believed the war was completely unjust and there was no excuse for the killings that took place, however many forget that much of the other hate the soldiers received was full of resentment from those who actually supported the war, but despised the soldiers because of America's loss.

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Thesis- Social Media is affecting our generation socially, psychologically, and culturally specifically teens and young adults in a negative way.

Sub claim 1: Social Media affects teens socially- How does social media affect this generation socially?  Not only does social media affect us on a daily basis and help us pass time or distract us, it affects us socially in many aspects from communication in person or over the phone.

Sub claim 2: Social Media affects this generation psychologically- Social media is affecting how we think about one another and ourselves, it brings self esteem and mentality drastically down and motivation and drive.

Sub claim 3: Social Media affects this generation culturally- Social media is affecting our culture in how we see things, how situations affect us, and how we handle it.

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Ariana Velasquez - Period 3

Thesis: While body cameras can invade people's privacy, police officers should wear body cameras because it brings safety to police officers and individuals , it is an efficient tool to complete evidence in a case to ensure a clear and fair evidence, and improves law enforcement equipment.

Sub Claim 1: Body cameras provide safety to police officer and individuals, it makes police officers act respectful because they are being recorded and makes individuals feel safe.

Counterargument: Body cameras invade people's privacy.

Sub Claim 2: Body cameras are an efficient tool, it completes evidence that is needed in cases. It assures and corrects people's testimonies.

Sub Claim 3: Improves law enforcement tools and new ideas to bring and guarantee justice.

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Thesis: assigning homework every night for students K-12 may seem like it is helpful for students to better learn material and set good habits; however it can be a burden on young students and cause unnecessary stress or anxiety.

sub claim 1: homework takes away from students family time and/or play time after school (which is an important factor for young kids development).

counterclaim: Homework gives parents and children time to work through the assignment together can connect.

sub claim 2: homework increases stress, anxiety for students, especially large amounts of it.

counter: homework can reduce screen time and increase better time management.

sub claim 3: large amounts of homework can lead to cheating, therefore it isn't helping students learn the material.

counter: having homework every night can develop good habits.

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Thesis: While healthcare protects Americans from higher medical costs and receiving free vaccines, checkups, and preventative care before a deductible is reached, healthcare is so expensive and everyone should have a right to healthcare because patients postpone care because of the price, of around 112 million Americans struggle to pay for healthcare, and overall there is a way to make it cheaper.

Sub Claim: Patients postpone care because of the cost of healthcare which can be dangerous to the person who needs care and possibly the people around the person who needs care.

Sub Claim: On average 112 million Adult Americans struggle to pay for the costs of healthcare due to the fact that the average price of healthcare is 12,000 dollars per person.

Sub Claim: There are multiple ways to lower healthcare costs for example getting rid of medical supplys that do not get used and find cheeper alternitaves for mdical supplys.

Counter claim: Healthcare is affective and ofers checkups , vacines, and helps lower the costs of medical bills in general.

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Thesis statement: While the death penalty may be viewed as an effective means to prevent individuals who have comitted henius crimes from causing further harm,it is important to acknowladge that its execution carries potential risks.

Sub claim: People are wrongfully convicted. Several people are wrongfully sentenced to death and their inocense doesn't get proven until its to late.

Sub claim- Doesn't Deter crime

There is no conclusive evidence that show that it does something to deter crime. There are other forms of punishment like imprisonment without parole that are effective deterrents without the morlay complexities associated with capital punishment.

Sub Claim -Disapropriiate Impact on vulnerable populations

The death penalty diasapropriatly affect economically disadvantaged individuals. Such as racial-bias and if people are able to use their rescources like have a good lawyer.

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Thesis: The use and production of energy and electricity has become a large part of many countries' economies, and electricity is used by nearly everyone. The climate change crisis has been ever worsening, being largely contributed to by electricity generation using fossil fuels. With the growing problem of the climate crisis, and the current available green energy technology, there must be a transition in energy generation methods that does not cause detrimental effects to the economy, so the crisis is managed and the switch to green energy happens in a timely manner.

