Category: College

Everyone in life has faced a problem. There is not one, single person that has never gone through a diligent hardship. Some people face difficulties every day. Personally, my life has gone pretty well. However, the biggest complication I am worried about is getting into a good college and being able to pay for it. Getting into a college is very important to me. Although, it isn’t quite that easy. Going to college is an enormous responsibility, a large chunk of money, and a necessity to get good grades in high school.

College can be fun, but also very stressful for many. If I decide to live on my own at college it will not always be that fun. I have to cook a meal every time I am hungry. I have to do my own laundry every week at the least. I also am responsible for doing the dishes and keeping up with the cleaning. Along with all of that, comes the tremendous heap of homework. The worst part is, the amount of money it is to stay on campus. I will most likely live at home if the college I chose to go to is near. I, personally, have a job; however, it is a lot more money than the amount of money I have made. College is a large amount of money just counting tuition. This is a large problem most high school kids face. I am going to start working a lot more during the summer. For right now, with sports, my life stays pretty busy. I work on the weekends and on Tuesday nights. The last problem about college is keeping my grades up in high school. Personally, I do really well in school. My goal is to keep working hard and achieving my goals. In college, it is going to be a challenge. It will be way more difficult to keep good grades in college. I plan to do something in the medical field which requires at least

Everyone in life has faced a problem. There is not one, single person that has never gone through a diligent hardship. Some people face difficulties every day. Personally, my life has gone pretty well. However, the biggest complication I am worried about is getting into a good college and being able to pay for it. Getting into a college is very important to me. Although, it isn’t quite that easy. Going to college is an enormous responsibility, a large chunk of money, and a necessity to get good grades in high school.

College can be fun, but also very stressful for many. If I decide to live on my own at college it will not always be that fun. I have to cook a meal every time I am hungry. I have to do my own laundry every week at the least. I also am responsible for doing the dishes and keeping up with the cleaning. Along with all of that, comes the tremendous heap of homework. The worst part is, the amount of money it is to stay on campus. I will most likely live at home if the college I chose to go to is near. I, personally, have a job; however, it is a lot more money than the amount of money I have made. College is a large amount of money just counting tuition. This is a large problem most high school kids face. I am going to start working a lot more during the summer. For right now, with sports, my life stays pretty busy. I work on the weekends and on Tuesday nights. The last problem about college is keeping my grades up in high school. Personally, I do really well in school. My goal is to keep working hard and achieving my goals. In college, it is going to be a challenge. It will be way more difficult to keep good grades in college. I plan to do something in the medical field which requires at least 4 years of college.

Going to college is an enormous responsibility, a large chunk of money, and a necessity to get good grades in high school. I plan to overcome this large hardship by maturing and taking more responsibility, working more to earn more money, and achieving good grades.

In the present society, secondary instruction could mean the contrast between neediness and living comfortably. So, for what reason is there such an enormous number of individuals who don’t set off for college to get additional instruction? The answer is straightforward: they don’t have the money to pay for it. Countless individuals in the United States skip setting off for college and getting a degree because college tuition cost, just like other college expenses, is too expensive (Josephson). In addition to the fact that people skip college on account of the loss of college tuition cost, a few students change majors from a career they love to a profession that will satisfy the obligation from their degree (Josephson). This distinction could be fixed by basically wiping out education costs. This appears to be a simple answer to a significant issue. In any case, there as yet countless individuals who wrongly accept college tuition costs ought not to be free. Opposers to free college tuition see what could turn out badly, rather than seeing what might go right, similar to an expansion in the number of individuals who attend a university, a decline in the number of student debts are in during, and well after, college, and constructive outcomes on the economy. College tuition costs ought to be free since it would make endless helpful changes for people, colleges, and the economy.

One constructive change is that free college tuition cost would make lift the level of individuals who head off to college, as opposed to skipping it and working an impasse work. For example, enrollment for German universities rose twenty-two percent after tuition became free (Marcus). Notwithstanding, Germany isn’t the leading nation to encounter an increase in enlistment in the rise of disposing of tuition costs. Scotland, for instance, had an expansion in enrollment by seventeen percent in the wake of casting off, or dropping, education costs. This expansion in the number of individuals who enlist for college would occur for the United States if it, as well, was to kill tuition costs. ‘Georgetown University’s Center for Education predicts that university enrollment in the United States would increase thirteen percent if it too were to take a tuition-free stand’ (Marcus). ‘This boost in enrollment means more people would receive a wider range of knowledge and skills, which are necessary as more and more jobs require postsecondary education (Bergeron). Like this, dropping education costs and expanding enlistment rates would assist more with peopling both verify and keep work. Given this, free tuition cost appears to be an easy decision.

Notwithstanding higher enrollment rates, free college tuition costs would help various students decline the measure of debt they graduate with. As stated by a member of the German students’ union, Mandy Gratz, ‘We don’t want students to go into debt because they want to study.’ (Marcus) Even though countless college students already have a large amount of debt from living expenses, such as rent, books, supplies, and transportation (Marcus). For example, Claudia Niessler, a college student in Germany, who has free tuition, still has to work a minimum of twenty hours a week at the supermarket to make enough to cover the average living expenses mentioned above (Marcus). At the point when a college tuition cost is added to this, which in the United States is an assurance, students get debt that it takes them years to get out of. Even with debt, a few students choose to forego their degree and drop out (Josephson), deciding to find a new line of work at a drive-through eatery or somewhere comparable to begin winning cash immediately. This, in any case, may not cut it soon, as it is anticipated that a bachelor’s or associate’s degree will be required for sixty-five percent of all occupations starting in 2020 (Bergeron). Given this, clearly, college tuition costs ought to be free.

