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A pt1. My biggest circle of influence is Skiing. I love skiing as I can't wait for the winter season to begin every year. I am also a very strong and great skier as I have been doing this sport/activity since I was 8 years old and I am now 18 years of age.

A pt2. I have the least expertise and authority in fishing because I don't get to go as much as school gets I the way most of the time therefore I lack much knowledge that other who are experts on the subject may have towards it.

B. Over the years I have had an increase in influence over certain people and certain settings through this activity because I have grown and learned how to advance and gain more knowledge on the subject being fishing. I was able to gain more knowledge by asking my dad questions, going fishing as much as possible, watching YouTube videos on how other people fish and what they use to catch these big tuna.

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Excitement, Pride, Calm.

The caption to these emotions are on canvas/ in the link I have provided.

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Claim VII. Claim: Social media does more harm than good.

Strongest-Weakest

B. Social media spreads misinformation.

D. It creates anxiety and comparison.

A. People waste time scrolling.

C. It helps people connect with friends.

Ranking claims from strongest- weakest:

B. the option I chose as the strongest because with the capabilities of Social media people are able to rapidly share the information that was posted which could be misinformation on a topic that is being spread and to change those consumers ideas is hard because they hear one thing and run with the idea that this is what happened because it was posted and spread everywhere on social media. Social media also does more harm that good in the way that it is scientifically proven that lies spread faster than the truth on the online social media platforms that everyone is known of have today such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.

D. Social media does create anxiety and comparison as people get a sense of "this person is better than me, or this person has this, this person has that." Therefore leading to a sense of comparison and then leading to anxiety making people feel there worth about them selves is degraded than the people they see online. It also creates a sense of low self esteem when people start comparing themselves to others on social media.

A. People waste a lot of time scrolling, now it isn't a bad thing as it doesn't harm anyone but what it does do is that it obstructs people from getting things done throughout the day. For example someone may have daily tasks to get done throughout the day and while people sit in bed and just scroll on social media, it locks their brain and focuses it all on what they are watching rather than doing their normal day tasks. An app such as TikTok has an infinite scroll design making it very addictive to see what will happen next in the next video. Also shown through the 3rd link I have listed it states that "69% of U.S. adults and 81% of teens use social media." This puts the whole population at a risk as why social media does more harm than good.

C. Now ranking my weakest point being it helps people connect with friends. This would be considered a point showing social media is good which doesn't help my case at proving that it is bad. Social media apps have groups that allow people to connect with like- Interests which have a good cause to proving that social media is good. It is also a good point to point out that social media allows me and others to text each other from far distances, for example, I have friends that live in Canada and Arizona and without social media I wouldn't be able to connect to them and share more ideas.

Here is a link that backs my information:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aap9559

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/17/12/social-media-and-teen-anxiety

https://deconstructingstigma.org/guides/social-media

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/08/06/chapter-4-social-media-and-friendships/

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i. Claim: Students should get free bus passes.

Rank (strongest - weakest, logos):

1. d. It helps the environment.

2. a. Public transportation reduces traffic.

3. b. Students pay tuition.

4. c. Riding the bus is fun.

Source for strongest reason (d):
Communities that invest in public transportation cut carbon emissions by about 63 million metric tons per year, and buses produce far less pollution per passenger mile than cars. ncel.net

Why this is strongest:
This reason connects free bus passes to benefit (lower emissions) that affects the whole community, not just students. It is backed by clear environmental data, which makes the argument logical and evidence-based according to the link I have also gotten it from.

ii. Claim: Classes should start later in the morning.

Rank:

1. a. Teenagers naturally wake up later.

2. c. Students would be more focused.

3. b. Teachers are also tired in the morning.

4. d. Cafeterias could sell more breakfast food.

Source for strongest reason (a):
Medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and sleep researchers show that later school start times (after about 8:30 a.m.) give teens more sleep and are linked to better grades, mood, and attendance. Having these benefits it is my strongest reason why classes need to start later for students to be renewed and refreshed for their next classes. National Education Association+3PMC+3AASM+3

Why this is strongest:
It is based upon biology and large studies on teen sleep, so it explains why a schedule change is needed and directly relates it to academic and health outcomes.

iii. Claim: Everyone should learn how to cook.

Rank:

1. b. Cooking is healthier than eating out.

2. a. Cooking saves money.

3. c. Cooking shows are popular.

4. d. You can impress your friends.

Source for strongest reason (b):
Studies find that people who frequently cook at home eat fewer calories and have better diet quality than those who cook less, and home-cooked dinners can provide healthier food for less money. Center for a Livable Future+1

Why this is strongest:
It connects cooking to strong health outcomes and uses research on calories and nutrition, which supports the claim with more than personal preference.

iv. Claim: Reading fiction improves critical thinking.

Rank:

1. d. It strengthens empathy.

2. a. Fiction helps people imagine perspectives.

3. c. Fiction builds vocabulary.

4. b. Some novels are boring.

Source for strongest reason (d):
Experiments by Kidd and Castano show that reading literary fiction improves performance on tests of theory of mind, which measure how well people understand others’ thoughts and emotions. The study showed that students would get better grades and pass more tests with exceeding and higher test scores than before. Scott Barry Kaufman+2ResearchGate+2

Why this is strongest:
Empathy and perspective-taking are key parts of critical thinking about people and situations, and this reason is directly supported by controlled psychological studies, not just opinion.

v. Claim: Voting should be mandatory.