Sub claim: Oil and gas companies are starting to invest in green energy strategies in turn helping the economy.

Counterclaim: If society suddenly abandons fossil fuels, it will cause economic problems throughout the world due to an industry being gone.

Sub claim: The use of wind turbines, electric vehicles, and solar panels is a proven way to reduce carbon emissions.

Counterclaim: The use of this technology has its environmental effects as well such as mining for lithium.

Sub claim: Nuclear energy can be pivotal to the switch to green energy because it doesn’t release carbon emissions and it is the most efficient form of producing electricity.

Counterclaim: Nuclear meltdowns, and the waste from nuclear energy is a consequence of using nuclear energy, and has detrimental effects on the areas around the power plants.

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1. THESIS: While there is plenty of evidence to support that a vegetarian diet can offer certain health benefits and reduce environmental impacts, it is important to recognize that red meat is not the issue as much as processed meats are and that certain cultures would suffer greatly without the option of having meat

1. Sub claim- Vegan diets are healthier than omnivorous diets because of the lower fat intake. Counter- Diets with lean meat, and dairy options, as well as a well-balanced diet or not eating processed meats, are all also ways to have a low fat intake.

2. Sub claim- Vegan diets have less of an environmental impact. Counter- there are ways to manage animal output better and there are also going to be more emissions for plant processing and trucking since not every plant can be grown everywhere all year round so there will be more transportation.

3. Sub claim- Processed meats and fast food are causing more health issues than red meat.

4. Sub claim- Without meat, certain cultures, people, and countries would suffer greatly.

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Thesis: While the production and use of electric vehicles can bring up issues like safety concerns, environmental impacts of mining precious ores, hazards of recycling batteries, and battery life concerns; more benefits like zero emissions, less maintenance, higher performance, and higher efficiency come from using a electric car than downsides.

Sub Claim #1: Once an electric vehicle is created, it does not produce any emissions when being driven.

Counterargument: Mining lithium and the other precious ores needed for EV batteries creates a lot of pollution.

Refutation: Once the lithium and precious ores are mined, they no longer pollute the earth.

Sub Claim #2: Once an electric vehicle is sent in to be recycled, most of the battery can be broken down and reused in new electric car batteries.

Counterargument:  The recycling of EV batteries can be hazardous and time-consuming for the people who have to recycle them.

Refutation: The recycling of electric batteries will keep advancing, and new, better methods will be found to recycle batteries.

Sub Claim #3: An electric vehicle, which contains a motor, needs less scheduled maintenance than a typical gas-powered car, which has an engine.

Counterargument: Lithium-ion batteries, which thousands are in electric cars, can easily catch fire and cause high-voltage shocks in an accident.

Refutation: Car manufacturers are using new methods in electric cars to ensure that if they get in a crash, the batteries won’t explode.

Sub Claim #4: An electric car motor has higher performance and is more efficient with the energy it consumes than a gas-powered car.

Counterargument: It takes time to charge the car. The distance a car can go on one charge is often shorter than gas-powered cars. The lifespan of an electric car is shorter than that of gas-powered cars.

Refutation: Charging electric cars is getting faster and faster. The batteries in electric cars will keep getting better as well.

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Thesis: Developing farmland is taking over our food sources. Over the past 10 years the United States has lost over 10 million acres of good farmland. If this keeps up in about 90 years the U.S will have completely ran out of farmable ground.

Sub Claim #1 With the increased population we will need all the farmland possible to produce enough food for the growing population. It takes about 3.25 acres of farm ground to feed the average person per a year.

Counterclaim, Their is plenty of farmland and with advancing technology we will need less land.

Sub Claim #2 If farmland runs out we will have to import foods which is cost effective and can carry plant pests and foreign animal diseases.

Counterclaim, Most countries like the US have to import food.

