weblog assignment (core)

Each assignment is roughly the same: Become familiar with some aspect of the topic, go ask TWO Americans (hopefully with different opinions) about it, and write on the weblog about what you know, what happened, and what you think. All of the links will be on the AE2 Weblog.

Staying Single:

Look at the website of Unmarried America and tell us what you think.
http://www.unmarriedamerica.org/

Or this weblog with information about cohabitation (Cohabitation Nation):
http://www.cohabitationnation.com/

In addition to the four questions on the handout, try to find out what people think of people who choose to remain single. Has the pressure to get married decreased everywhere? Do most people still want to get married? Is this any different in the US and in other countries that you know of?

Stepfamilies:

Look at the website of Stepfamily Association of America and tell us what you think.
http://www.saafamilies.org/

See if you can find Americans who are in stepfamilies. Are stepfamilies different in the US and in other countries? More common or less common?


Communes:

Here are two very interesting communes:

The Farm
http://www.thefarm.org/

Twin Oaks
http://www.twinoaks.org/

Choose one. Become familiar with what it is and what's special about living there. Copy the webpage or the most interesting part of it if you want. In addition to the questions on the sheet, try to find out what people think of communes in general. Is this any different from your country?



Carbondale Halloween

About Halloween itself

In addition to the questions on the sheet, try to find out these: Why is Halloween more likely to see violence than other holidays?

History and Customs of Halloween
http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown2.htm

Halloween History
http://www.halloweenishere.com/history.html

History of Carbondale Halloween

Split up the following articles. Share what you've learned with your group.
You do not have to be an expert; just learn what you can.

Carbondale's Riots Return from the Dead
http://www.dailyegyptian.com/fall00/10-27-00/

Halloween problems not unique to UW
http://www.dailycardinal.com/media/paper439/news/2003/11/04/News/Halloween.Problems.Not.Unique.To.Uw-547927.shtml
(about rioting at UW Wisconsin, but gives history of Carbondale too)

Halloween still haunts SIUC
http://www.dailyegyptian.com/btc96/btc.entertainment/halloween.html

Violence in groups

Concentrate on the reasons. Here are some possibilities:
-Alcohol causes violence, or at least makes it more likely. There were too many people drinking too much alcohol.
-The people who did it were from out of town- taking advantage of a situation. Some were probably former students
-Carbondale has a number of students who couldn't get good grades and didn't belong in school; anger is inevitable
-Groups make people more likely to cause violence. LeBon's theory: The mask of civilization is removed.

Here are some other cases of Halloween violence. See if you can learn from them:

Univ. California Santa Barbara
http://www.dailynexus.com/news/2004/8279.html

Cal. State Chico
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/chico/2002-10-17/follow.asp

Univ. of Wisconsin
http://badgerherald.com/news/2003/11/03/violence_erupts_on_s.php

Univ. of Hartford
http://www.hartfordinformer.com/media/paper146/news/2004/11/04/News/Halloween.Incidentsimilar.To.1991.Riot-793458.shtml