Rank:

1. a. Democracy works better with more participation.

2. d. It would make elections fairer.

3. c. Other countries have mandatory voting.

4. b. Some people don’t care about politics.

Source for strongest reason (a):
In Australia, voter turnout rose from about 47–78% under voluntary voting to 91–96% after compulsory voting was introduced. Wikipedia

Why this is strongest:
Higher turnout is a direct, measurable way to show that more citizens are represented in decisions, which supports the core democratic idea behind the claim. Having more people vote with the idea of democracy, helps create a stronger economy and country.

vi. Claim: Homework should be reduced.

Rank:

1. c. Students get stressed from too much work.

2. a. Students are too busy with jobs and activities.

3. d. Teachers spend too much time grading.

4. b. Extra practice improves learning.  (this is actually a counterargument)

Source for strongest reason (c):
A Stanford study found that 56% of students listed homework as their primary source of stress, and large surveys show homework and studying for tests that are time consuming are a part of the top stressors for middle and high school students. Crown Counseling+3Stanford News+3Edutopia+3

Why this is strongest:
It is backed by data from big student surveys, and it links homework amounts to mental health, which gives a clear, logical reason to reduce homework, not just a complaint.

viii. Claim: Video games should be considered a sport.

Rank:

1. a. They require strategy and skill.

2. b. Players practice many hours.

3. d. Gaming competitions draw huge audiences.

4. c. They don’t involve physical activity.  (counterargument)

Source for strongest reason (a):
Research on action video game players shows they often have better attention, visuospatial skills, and faster correct responses than non-players, reflecting high levels of cognitive skill. PMC+2PMC+2

Why this is strongest:
Sports are defined by skilled performance, and these studies show that serious gaming trains measurable cognitive abilities, making the comparison to traditional sports more logical. They are both demanding in skill therefore it should be considered a sport as you need to train for games as people do in other sports as well.

ix. Claim: College students should take at least one art class.

Rank:

1. d. Art encourages problem-solving skills.

2. b. Creativity is useful in any career.

3. a. Art classes reduce stress.

4. c. Some students dislike art.

Source for strongest reason (d):
Recent research on arts education finds that participating in arts activities improves problem-solving, critical thinking, and overall mental health in college students. PMC+1

Why this is strongest:
It links art classes to transferable skills like problem-solving that employers value and uses empirical evidence, so it supports the requirement in a clear, career-relevant way.

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Google dock above

link to presentation similarity/differences between my peers-

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JtfoEDJ1ykTPAFrERxn_4BHgO3CtaC8uYls9jB1M71w/edit?usp=sharing

link-rough draft

edited link -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cEniO2_U1BcHK79-XTjI9kFF1hNLpi3leDm_f7RWYxU/edit?usp=sharing

Pictures/videos: on the edited version and on Padlet

notes from walk- on the edited version

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Interview Questions

1. How do you like to spend your day here and is there anything you wish you could do?

2. What do you do to interact with the people around you and your surroundings as a whole?

3.What made you come to St. Johns and what makes you want to stay here?

4. Do you enjoy being here? what do you do to make it as enjoyable as possible?

5. Do you miss your family when you are here at St. Johns. Do you keep in touch with them? Also What steps do you take to maintain a balanced life between school and your social life.

Possible interviewees, My roommate or roommates, Mr. Bernstein (works in athletic department).

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A student a St. johns, no different than any other shares his story about his life on campus. This student dorms in one of the buildings here at st. johns and walks to class everyday. His story lies within this campus with all the other students. This students major is Home Land Security, which is one of the main reasons why he came to St. Johns. He only has around 1-2 classes per day allowing him to have a lot of free time to go clubs, the gym, and even the dining halls to try different foods they offer here. He really wants to make the world a better place after realizing all the crimes and terrorism, he says "I hope to become someone who cares for others and protecting our nation as my subject is Home Land Security to protect our country from something such as terrorist attacks." This student studies very hard in his curricular to soon become someone he has always wanted to be at a young age; someone who wants to keep the country safe and his close ones even safer from evil. " wish I had known how horrible the world can be and how cruel people are." A meaningful end to this students life at St. Johns.

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https://mystjohns-my.sharepoint.com/personal/henry_bayer25_my_stjohns_edu/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fhenry%5Fbayer25%5Fmy%5Fstjohns%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FAttachments%2FInterview%20project%2EMOV&ct=1762789791771&or=OWA%2DNT%2DMail&cid=c6c22db0%2Dde98%2Daca5%2D65f0%2Dd397b0a4786a&ga=1&referrer=StreamWebApp%2EWeb&referrerScenario=AddressBarCopied%2Eview%2E978e5753%2D9ca6%2D4281%2D9a14%2D719c9fadf49b

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Info graphic:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAG6LzBJwYg/hMwzcv6SEnch1jnyp17Fvg/edit?utm_content=DAG6LzBJwYg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Google doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zuzNDqYwRJK8C2mMXb1oK-fRfKDsv49mI4y2kC8t0Fk/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jvkEV7yr-C7SaoonVQGdyEzMiNHxSeLrFZ8Skl_MIkU/edit?usp=sharing