Looking from Multiple Perspectives

McKemy Junior High must reconsider its decision to cut music programs.

a.       McKemy Junior High is involved in this issue.

b.      School officials most likely have the voice, not so much the students who will be affected.

c.       It is the students who will be affected directly.

* ASU’s dry campus policy is injurious to the students and should be amended.

a.       The ASU officials are the people who are directly involved in this issue and have the voice.

b.      Students and anyone affiliated ON the campus of ASU are the ones impacted by the final verdict.

c.       Parents are the ones who have a legitimate concern in this issue.

* I propose that the ASU adopts a stricter campus security in order to keep vagrants and other potentially dangerous individuals off the school grounds.

a. “I” is trying to speak on behalf of everyone’s safety on campus.

b. This will affect the “vagrants” and “other potentially dangerous individuals”

c. Campus security officers will also feel the effects of this issue because they are being suggested as a solution.

STEP TWO: Develop Context: how do these stakeholders interact with one another? Do they have the same interests, attitudes, or ideas? What do they agree on and what do they disagree on? Pick one of the debates from the first page and develop a profile for each stakeholder: what are their commonly held values, objectives, or beliefs? What kinds of information or experiences get factored into their decisions?

#1: McKemy High: This stakeholder is in defense for the student’s well-being. Wanting to keep the music program shows that there is an artistic value that the person holds. Compared with the other two stakeholders, I sense a common ground in “what is best” for the students. None of what the person is arguing seems to have any negative effect on the students.  

#2: Dry Campus: Here, the person believes that the dry campus policy is dangerous for the students mainly because they go about drinking alcohol behind people’s backs. Regardless of whether the campus is dry or not students will continue to abuse alcohol because of their “want”. The safety of the students is taken into consideration here just like all the other issues but there might be some negative or simply personal experience driving this issue. The values here are not quite clear; the person does not specify how the issue is injurious.

#3 Security: Safety is another issue here. The person believes stricter security will diminish the vandalism or negative activity around campus. The student’s safety or well-being is taken into consideration like in all the other issues here.

STEP THREE: Research: What would be the best method to represent or address these perspectives in a proposal essay?

#1: Music is definitely an interest that one takes personally. The best method to represent this issue is to consider the students who will be affected. Monetary issues are difficult to manage because obviously it is not the students who are paying, but all options should be considered for the students.

#2: Proof of how injurious a dry campus is by far the most necessary thing. The question, “Do non-dry campuses have the same or worse issues?” should be considered as well. This is one of the more delicate topics because people across the country obviously drink underage and on a university there is no exception.

#3. Safety begins with the person. Security enforcement can definitely be of use for students throughout the night, however, students also place themselves in those situations by being alone or simply not being alert. Proof of serious criminal activity increase should be present for this issue to even be pushed further along.