Despite the fact that the answer to making college tuition cost-free appears to be an easy decision, there are still a few people who are doubtful on the grounds that they accept that free tuition cost would gravely affect the economy. They have these beliefs because free tuition would take away control over what people study, as they would no longer need to worry as much about their financial issues and allow them to get a degree for something they are passionate about, instead of something practical (Josephson). They proceed to interface this to a bombing economy because of an absence of control. Be that as it may, what the vast majority of these critics neglect to recognize is the way giving students free tuition costs, along these lines, decisions about their future careers would support the economy, not hurt it. For instance, most occupations require or will require a more elevated level of information, aptitudes, and capacities best procured through a college education (Bergeron). Nonetheless, with countless laborers that skip college since it is excessively costly, the United States will wind up failing to measure up to different nations with laborers who are better instructed and arranged to manage what the twenty-first century requires (Bergeron). This means that the less educated the American population is, the worse off the United States economy is. If college tuition were free, then more people would go to college and get the degrees needed for them to thrive and help the economy thrive. Also, the country’s productivity and GDP would increase as more people found more suitable and higher-ranking jobs (Josephson). So, in reality, making tuition free wouldn’t worsen the economy, but make it better.

There are a few, however, who can’t help contradicting free tuition costs, saying that an expansion in enrollment without tuition cost would make colleges lose a significant wellspring of income (Marcus). They proceed with this contention by expressing that tuition cost is too imperative to even think about losing, as a huge bit of these charges is utilized to help look into colleges (Leslie). What critics arguing this don’t consider is that with the additional individuals comes a rise in the measure of money the college acquires. Some may consider how this would be conceivable since the universities would never again have the tuition costs. However, the appropriate response is straightforward: they would replace the missing wages with cash earned from grounds organizations and events. Colleges and Universities have on-grounds stores and nourishment courts that enable students to buy nourishment, drinks, and books for classes, thus significantly more. Also, colleges and universities have a few unique associations and extracurricular exercises that students need to purchase passes to go to as an onlooker, just as the cash acquired from snack bars on these occasions (Life and Student). There are likewise a few gifts, and items students and families can purchase to help the college in which they visit (Life and Student), which most students do. Herefore, making tuition free wouldn’t cost the college money, but make their money, in addition to helping the student population stay in a good financial position.

In conclusion, tuition costs ought to be free since it would make incalculable positive changes. The free tuition cost wouldn’t simply help understudies attempting to get degrees, yet it would likewise support colleges and the economy. There may, in any case, be some that discover this announcement false, in any case, they are incorrect. Individuals who hadn’t thought college and postsecondary training was a plausibility would at long last have the option to consider and design it. With every one of the individuals at long last showing signs of improvement training, the United States economy would be better. Likewise, there wouldn’t be the same number of individuals searching for a vocation incapable of discovering one since they don’t fulfill the necessary guideline of having an advanced education. A college degree is necessary, empowering, and everyone who wishes to have one should get the opportunity to earn one.

In recent years, there has been a debate about whether or not college should be for everyone. Contrary to those who oppose attending college, citing the fact that not all fields require a degree, the vast majority of today’s generation still consider it an essential step. Thus, the question arises as to what motivates people to go to college anyway.

From my perspective, most students today make the decision to go to college mainly because more and more jobs now are demanding degrees. Many employers are now looking for individuals and sometimes only hire those with a degree. Not only will many companies hire college graduates, but they will also pay higher wages and offer better benefits. As stated on www.brighthub.com, “The earning potential of a person who completes a college degree significantly increases after leaving college. It is a reality that most businesses base their reward system on educational achievements or how much training was completed for a particular job. The higher your knowledge, skills, or abilities, then the higher your reward”.

A graduate with a bachelor’s degree is going to have more job opportunities as well as more ways to ‘move up’ than a graduate without. For example, one of the most reliable jobs to be working currently is accounting, and it is also consistently one of the highest in demand. If someone wanted to move up and become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), they would, at the very least, need a bachelor’s degree. My mother is currently a CPA, and if she didn’t go to college and received her degree, she wouldn’t be where she is today.

It is definitely possible to make a great living without a college degree, however, jobs such as a car salesman or real estate agent are not very substantial in regards to their earnings. During one year, a real estate agent can make an excellent amount of money, but might only make minimum wage in the following year. Some may say that working in something like construction would be a guaranteed stable living, but someone could easily experience a career-ending injury, forcing them to only receive money through a physical disability. Having a college degree nullifies many of these potential risks and will assist anyone with their aspirations for the future.

College is a valuable asset for anyone looking to find their place in the world. It can open up many paths for a graduate to take and provides the resources they need to get there. Once someone gets through college and begins looking for a job, they will have many advantages over high school graduates. That is why more and more people now choose to attend it.

Entering college is a frightening and daunting experience for most students. It’s one of those times where the fear of the unknown is the most frightening of all fears. We’re not sure whether we’ll be able to adapt to a situation in which every student must stand on their own two feet and take responsibility for their education and future. This is the most critical change of our lives, from high school to college. Unfortunately, some college students feel that attending college is purely to seek a career. I must confess that I was one of those students. Nonetheless, my college experience has taught me that college is all about discovering yourself, who you are as an individual, and who you want to be.

I had no idea what course I should follow in high school. Should I continue working, go to college, or join the military? It’s a life-changing decision that’s held me up for several nights. My results were outstanding, and my peers either praised or mocked me for my intellect. School, on the other hand, did not appeal to me. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and, as a member of the post-9/11 generation, I was more concerned with what was going on in the world. I was on the brink of joining the army when I realized I couldn’t physically do so. The obvious choice seemed to be college. Until two of my closest friends were kidnapped before I turned eighteen. My future was the furthest thing from my mind. My grades have fallen, my heart has been shattered, and my life has been ripped apart. I got my diploma, but I didn’t think college was the solution to my problems. I moved out on my own, worked in a restaurant, and simply hung out with my neighborhood friends. Every day, I felt like I was squandering my talent and life by becoming a ‘normal’ person. After that, I went to my sister’s high school graduation to hear the valedictorian speech. “Our greatest glory in life is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”, he said, and it has stayed with me ever since. That single line shifted my perspective on life. I decided that going to college was the only way I could progress in my life. However, money was tight, and I had no idea what I was going to research. I knew that community college would be my only chance to put my experience behind me and move forward. I had no idea how much it would affect and change my life.