Sub Claim #3

Their is 893 billion acres of farmland in the US, with the average person needing 3.25 acres of food per year. That will equal the US farmland can feed 275 million people. Their is 331 million people in the US. we do not produce enough food for our country.

Counterclaim, Their is other countries that produce more food in the US.

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THESIS: Private ambulance services are not a good idea because they could lead to unequal access to services, higher costs for patients, and lower-quality care.

Subclim 1: Private companies get to choose the place that they want to go to leading to unequal access to service.

Subclaim 2: Private companies set the cost for their care making it as expensive as they want.

COUNTERCLAIM: They could make the care as cheap as they want

Subclim 3: Private companies don’t have to follow the same guidelines set by the government, meaning that some of the care given by public companies could be left out of the care.

COUNTERCLAIM: The company isn't restricted by the government.

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Thesis: The value of college education as an investment changes depending on factors such as cost, career goals, and individual circumstances, it remains a valuable option for many students seeking success, and should be considered in the context of other options.

Sub Claim #1:Jobs increasingly require college degrees and college allows students to explore careers and earn better job placements. Over 80% of college students are able to finish their internships.

Counterargument: College does not guarantee a job or career.

Refutation: 99% of job growth for 11.5 million jobs between 2010 and 2016 have went to workers with associates degrees, bachelors degrees, or graduate degrees. Harvard business schools estimates that 65 to 85 percent of jobs are acquired through networking.

Sub Claim #2:Because students are able to acquire interpersonal and other skills in college, graduates are more productive as members of society. Students are able to find their passion while going to college with several opportunities to join student organizations and clubs. which helps to develop mature interpersonal relationships.

Counter Argument: Student Debt is at an all time high, impacting students, their families, and our society.

Refutation: Because students have higher paying jobs due to having a college degree it will be easier to pay off debts in the long run.

Sub Claim #3: College is a safety net and on average gives a 24%higher chance to be employed. 85% of college freshmen say that they went to college in order to obtain a better job. 58% of college graduates report being satisfied compared to 50% of high School graduates.

Counter Argument: Less than half of students graduate on time. More than 1 million students drop out of college every year.

Refutation: Government could take actions in in order to reduce the financial burdens that students have to overcome. Such as giving vouchers and cutting costs. Support mental health, teach students how to study.

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Thesis: Mandatory reporting is a concept that takes place in schools where teachers and staff members are required to share information with a counselor or authorities if a student expresses any information involving physical harm to themselves or others.

Subclaim #1: Many people believe mandatory reporting in the school system is very useful and allows for a positive option for kids who are in serious situations.

Counter Argument: There are many key factors that get overlooked and create a very confusing and possibly negative impact on the child.

Subclaim 2: The flawed nature of mandatory reporting creates a gap between students and teachers and creates an environment where a student may be put in a worse situation than they were in previously.

Counter Argument: Students who truly need help are not going to let the relationship gap prevent them from talking to a teacher or counselor.

Subclaim #3: The statistics from 2010-2019 shows that even though there is an increase in reports from 2015-2019, the amount of cases that were actually true were the same as 2010-2014.

Subclaim #4: People across the U.S. believe that mandatory reporting is incredibly helpful and a very important key to the well-being of children who are struggling with harm. They believe it is an incredibly valuable system that allows for the most benefit for kids.

Counter Argument: The system is valuable, but way too flawed in its nature which prevents the system from being incredibly helpful for a majority of students.

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Thesis: New urbanist principles in urban planning are necessary toward helping people thrive due to increased walkability, no longer depending on a car for transportation, and a higher sense of happiness overall.

Subclaim #1: The contemporary ways in which we plan our spaces are a leading cause of Climate Change.

Subclaim #2: We can see that self-reported happiness ratings and walkability of areas are closely connected

Subclaim #3: Urban planning practices should be changed to ones focused more on planning around people, not cars, and focus on walkability and density.

counterclaim: Cars are an essential mode of transportation in a big country like the U.S

Subclaim #4: While some may argue that New urbanism may impact people's freedom, it is clear that people will have more freedom to use alternate transportation methods and different living situations using new urbanist principles.