Community college is sometimes portrayed as a safety net for high school graduates who lack the financial resources or academic credentials to attend a four-year university. However, I realized right away that community college meant something more. It assisted me in making the transition from high school to a wider world full of new people and experiences. You don’t have to live in a dorm, you can set your own schedule, and you have access to a wealth of services. Libraries, computers, and tutors are all easily available.

I was a little confused by the college experience during my first semester. Nonetheless, as I interacted with other students, I started to feel more at ease. They may have come from a different state or region, but their concerns and fears are the same as mine. Getting enough money to pay the bills, spending sleepless nights preparing for a test, and working while attending school all led to my view of community college as a place where a student would take a deep breath and enter the overwhelming world of college with ease.

One question persisted as I became more at ease in my new surroundings: ‘What do I want to do with my life?’. I’ve been told and complimented on my writing since middle school. I didn’t know how seriously I took every essay I got or every story idea I had at the time. Every word I wrote was personal to me, and it held a personal significance. In high school, I was forced to make others read my work, and they all praised it. They’d even ask me to assist them with their article. Not to write it, but to steer it in the right direction. I started taking every paper seriously during my freshman year of college. I will still see my professors’ feedback as an opportunity to change. In my second year, I took a creative writing class, and it was the best class I’d ever taken. It was motivating to have the whole class read and criticize my work. It encouraged me to share my strengths and weaknesses with others. In this class, I realized I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to concentrate on journalism and English as my main subjects. Writing to me was a welcome break from my hectic life, and it helped me share my thoughts on people and the state of the world today. Never before has anything had such a profound effect on me. More importantly, writing has pushed me to question myself as a person who has been through too much and yet manages to get up every day and face the world. I would not have learned this if I had not attended community college. I created my own schedule and met some interesting people along the way, including a special friend who encouraged me and helped me pursue a specific path. One of my works is on the verge of becoming a reality, and I’m proud of that.

I would not have believed it if you told me that five years ago. However, I can now see that community college is an important institution that can lead you to examine yourself and reveal your true self. And now I understand why I am here and what I want to achieve.

In his essay “Colleges Prepare People for Life,” Freeman Hrabowski believes that families should investigate all their options in getting higher education despite any hindering situation they are in. It has become common today to dismiss college because of the financial burden that comes with it; however, Hrabowski points out that if people took the time to figure out what school options there are, they could find an institution that fits their financial and academic needs (Hrabowski 260). How, though, do families get the information they need about colleges? Hrabowski indicates that for options to be clearer, families need to seek aid from counselors, and institutions must give more information about what they offer and expect from students (Hrabowski 260-261).

While they rarely admit as much, some people often take for granted the opportunity that getting a college degree has in their lifetime. Financially speaking, Hrabowski points out that most jobs are more likely to hire those with more than just a high school diploma (Hrabowski 260). He holds the school systems responsible for dispensing this information to students and finds that the programs provided for college preparation need more recognition (Hrabowski 261). College preparatory programs, in his opinion, should be better organized and advertised so that students can be more informed about what college has to offer (Hrabowski 261). The problem with college preparation programs is how costly they are, Hrabowski, however, proclaims that higher education institutions need to partner with school systems to make these programs more available to students (Hrabowski 261). These opportunities are what lead students into the world they are going to live in. Overall, Hrabowski reminds of the power education has in guiding people’s lives, and how getting a liberal arts education in college allows students to gain not just financial stability but also the ability to think more broadly (Hrabowski 262).

A primary theme present in all the readings is that information about higher education options should be more accessible to families. Owen and Sawhill believe that students should explore the various college options available and discover which gives them the best rate of return (Owen and Sawhill 213), while Addison claims that community colleges should be advertised just as highly as universities as they are just as capable of helping students succeed in life (Addison 257-258). Similarly, Murray points out that people have several ways to do what they are passionate about, even though he doesn’t agree that everyone should attend college he still acknowledges the various types of institutions students can go to, such as going to a technical school or an apprenticeship (Murray 248-249). Along the same line, Hrabowski’s idea that students should be informed about these options by getting a counselor (Hrabowski 260) follows Murray’s opinion that guidance counselors can help students understand different circumstances going out of high school (Murray 249); however; Murray also points out that many guidance counselors and family members push the idea of college too harshly, and that by doing so they are being thoughtless about the young person’s life (Murray 249). Despite these similarities, Alexander focuses more on the financial solutions of college, while Ungar and Wallace focus on how a liberal arts education is important in its ability to enhance the aspects of someone’s life (Ungar 227); however, Ungar does present the idea of attending cheaper liberal arts schools for those with financial problems (Ungar 231).

Should the college implement a mandatory attendance policy? The claim of fact: Will improve GPA Claim of value: Forcing college students to attend violates the choice of excellence Claim of policy: The college should mandate an attendance policy to hold students accountable for their actions. Introduction ‘ Can the policy be harmful to enrollment? ‘ College is the beginning of adult decisions and responsibilities. ‘ Claim of policy: The college should mandate an attendance policy to hold students accountable for their actions. Opposition ‘ Forcing students to attend class violates their freedom of choice. ‘Professors are not attendances keepers. ‘ Students are adults and have other responsibilities that supersede class at times. Supporting ‘ Does attendance improve performance? ‘ Understanding the expectations upfront holds adults at a higher standard of expectations when penalties are assessed in addition to just missed time. ‘ Students can be fined monetarily as well as loose points. Conclusion ‘ Mandatory attendance can be beneficial for academic excellence. ‘

College attendance improves performance. Attendance is taught to us at a young age that it is important and vital for success as a responsible adults in the future. When we are in high school and earlier we are faced with charges of truancy and even expulsion if we don’t attend classes as we should. Why is it that so many college students seem to forget that and begin dismissing classes? Is there too much freedom for college students? Do they need to be held to higher standards? If they continually miss class without true reasons should they be forced to pay a fine? If a college has a policy in place for attendance it has been known to have a bigger impact on the student to attend classes than if a school does not have one in place. The positive effects include improving the understanding of course material which leads to better grades on quizzes and tests. The reduction of stress on classmates has also been shown to be a positive as then it does not take away from the learning capabilities of the rest of the students. Some of the negative impacts can be that the professors/Instructors are thought to be attendance guardians and have to consistently watch for students who don’t show up.

Students may also feel if they are forced to attend classes that they are not being treated like adults and that there are too many requirements which could lead to students withdrawing from the course or college altogether. One way to alleviate some of the pressure and arguments about attendance could be by stating that if you miss more than three classes without a valid doctor’s note or reason you will not only lose a letter grade but you will also be required to pay a fine of up to $50.00 per class that you miss. These penalties could set the standard and expectation of performance for the term. This would not only help show the students that they are going to be held accountable as an adult but the money can be put back into the college for updating computer labs, beautification of the campus, or other needs the campus. On the other hand, some students and faculty would believe that enforcing a mandatory attendance policy would reduce enrollment, decrease morale, and stifle the ability to freely express a student’s desire to change their schedule or implement alternate plans than to attend class. A study conducted by Daniel R. Marburger his research concluded that ‘Students who were absent during a class period were 9 to 14 percent more likely to respond incorrectly to a question pertaining to material covered in their absences than were students who were present. In the absence of a mandatory attendance policy, absenteeism rose continually throughout the semester. By the final third of the semester, the daily percentage of students who were absent in the no-policy class more than doubled.’ (Marburger, 2006).

Understanding this expectation and the importance that the direct involvement the student has in their education from the beginning can only continue to set them up for success toward the end of the course. Penalties would not have to be assessed when maturity and responsibility become the common factor that guides the student to class. Overall, mandatory class attendance can benefit both the student and the college by encouraging the student to uphold responsibility in their actions, follow through with a commitment, and preserver through adversity. The college benefits by continually producing scholars with higher academically averaged students that will soon venture into society and continue to push the limits and challenge those around them to excel through leadership and mentor youth to challenge themselves to succeed as they themselves accomplished. References Marburger, D. R. (2006). Does Mandatory Attendance Improve Student Performance? Journal of Economic Education, 148.

Introduction

As a Maths Tutor at a Further Education College, I face a challenge when it comes to teaching 16 – 19-year-olds. The main issue is that of the learner’s mindset coming into college. I shall be looking into the causes of low/fixed mindset and the effect it has on learning. This will allow me to observe trends in behavior/thinking which will allow me to reflect and offer possible solutions, as well as determine where to further my research.

Critical analysis

Mindset is a complex issue faced by teachers as it limits morale, participation, and motivation. According to Mindset UK (n.d, p 1), it is a ‘set of beliefs that affects how you think, feel and behave’. There are 2 theories relating to mindset -discussed by Blackwell, Trzesniewski & Dweck (2007): Fixed mindset (also referred to as entity theory)- relating to a belief that you are born with a set amount of intelligence that cannot be changed and so is self-limiting; and Growth mindset (or incremental theory)- where the individual believes that intelligence is a ‘malleable quality that can be developed’ with hard work and persistence.

Mindset is related to various learning theories: Behaviourism- based on positive reinforcement which results in reactive learning; Cognitivism- relating to internal cognitive processes resulting in responsive learning; and Constructivism- based on the theory that ‘people construct their understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences’ Bereiter (1994, cited in Sarita, 2017, pg 183). It is constantly changing and affected by both internal and external opinions and attitudes as well as past and present experiences. Humanist theory is also linked to mindset as it is through reflection that ‘free thinking’ occurs.

All the students that are taking GCSE mathematics are students who have either previously failed their GCSE or who have very low math ability and so have never been entered for the GCSE. The recent change in legislation, that has come about as a result of the Review of Vocational Education – The Wolf Report, has resulted in thousands of students having to stay in compulsory education until the age of 19, with mandatory Maths and English for those who have failed to achieve a grade 4 (in the new grading system) or equivalent. This has led the learners, who are resitting their GCSEs, to already feel like a failure at the subject as well as resulting in unmotivated, unwilling learners who do not want to be there.

A fixed mindset is limiting for both those with low and above-average intelligence. The low level believes they are poor at an activity and so they have limited motivation to participate in the activity, whereas the more able learners think they are good at something and so become complacent in their learning assuming they don’t need to put in the work to achieve a higher understanding.

The issues with the learner’s mindset have not just been caused by having to resit their exam but are an accumulation of past experiences, learned behaviors, and their beliefs about intelligence, as well as the negative feelings surrounding these. The learner’s mental well-being and self-worth can also be factors in their mindset, as anxiety and depression can lead to negative thinking and lower the individual’s self-belief. This can also lead to stress which can result in a loss of working memory which is vital for learning according to Weisberg & Reeves’, (2013) Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of memory which proposes 3 different types of memory processes: sensory, short-term, and long-term. Where the working memory/short-term memory is the store of information that is readily available to use. Other factors that affect working memory include an individual’s cognitive load (their capacity for holding information); the mental effort or concentration they can give the task at a given time, their intellectual capacity, and how relevant/interesting the individual feels the information to be.

Childhood experiences, around maths, can also lead to a fixed mindset if the learner never fully grasped the basic concepts and so has repeatedly failed to comprehend more complicated topics that build upon the basic knowledge. In these cases, the child gets left behind and never catches up. They think of themselves as incapable of doing maths and come to accept that as a fact. This has led to: barriers to learning; a deterrent to participation; it being culturally acceptable to be innumerate; and the ‘‘I can’t do maths’ has become a self-fulfilling prophecy’ (National Numeracy, n.d, pg 10).

Cognition

Dweck’s (2000), Theories of Intelligence

Another issue surrounding math ability is low motivation. The learners claim to not care about passing their mathematics GCSE and so are unwilling to put in the work. This can be a result of various internal factors (a lack of intrinsic motivation; being scared of failing; low aspirations; not seeing the value of being numerate; or a lack of interest in the subject/topic) or external factors (learned behaviour from parents or family members; Socio-economic class; or they could have issues outside of the classroom that distract from the topic at hand.