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The predicament with fast fashion lies in the minimal attention directed towards environmental pollution, extensive waste, and unjust labor conditions endured by workers—all of which contribute to the colossal profits amassed by giant corporations.

Subclaim 1:

Merely a fraction of the produced clothing is effectively sold.

Counterclaim- How can people control if all of the clothes made by the corporation are bought or not?

Subclaim 2:

These garments are hastily and inexpensively manufactured, resulting in short-lived items that are quickly discarded.

Counterargument- Since fashion clothes are made so quickly and cheaply, it makes them affordable and easy to buy, especially since clothes are expensive and many people have difficulty affording name-brand options.

Subclaim 3:

Powerhouse corporations such as H&M and Zara thrive on fast fashion, yielding substantial profits while subjecting their workers to unregulated and insufficient wages.

Subclaim 4:

A significant portion of the production is consigned to enormous waste fields, perpetuating widespread pollution.

Subclaim 5:

Fast fashion has evolved into mainstream fashion, becoming the primary means through which the majority of individuals obtain their clothing.

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Thesis: Life flight involves lots of equipment that must be updated and/or replaced regularly which is costly making it a reason that life flight needs to have some cost, however it the cost should be smaller because there’s no reason to get rid of gear that wasn’t used on a trip, much of the money doesn’t go towards the life flight supplies, and will make it more likely for people to use life flight in an emergency.

Sub-claim #1: There are many single use supplies that go into a life flight helicopter, that is thrown out once a patient is taken care of and flown to the hospital. But keeping the supplies that had not been used yet allows the cost of supplies to go down

Counter argument: To keep things as sterile and safe as possible getting new equipment for every patient is the safest way to go

Sub-claim #2: Much of the money that is paid by a patient or their family after a life flight doesn’t go towards the workers or the equipment of a helicopter, but into stakeholders pockets, which only benefits them.

Counter Argument: They provide the life flight team with jobs and equipment.

Sub-claim #3: Many people admit to not using life flight or any ambulance for that matter during an emergency because it costs so much and they simply can’t afford it.

Counterclaim: If the air ambulance didn’t cost anything it wouldn’t be able to get the equipment they need to keep someone alive and people still use life flight quite often

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Thesis: Psilocybin mushrooms should be legalized in the U.S. for medicinal purposes in treatment of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Subclaim #1: Current depression and anxiety medicine provides temporary relief of the illness while psilocybin provides long term treatment, legalization of this drug may transform the future of treatment for mental illnesses.

Subclaim #2: When used in the correct setting with a trusted professional present, the treatment  provides striking results.

Counter Argument: Alternatively, legalization of the drug may lead to misuse when used unsupervised.

Subclaim #3: Psilocybin treatment may lead to more psychological openness and overall increased life satisfaction.

Counter Argument:  Bad experiences such as bad trips may affect these results.

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Thesis: Social media has little to no regulations and is a threat to the users mental and physical health.

Sub Claim 1: Social media is a breeding ground for cyberbullying and harmful content. There are no regulations in place which leads to decline in users mental health as this content can trigger anxiety, depression, and other psychological distress.

Sub Claim 2: Social media platforms are driver by profit, their design methods often take advantage of users psychological vulnerabilities. It draws users back in and creates a strain on their mental and physical health.

Sub Claim 3: There is a large lack of structure on social media which creates the quick spread of misinformation and fake news. When false information spreads it can damage the mental health of users and give them a false perception of the world they live in.

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Thesis: While some people argue that DACA gives the wrong messages and this program gives the idea to people that they can immigrate to the USA, this can not be true because DACA only allows immigrants who have been living in the USA since 2007. DACA is a very important program for America because it contributes a lot to the USA. By giving it to people who work in different fields and pay taxes, it also gives young immigrant students the opportunity to achieve their American dream and help their families financially.