Strategies

The development of a growth mindset is proposed through interventions relating to

• Intelligence (show that it is not fixed)
• Potential ( only achieved through constant learning)
• Validation (learner can be own person)
• Challenge (a positive force, be willing to fail)
• Learning (value for itself)

Firstly Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1954), determines that learning cannot take place unless an individual’s basic needs are met (Gravells, 2013). By considering Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I can help ensure learning occurs effectively by creating a suitable classroom environment. Gravells, A. (2013). The Award in Education and Training. London: Learning Matters an imprint of SAGE Publications Ltd.

The brain is very complex so strategies to overcome the effect of mindset need connectivism

Dweck (2008, cited in Lambert, 2014, p.51), suggests that praise is a key factor when addressing mindset and that compliments such as ‘you’re very smart’ can lead to a fixed mindset as the focus is on the result. Instead, the praise should be around the process and the effort that has been put in, giving such praise as ‘you worked very hard’.

Honors College is usually observed as the place where all the smart kids are, however, I see far beyond that. When I think of UIC’s Honors College program, I automatically think of community. In high school, my group of friends and I saw education as an opportunity. Since we shared that mindset, it encouraged and helped us to strive harder and to achieve more. Although I could have achieved as much as I did without those friends, I feel that our shared love for learning played a vital role in my academic and personal success. I feel the Honors College will provide me with that same sense of community, where we as a whole offer the equivalent dedicated mentality.

Small communities are imperative in vast populace colleges like UIC because they provide support in a place where it is easy for students to feel alone. Being a part of the National Honor Society College would supply me with the kind of support needed to help me strive for better and achieve more. I want to be surrounded by other students and faculty who are just as determined as I am and will encourage me to do my best, just like I will for them. Since the Honors College is comprised of students from various colleges and backgrounds, it offers its members the chance to cooperate and see from alternate points of view. I am always attempting to enhance the manner in which I see the world and being a member of this program will enable me to considerably do more so than before.

As fellow students and friends, it can be difficult to efficiently accomplish tasks, since we tend to socialize more than work. My experience as a Taekwondo instructor helped me develop my leadership skills. My leadership skills are something that I am proud of because I know how to balance working with friends and socializing while maintaining productivity. This allows me and others around me to balance productivity and fun.

In the past, the support I received, within my community, played a crucial role in my academic success. It is essential that a community provides a positive support system where its members encourage each other and help build each other up. This can go as far as helping the overall community by sharing my diversity and knowledge with those around me. More specifically, I will share my drive to succeed and my love for learning with my fellow peers. I also hope to provide emotional support to those who feel alone at UIC. Regardless of how I may feel, I will continuously show that I am resolved to proceed.

If I were to be a part of UIC’s Honors College, I genuinely feel like I would be able to immerse myself in a community of students who want to succeed as much as I do. This program would provide me with a supportive community and an array of opportunities I would not be able to access elsewhere.

The most significant challenge impacting the juvenile justice system in the United States is substance abuse, specifically the use of hard drugs like cocaine, meth, and similar substances. In this essay I will focus mostly on the Luisa Cutting case from earlier this year. I will then compare it to Brenda Spencer’s case as in both cases the crimes were committed due to alcohol consumption and drug usage. Following that, I will use the Differential Association Theory, General Strain Theory, and Labeling Theory to describe their impact in both the Luisa Cutting case and juvenile justice.

Luisa Cutting

In January 2019, Luisa Ines Tudela Harris Cutting, a 21 year old student who attended Radford University in Virginia, was arrested for the murder of her best friend and roommate Alexa Cannon. Officers were first called onto the scene around 7:45 am when neighbors heard Cutting and Cannon arguing. According to a search warrant claimed by The Roanoke Times, the dispatcher on the line heard a woman yelling and a reference to a knife (Gangloff). When police arrived on scene, Cutting met them at the door covered in blood. Her first words to the officers were “Arrest me. I killed her”, – to which she turned around and put her hands behind her back (Gangloff). When the officers entered the apartment, they found Cannon unconscious on the floor with multiple stab wounds and a butcher knife sticking out of her mouth.

The days following the murder, the President of Radford University Brian Hemphill sent out an email regarding what had happened. In his email he said: “Alexa was pursuing a degree in psychology and was planning to graduate next May. She was very involved on campus and was a proud member of several organizations. Like every Highlander, Alexa had a full life ahead of her, a life poised to make a great impact on those she would have encountered, the career she was pursuing and the communities in which she would have lived. Please join me in expressing the Radford family’s deepest sympathies and lasting condolences to the Cannon family and all of those impacted by Alexa’s passing and this inexcusable and heinous act’ (Gangloff).

Chris Rehak, Radford City Commonwealth’s Attorney assigned to the case, claims that she had not slept for several days and had taken cocaine, marijuana, mushrooms and Xanax the night before. This was verified as the search warrant says that investigators found “pills, grinders, and multiple smoking devices in Cutting’s bedroom. They found a brown, chalk-like substance in the apartment’s bar/kitchen area” (Gangloff). Cutting’s Defense Attorney, Blair Howard, claimed that Cutting had a history of drug abuse which led to a psychotic episode causing her to exhibit strange behavior such as praying out loud in Spanish, attempting to shove her hands in her mouth, and having “cocaine with the devil” (McGirl). Due to her behavior, Cutting was hospitalized for 11 days upon being detained. Cutting has pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and was given a 20 year active sentenced.

During her trial she said that her “heart goes out to the Cannon family. I am so, so sorry” (McGirl). Rehak followed up with the media saying: “Perhaps more importantly, the agreement secured a murder conviction, avoided any appeals and spared Alexa’s family and friends the anguish and anxiety of trial. The Commonwealth also considered the impact and viability of defenses such as insanity, irresistible impulse and voluntary intoxication. Second degree murder appropriately fit our specific facts, reflects the provable criminal intent and achieves justice. The twenty-year active sentence is at the high end of second degree murder sentencing guidelines which recommend 12 years and 9 months to 21 years and 4 months with a midpoint of 17 years and 1 month (McGirl). Cutting had decided to plead guilty to her crime with the demands set up by the Cannon family. In doing so, she saved the Cannon family the pain of having to listen to the details of Alexa’s death. While the plea deal benefited Cutting, it also helped the Cannon family move on quicker in their grief.

Brenda Spencer

On January 29, 1979, Brenda Spencer shot up an elementary school across the street from where she lived. Spencer was 16 years old when she was given a rifle for Christmas from her father. Spencer was charged in court as an adult and was sentenced to 25 years to life, to be served concurrently, for two accounts of murder (Repard). Spencer claims that she was heavily under the influence of multiple substances when the shooting happened and that she was not aware of what she was doing.

According to Spencer, there were two sets of toxicology reports. One that went to court with her that said she had no drugs in her system and another from an independent company that alcohol and a “lethal amount of drugs” in her system (CBS 8, San Diego). Spencer argues that the mixture of alcohol and drugs is what led her to shooting Cleveland Elementary School and killing two people.

Historically, I felt like this case is similar to the Luisa Cutting Case as both cases involved drug usage as the leading factor towards violence. The difference between the two is that Luisa Cutting seems to be more remorseful of the act she committed. She pled guilty to the crime as a way to help the Cannon family so that they did not need to live through the details of the murder. Spencer keeps fighting for probation as she claims that the drugs is what made her do the shooting. Both girls were under the influence of alcohol and a mixture of drugs, but Cutting takes ownership of what she did while Spencer continues to argue against her ruling.

In both cases, the girls were given different sentences. Cutting was sentenced to 20 years and Spencer was served with 25 years to life to be served concurrently. I believe the difference in the sentencing is how Cutting and Spencer acted after the murders were committed. Cutting immediately gave herself up to police officers and said “Arrest me. I killed her” (Gangloff). Spencer took a while to get out of her home where she was doing the shooting and when first asked why she did it, she said: “ just don’t like Mondays… I did this because it’s a way to cheer up the day” (Repard).

Criminological and Sociological Theories

For the next part of this essay, I will be focusing on three different theories and explaining their connection to illicit drug use in youths and college students. The three theories are Differential Association Theory, General Strain Theory, and Labeling Theory.

Differential Association Theory

College is a time when many students begin to find themselves by exploring new things. While college is a great time for growth, it also allows for students to fall into bad habits and become addicted or overuse certain products. According to a study done by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) done between 2011 and 2014, they found that on an average day in the year, “2,179 full-time college students drank alcohol for the first time, and 1,326 used an illicit drug for the first time” (Lipari). This study was done based around 21,000 full-time students between the ages of 18 and 22. This study also included data for part-time students but for the purpose of this paper I will be focusing on full-time students as this pertains the most to the Luisa Cutting case. The study shows that alcohol was the most used by college students with 2,179 and 1,158,415 respectively. According to the student, nearly 60.1% of the population drank alcohol in the past month, 39% engaged in binge drinking and 13.2% engaged in heavy alcohol use (Lipari). They also stated that nearly 22.2% of full-time college students used an illicit drug within the past month (Lipari).

I present this information to show exactly how common alcohol consumption and drug usage is in colleges and universities. It is not something that is as uncommon as many believe and almost everyone is participating to some degree. This ties into Differential Association Theory which is defined as “the learning of behaviors and norms from groups with which we have contact” (Bates 4). This theory explains how the impact of drug abuse and drug culture in colleges and universities can affect college students usage of it. When so many other students are participating in such activities, students do not see the problem with them participating in them as well. It becomes a norm. Students instead feel like an outcast when they do not participate in such activities. They may feel like that are missing out.

While we do not know the details about Luisa Cutting’s friend group, we do know that she had a history of drug abuse which may have come from the normalized idea of drug usage among college students.

General Strain Theory

General Strain Theory is:

1. “The anticipated or actual failure to achieve a goal (for example, not achieving a spot on a sports team or achieving popularity with peers)
2. The anticipated or actual loss of a positive stimulus (for example, the death of a parent of breakup of a romantic relationship)
3. The anticipated or actual presentation of a negative stimulus (for example, physical assaults, negative grades, public insults, discrimination, or oppression).

Such negative relations will likely lead to anger and frustration, which may then lead to delinquent behavior, such as physical violence, running away from home, illicit drug use, or self-harming behavior” (Bates, 115).

College is a difficult time for many students, especially when it comes to balance. Many students have to balance a full course load, work, extracurricular, and a social life. Luisa Cutting was one of these students. Cannon had posted a congratulatory post on her Facebook page stating: “So incredibly proud of my best friend, Luisa Cutting for becoming Latinos Student Alliance’s President! I know you’re going to be amazing with everything you do! Love you more!!” (Naham). Along with the academic strain that all college students face when attending a college or university, Cutting now had the added pressure of running a student organization. As President of a student organization you are held to a certain standard, both by peers and the individual. The President is typically expected to be an example for the rest of the student organization and remaining executive board. Cutting, in this position, most likely felt extreme pressure both externally and internally.

In a study done by Jordan Pedalino and Kelly Frailing, they focused on General Strain Theory and prescription drug misuse among honors students. Their study focused on finding out whether or not different strains of college life impacted the kinds of prescriptions drugs that were misused. In their study they found that there are “sixteen independent variables [that] significantly predicted drinking, marijuana, and illicit drug use at the 0.05 level. Two of these were strain variables: expectations of self and fighting with friends” (Pedalono). Typically those who have higher expectations of themselves tend to worry more when they are not living up to their own self-perceived potential. They only stress themselves out more because they believe they are failing. This connects with the third part of the General Strain Theory where an anticipated negative result could lead to frustration where the student may use violence or drugs as a means of escape.

Labeling Theory

The Labeling Theory explains “the process of first calling a particular act a delinquent one and then using that label to justify a particular means of punishing or reacting to the person who has been labeled” (Bates, 154). While I do not believe Luisa Cutting was labeled specifically, she is a Latina and because of that she faces certain discrimination and prejudices.

For example, the current President of the United States holds very public opinions of what he considers Mexicans to be. In one of his more well-known interviews on immigration and the Mexican border, he said “These aren’t people. These are animals” (Korte). In that same interview, Trump also said “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people” (Korte). It does not matter if you are one of these “animals” that Trump claims Mexicans (or Latinos) to be, when an individual hears that kind of rhetoric about their own people it gets to them. Cutting was President of Latino student organization on campus at a majority white university. In 2016, Radford University had an overall student population that was “70.7% White, 14.4% Black or African American, 6.51% Hispanic or Latino, 4.61% two or more races, 1.45% Asian, 0.234% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.17% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders” (Radford University).