Sub Claim #1: Education opportunities: DACA gives young adult immigrants the opportunity to study and work on their dream job, and contribute to the USA with bilingual and well-educated doctors, teachers, business owners, etc.

Sub Claim #2: Economic contributors: DACA students just like many others pay their taxes, and own houses contribute millions of dollars in mortgage payments and more than a billion in rental payments annually. DACA recipients contribute an estimated $13.3 billion to the US economy each year.

Sub Claim #3: Protection from deportation: DACA protects young people from getting deported, this is important because most DACA students do not know another place that is not the USA because they were brought here by their parents when they were children and they could not decide whether they stay or not, which means that they did not knowingly they were violating immigration laws.

Sub Claim #4: Opportunity: DACA gives illegal students the opportunity to do things the right way as many Americans argue, gives them social security and with that, the opportunity to study and work in the path that they want, get a driver's license, buy a house, etc.

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Thesis: The overharvesting of horseshoe crabs could have drastic effects on not only the environment but also the survival of the human race. It is critical to find the balance between the medical developments that the horseshoe crabs bring and the conservation of the world's oldest living creature.

Sub Claim #1: The environment is made up of thousands of deliacte intertwined ecosystems that rely on one another for survival. If we disrupt it for our improvements it will start a chain reaction in the environment and it will disrupt the stable ecosystems they are a part of.

Counter Argument: While it might make some ecosystems worse, it could make some better by removing them.

Sub Claim #2: The loss of access to the only animal known to have blue blood may mean that the entire portion of the medical field dedicated to creating new medicine will lose all of their progress.

Counter Argument: The improvements in the medical field might be worth it and it could help us survive without them.

Sub Claim #3: The crabs are the oldest living creatures on the planet, and we still haven't uncovered all the mysteries of the Earth, so the loss of our only living connection to the past will have effects on our research into the past.

Counter Argument: We still have a whole lot of discoveries to be made on Earth, the crabs might not be alone.

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Thesis: The rapid development of AI going practically unmonitored presents a threat to people with creative jobs such as writers and artists since AI is now able to do those jobs for less money.

Sub Claim #1: The rise of AI puts human creativity at risk, as it overshadows the work of actual creators.

Sub Claim #2: It is incredibly easy for large companies to replace the work of their artists and writers with something that is AI generated, and that does not cost as much.

Sub Claim #3: The use of AI is not as regulated as it should be. There are almost no laws about how it should be used.

Sub Claim #4: AI could become dangerous to other fields of work and we could eventually become overly dependent on it.

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Thesis: The widespread use of technology has influenced various aspects of communication, employment, and our education. It is crucial to examine the effects of information access and social dynamics as it will continue to shape the perspective and experiences of today’s generation.

Sub claim #1: Technology has changed how we communicate with others by making it easier to contact people around the world.

Counter argument: There’s less socializing with other people and interpersonal skills.

Sub clam #2: Created new opportunities for our education and learning.

Counter argument:  Start to over rely on technology to educate and causing a lack of critical thinking.

Sub claim #3: Changed how we work, remote work that  has become more common.

Counter argument: Due to having more automation jobs it causes concern of job displacement for many people.

Sub claim #4: Changed the way we access new knowledge, and information.

Counter argument: Can lead to getting fake news and misinformation.

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Thesis:

The death penalty in the United States judicial system is a flawed and very old-fashioned way of treating certain crimes such as treason, murder, or genocide.

SUB CLAIM 1

The line should be more clear for the death penalty. Many people could argue that the death penalty should be applied to cases of extreme crimes that cost other people's lives or go as an unconstitutional act against someone else. But they don’t really think about where to actually draw that line between whether they die or spend life in prison. It’s purely based on the opinion of the jury whether a person should live or die.

SUB CLAIM 2

People from less fortunate backgrounds should still be given a fair trial and a good lawyer. This should really go without saying, as it is the 6th Amendment to have a fair and speedy trial and the right to have an attorney. People who can’t afford a very good lawyer usually end up losing the case whether they are innocent or not, it’s up to how the lawyer portrays their argument. Often when the person being accused comes from a poor background lawyers tend to use that against them.