Being a representative for a small percentage of students when the leader of the country you reside in is throwing blatant hate towards your people is stressful and alarming. This negative label on Cutting, though not on her specifically, is an added strain to her everyday life. She may have felt that she needed to be an even better student and role model than before in order to live against this negative stereotype. This in turn may have been what caused her to use a multitude of drugs consistently and the lack of sleep. In doing all this, she ended up becoming the negative label that was put on her by being Latina – a murderer. She became an example of what Trump and his followers believe Latinos/as/x are.

Public Policies

As more and more youths use drugs, it is harder to keep control of what drugs are being used. For instance, the usage of marijuana is a growing concern. Cannabis is technically illegal on the federal level, but it is legal in the state of California for those who are 21 years old and above. This makes it difficult when coming up with legislation that would limit cannabis usage as there is no test that immediately shows whether or not a person is under the influence of cannabis. This allows for marijuana to be abused more easily in situations such as driving a motor vehicle.

Coming up with a public policy on a national level is tricky as national politicians seem to have the mindset of out of sight, out of mind. On a state level, I think a lot of the responsibility goes to the distributors. It is their responsibility to check that the people they are selling to are of age. Marijuana has become legal in some states because it is not seen as that serious of a danger as other drugs. The main concern comes with testing for it in instances where it could be a potential danger, such as driving which was mentioned earlier. Cannabis slows down reaction time and when driving this is dangerous as many things are happening rapidly and things can go wrong in a second. There needs to be an effort into a test that will quickly test if drivers are under the influence of cannabis.

References

1. Bates, K. A., & Swan, R. S. (2018). ​Juvenile Delinquency in a Diverse Society​ (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
2. CBS 8 San Diego. ​1993: Convicted school shooter Brenda Spencer speaks with San Diego’s
3. News 8​. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsj0zRj9Jp4
4. Gangloff, M. (2019, January 24). University student accused in Radford homicide case. Retrieved from https://www.roanoke.com/news/crime/radford/university-student-accused-in-radford-homicide-case/article_803b232d-4d2e-5d4d-a600-5ab104023b54.html​
5. Gangloff, M. (2019, October 7). Luisa Cutting pleads guilty to Radford murder of Alexa Cannon; sentenced to 20 years. Retrieved from https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/luisa-cutting-pleads-guilty-to-radford-murder-of-alexa-cannon/article_aa5b3284-409e-51cd-bde6-2073d51cd69a.html
6. Korte, G., & Gomez, A. (2018, May 17). Trump ramps up rhetoric on undocumented immigrants: ‘These aren’t people. These are animals.’. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/16/trump-immigrants-animals-mexico-democrats-sanctuary-cities/617252002/.
7. Lipari, R. N., & Jean-Francois, B. (2016, May 26). A DAY IN THE LIFE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AGED 18 TO 22: SUBSTANCE USE FACTS. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2361/ShortReport-2361.html.
8. McGirl, S. (2019, October 8). Former Radford student pleads guilty to killing roommate. https://www.roanoke.com/news/crime/radford/university-student-accused-in-radford-homicide-case/article_803b232d-4d2e-5d4d-a600-5ab104023b54.html
9. https://www.roanoke.com/news/crime/radford/university-student-accused-in-radford-homicide-case/article_803b232d-4d2e-5d4d-a600-5ab104023b54.html
10. https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Radford-student-accused-of-stabbing-roommate-to-death-is-set-to-make-a-plea-562407561.html.
11. Naham, M. (2019, October 9). Roommate Who Stabbed ‘Best Friend’ to Death in Drug-Fueled ‘Psychotic Episode’ Pleads Guilty. Retrieved from https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/roommate-who-stabbed-best-friend-to-death-in-drug-fueled-psychotic-episode-pleads-guilty/.
12. Pedalono, J., & Frailing, K. (2018). General Strain Theory and Prescription Drug Misuse among Honors Students. ​Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, 19​(1), 85–103. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=eric&AN=EJ1185682&site=eds-live&scope=site
13. Radford University. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://datausa.io/profile/university/radford-university.
14. Repard, P. (2019, January 31). 40 years ago, Brenda Spencer took lives, changed lives in a mass shooting at a San Diego elementary school. Retrieved from https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-brenda-spencer-school-shooting-20190129-story.html
15. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=eric&AN=EJ1185682&site=eds-live&scope=site
16. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=eric&AN=EJ1185682&site=eds-live&scope=site

This essay will discuss the 2019 College Admissions Bribery Scandal, also known as Operation Varsity Blues, in relation to two public relations theories: the framing theory used by media and public relations practitioners and the rhetoric theory to persuade the public. Within the essay, there will be assertions to where framing is used by public relations advisors to repair students’ reputations damaged by their involvement in the scandal. Further, the essay will draw on the utilisation of rhetoric theory used by colleges involved in the scandal to persuade stakeholders and publics within their statements.

The 2019 College Admission Bribery Scandal is the largest-ever college admissions scandal, believed to have begun in 2011 involving eight elite colleges including Stanford University and Yale University (Atkinson & Sukin 2019). Made public in March 2019, US Federal Prosecutors charged 50 parents, but approximated 750 families involved in cheating on standardised tests and bribing college coaches to accept students (Fieldstadt 2019). Those facing charges include parents, athletic coaches, exam proctors, SAT/ACT administrators, college administrators, and William Singer CEO college prep company, The Key. Singer assisted the wealthiest parents get their kids into elite colleges and was paid “ $25 million to bribe coaches and university administrators”, the Department of Justice said (Durkin 2019). Singer’s misconduct included bribing exam administrators to allow someone else to take the exam in the students place or bribing proctors to fix the students’ wrong answers. Singer also had children fake learning disabilities so that they would be able to take the tests at facilities where staff had been bribed (Levenson 2019). Additionally, Singer bribed college coaches saying students should be accepted because they were a recruit for the sports team, but Singer and the coaches knew that the student was not a competitive player and that their athletic profile was fake. During a hearing, Singer pleaded guilty to charges, ‘I created a side door that would guarantee families would get in,’ (Durkin 2019).