SUB CLAIM 3

The Death Penalty doesn’t stop everyone from committing crimes. A criminal when committing a crime doesn’t think about the consequences until either during or after the crime is committed. Or even worse, the criminal sees the punishment and knows what's going to happen after the fact and still proceeds with the crime knowing the consequences. So, the point is criminals aren’t just going to stop committing offenses just because the consequences are dire, some people just want to commit a crime.

SUB CLAIM 4

The necessity of being more conscientious about who we send to death row/prison. Incarceration rates per year are insanely high in the United States, and I don’t believe it's because we have more criminals than other states. I believe that multiple things have led to the increase in incarceration rates, such as increased sentencing laws, racial demographics in the U.S., and drug sentencing laws. All of these lead to having more people in prison.

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Thesis: The adoption of a form of Universal Basic Income (UBI) in the United States or any of its political subdivisions as an expansion or a repeal of existing social safety nets, would lead to greater economic security, and a greater quality of life for its recipients.

Subclaim 1: Reduction of poverty: A monthly payment without restrictions on which the funds can be used allows families to plan, and prioritize their most essential needs, which are different for everyone. Rather than needing to prove you don't make enough income to get a form of welfare, everyone would receive the same amount of money automatically, reducing government bureaucracy, and confusion among citizens. These funds go a long way to creating an economic "floor" to stand on by ensuring that basic needs can always be met.

Counterclaim: People who receive payments from the government won't work anymore.

Refutation: The State of Alaska offers an annual payment ranging typically from $1000-$3000 to all of its citizens. Alaska maintains a strong working culture and a low unemployment rate of 4.1%.

Subclaim 2: UBI would reduce crime: A direct flow of cash into everyone's bank accounts would eliminate the need for some people who have a low income to commit crimes to sustain a living such as theft, embezzlement, and violent crimes which often accompany them.

Subclaim 3: UBI would lead to more affordable healthcare, better education, and higher wages: Government payments would relieve stress on people's bank accounts, allowing them to more easily afford healthcare. UBI would also allow families to save more money for future education, and for extracurricular programs. Jobs requiring higher education typically yield a higher paying wage than those only requiring a high school degree or less, meaning a more educated population would lead to higher paying jobs. This in turn with UBI would create consistent financial stimulation of the economy with business investing their UBI back into the economy, and vice versa with consumers.

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Thesis: The high cost of childbirth in the United states is unethical because it stops families from obtaining proper healthcare and widens the chances of unsafe practices.

Sub claim 1: the cost of giving birth in a hospital is too high for the average American.

counterclaim: Reducing cost could mean paying highly trained doctors and nurses a less than deserved salary which would lead to pushback along with obtaining cheaper hospital tools.

Sub claim 2: doulas/midwifes are a good alternative to giving birth in the hospital.

Counter claim: Low risk pregnancies' tend to have better outcomes when using doulas/midwifes but high risk pregnancies' can turn fatal if not treated with highly trained doctors.

Sub claim 3: Health insurance can cover most of the cost

Counterclaim: while insurance can pay a large chunk it will raise your rates as you will be paying for another person and certain procedures may not be covered under specific plans.

Sub claim 4: Families may turn to unsafe practices to help reduce the cost of having a child such as having a at home birth without doctors and nurses

Counter claim: Many low risk mothers have at home and water births that turn out successful

Sub Claim 5: Hospitals exploit families by raising the cost to a unethical amount

Counter claim: Hospital bills vary depending on many factors such as how many children were born, types of medication, how long the stay was, surgeries, and other related reasons.

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Thesis: The current federal minimum wage should be increased in order for people below the federal poverty line to be able to make a living.

1 ) subclaim: raising the minimum wage will reduce turnover rates

Counterclaim: Local businesses will not be able to afford enough employees to be able to work

Refutation: If they have less turnover they will not have to spend the time or  money training newcomers

2 ) subclaim: raising the minimum wage would lower poverty levels

Counterclaim: jobs will have to lay people off because they can’t afford to pay them.

Refutation: It is very expensive and time consuming to lay people off

3 ) Subclaim: raising the minimum wage would attract more employers to businesses

Counterclaim: It will raise the amount of applicants making it very difficult to be hired

Refutation: New protocols could be put in place for minimum wage jobs ensuring the people who need them have the best chance of being hired over someone who has a degree.

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Thesis: Teachers carrying guns also known as 'armed educators' with there concealed carry permits, allows trained teachers to be armed in the schools for higher level security.

Subclaim #1: Training required for teachers to be armed: Teachers in Colorado will have to go through a four level FASTER training and pass it with 100% to be able to move on with the process

Counterclaim: The training that is required is expensive and not all the teachers will be able to do the training.

Refutation: By making sure all of the teachers have the proper training and if the districts pay for the training then they will be able to get all of the training that they need

Subclaim #2: De-Escalation of conflict: If there is a conflict of a school shooting then there will be less conflict due to the amount of people that would be armed in a school.

Counterclaim: If there was a gun in a school then they students knowing that the teachers are armed it will create more of a conflict then if there was no guns.

Refutation: There is a lot of stats that will show if the students are comfortable with the teachers being armed.

Subclaim #3: Dramatically decreased response times to emergencies: The police response time is a lot slower then we need them to be in a situation like this and that means that there is already armed personal in the schools then it wont be so critical for them to respond faster then they already are.

Counterclaim: Once the police get there they will not know who is the threat is and there will just be confusion.

Refutation: The response time is at a all time slow and it is hard to get the situation slow when the cops haven't showed up yet

Subclaim #4: Attackers don't know who is armed and who is not: If the attacker goes into a building then they will not know who is armed and what way to go into, it will confuse the attacker.

Counterclaim: It will cause confusion for the other people that are involved to stop the shooting

Refutation: By working with the police officers to inform them of the teachers that are armed they would be able to create a plan incase of an emergency

Subclaim #5: Gun free zones just don't work: Gun free zones have more mass shootings in them because the attackers know there isn't any guns in that area so they just don't work

Counterclaim: there is gun free zones for a reason and they need to stay like that the reason they were put up

Refutation: It has shown over the years how gun free zones don't work and how they need to just got away so that people that have a concealed carry permit is allowed to use that permit to protect others

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Thesis: Acuscope Therapy, in contrast to traditional pain management techniques like medication or surgery, offers a non-invasive and potentially more holistic approach to pain relief and healing.

Subclaim #1: Equine Acuscope Therapy can help reduce inflammation and promote healing in horses

Subclaim #2: Equine Acuscope Therapy can enhance the recovery process for horses after injuries or even surgeries

Subclaim #3: Equine Acuscope Therapy can help relieve pain and discomfort in horses, which improves their overall well being

Subclaim #4: May help improve a horses performance and athletic abilities

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Thesis: While space can be harmful to humans from cosmic radiation, space colonization emerges as a potential solution to address concerns surrounding overpopulation, environmental health, and Earth's finite resources.

Subclaim 1: Scientific discovery

Counterclaim: Space colonization exposes travelers to cosmic radiation which is harmful to the human body.

Refutation: New scientific findings and an improved comprehension of the cosmos may result from space colonization.

Subclaim 2: Reduced population pressure on Earth

Counterclaim: Highly populating a new planet could lead to negative environmental impacts just like we are experiencing here on Earth.

Refutation: Since space colonization would provide some of the world's expanding population with a new place to live, it would lessen the strain on Earth's resources and environment.

Subclaim 3: Access to new resources:

Counterclaim: Using resources in space could have downsides, including potential environmental impacts on celestial bodies and disruption of natural processes.

Refutation: Access to new resources that are rare on Earth, such as minerals, water, and energy, may be made possible through space colonization.

Subclaim 4: Technological advancement:

Counterclaim: The development of technologies and space exploration can be quite expensive. Excessive expenses may cause funds to be diverted from more crucial social necessities like healthcare, education, and eradicating poverty.

Refutation: Transportation, energy generation, and life support systems are just a few of the industries where space colonization may spur technical development that will contribute to our long-term survival and understanding of the Universe.

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Thesis: Over-the-counter Birth Control should be accessible to all females as long as they are seeking professional advice.

Subclaim #1: Professional advice prevents harm to women's health because doctors will monitor the body and do regular screening. They may also expand the options of birth control and what best suits everyone's needs.

Counter-Claim: Not every woman has access to a clinic or medical attention, nor do they want to miss school or work. Some even feel uncomfortable speaking about their sexual life.

Subclaim#2: By seeking professional advice birth control costs will be less.

Counter-Claim: For women with no Medicare or financial plan, visiting a doctor will be a lot more expensive.

Subclaim#3: Professional advice prevents misuse/abuse of the product.

Counter-Claim: Over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, and so on are more harmful to the liver and have more of a possibility of overdosing.

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Human trafficking is more prevalent in countries with weak rule in law and high levels of corruption compared to countries with strong institutions and effective government enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.

Sub-Claim 1: Countries with weak rule of law and high levels of corruption are more susceptible to human trafficking due to lack of enforcement and accountability.

Counterargument: While weak rule of law and corruption can create more opportunities for human trafficking, this does not mean that it is more prevalent than in countries with strong institutions. Other factors, such as economic inequality and the demand for cheap labor/exploitation can also contribute to human trafficking.

Sub-Claim 2: There have been countries with strong institutions and strong government enforcement who have records of members of the government (such as their own officers) who use their power to help traffickers to traffic people.

Sub-Claim 3: Human trafficking is more prevalent in countries with weak rule of law and corruption due to the lack of resources to combat it effectively.

Counterargument: Even countries with strong institutions can struggle with resource allocation, and additionally these countries may hide or underreport cases of human trafficking in order to "cover-up".

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Thesis: Prescribing children diagnosed with ADHD medication such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and Adderall can be beneficial as it can suppress the symptoms of this disorder as well as help these children with day to day activities. However, the long term effects of these medications are not as researched as short-term effects, but knowledge of how addictive these drugs are can create potential problems as well as the fact that children's brains are not as developed and do not respond to these drugs the same as developed brains do.

Subclaim 1: Drugs such as Methylphenidate and Adderall should not be prescribed to children as its disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

Counterclaim 1: Some children need medication in order to function properly in activities such as going to school, and participating in social activities.

Refutation 1: Most children naturally have a great amount of energy, and it is shown that other treatments such as different learning environments, and behavioral therapy can make a significant difference. On top of that, prescribing children this medication so young can create an unhealthy dependency to it that could last their whole life.

Subclaim 2: There is an over-prescribing problem in America, specifically with prescribing ADHD medication to children.

Counterclaim 2: Some children need this medication in order to function therefore making this medication necessary to prescribe.

Refutation 2: Not only are there other options of treatment for this disorder, overprescribing can cause easy access of drugs such as methylphenidate and adderall which can cause abuse of these drugs in early adulthood.

Subclaim 3: Children’s brains react differently to these medications than adult brains do.

Counterclaim 3: There are no major side effects to children taking medication.

Refutation 3:  Most prefrontal cortexes are not completely developed until 27, taking medications such as methylphenidate and adderall at such a young age can cause abnormal prefrontal functioning and impaired brain plasticity as found in a study done on juvenile rats.

Subclaim 4:There are other treatments that can be just as beneficial that do not include pharmacological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

Counterclaim 4: Some parents don’t have the time or money to try other behavioral therapies and need pharmacological treatments.

Refutation 4: Pharmacological treatments can be just as expensive as behavioral therapy, and most insurances should cover behavioral therapies. On top of that it is important to make sacrifices to help your children in the long run rather than finding a temporary solution that can cause cognitive functioning impairment in the future.