Framing theory relates to the ability to derive specific outcomes through the manipulation of messages through the selection of language, facts, visuals or themes (Van Der Meer, Verhoeven & Beentjes et al. 2014). In the media, framing attempts to shape the perspective through which people interpret information, which in-turn influences the attitudes and behaviours that people form in response to the coverage of certain issues (Johnston & Sheehan 2014). Framing involves placing neutral information into a certain field of meaning. The senders of the information, often publicists or journalists, decide how they want audiences to perceive the message and then constructs communication to focus on a specific angle (Calabrese 2016). The purpose is to encourage audiences to perceive information in a certain way as it allows message constructors to control how the issue is perceived and understood by audiences.

Framing is used in various aspects of public relations; what we consider ‘reality’ depends on the frames employed by the media (Johnston & Sheehan 2014). For example, a brand may decide to place a product in two frames: a positive frame; the product has been proven effective in 90% cases, or a negative frame; the product has failed on 1 out of every 10 cases. Given the power of the media in setting the public agenda, how topics are framed impacts how we know what we know about the world (Edwards 2009). Framing can be observed in the scandal in practices from news media to public relations officers hired to assist with student reputations. Media outlets framed the scandal differently, impacting how readers understood the topic and influenced their attitudes towards it based on what they consumed. Media outlets with a sympathetic framing approach to the scandal included Washington Post’s “Their parents dragged them into the college bribery scandal. Can a PR expert pull these kids out?” or Bloomberg’s “Don’t Punish the Students for the Parents’ Sins” (Veith 2019). Whereas media websites such as CNN’s “Cheat.Bribe.Lie” or Huffington Post’s “Elite College Admissions Scandal Shows Irony Of Affirmative Action Complaints” display negative frames that led to the re-birth of the injustices of white privilege (Levenson 2019).

Media depictions of the scandal led to the recognition of the widening corruption of elite college admissions through the steady application of wealth combined with fraud. Juda Engelmayer president of HeraldPR told The Washington Post that whether or not students were complicit of the bribery, “their lives are headline-inducing messes… some kids are guilty only by association and should not pay for the sins of the parents,” (Roberts 2019). Retained by two families, including an Ivy League senior with great grades whom no one wants to hire. “He’s been rejected at job after job,” Engelmayer says, “because when you do a Google search on him, the first thing that comes up … is his dad paid off somebody at the school,” (Roberts 2019). Using framing fundamentals to distance students from the criminal activities of the parents, Engelmayer’s solution is online reputation management and search engine optimisation. Engelmayer frames the student, so if someone searches them they will first discover their achievements, hobbies and charitable work prior to discovering association with the scandal. The online framing begins with removing the students name from the parents Wikipedia pages or any media mentions, then ‘tidying’ the student’s social media as “deleting everything online looks suspicious”, said Engelmayer (Roberts 2019). Engelmayer finds positive details in the students’ lives that can be emphasised and creates new websites. This way the first entries that appear during an online search are sites full of photos and well-written material with the idea of pushing the scandal further down in the online search. Most average prospective employers do not look past the first two pages, but if the student “want(s) to work on Wall Street …they need to create a compelling online case for themselves…the places they’re looking at are doing fine-tooth-comb searches,” Engelmayer said (Roberts 2019). After the first few search pages there is a better sense of the student’s identity, not what the parent did. The process of search optimisation demonstrates that framing is not only about how the media presents news, but how framing is a reconstruction from various angles of a small section of reality (Van Der Meer, Verhoeven & Beentjes et al. 2014).

The rhetoric theory focuses on the role that information plays in shaping knowledge, opinions and motivating actions. Heath describes rhetoric as “the ability to create opinions that influence how people…think about their society and organisations…” (2009). Closely associated with rhetoric, persuasion aims to create, modify or reinforce people’s beliefs, attitudes or behaviours (Johnston & Sheehan 2014). As proposed by Aristotle, there are three ways that persuasion occurs in audiences: ethos, pathos and logos (Johnston & Sheehan 2014). Ethos appeals to ethics, relating to the character and credibility of the persuader. Pathos appeals to emotion, which is essential if the persuader intends for their message to produce action. Finally, logos appeals to reason- to be effective in persuasion, messages require logical reasoning to support arguments.

The use of the rhetoric theory to persuade audiences is fundamental to the practice of public relations.

Rhetoric theory can help public relations account for the symbolic aspects of communication, which are the heart of public relations activity (Edwards 2009). Examples of the use of rhetoric to persuade the public include Government Health Campaigns, in which the campaign sends a message to audiences persuading them to change their behaviour (like receiving a vaccination) using tactics such as emotive language (pathos), doctors (ethos) and facts (logos). Months after the discovery of Operation Varsity Blues, colleges are still under extreme scrutiny from those who work in media, parents and current students. In the wake of the scandal, involved colleges released statements acknowledging the accusations across various platforms such as social media, television and in media statements as “organisations must therefore release timely and effective responses to criticisms if they wish to maintain a positive reputation and prevent further damage to their image”, (Lai 2012 p.11).

Operation Varsity Blues has caused the public to question the fairness and validity of the admissions process and specifically about whether the SAT is as secure as it should be. According to The New York Times, Georgetown University, the University of San Diego, the University of Southern California, Stanford University, the University of Texas at Austin, Yale University, Wake Forest University and the University of California, Los Angeles were convicted. With the goal of repairing a damaged reputation, “organisations must issue public acknowledgements that are capable of persuading stakeholders (and publics) to reinstate their trust in them,” (Lai 2012). The rhetoric theory became a key aspect for the colleges’ public statements that reacted to the news and addressed the scandal. Although each college released public statements the following day, the University of Southern California and Georgetown University are the main focus of how the colleges’ used principles of the rhetoric theory to persuade and shape the way the public felt about the scandal (Appendix 1 & 2).

The University of Southern California (USC) released their statement via social media and USC News website. To be effective in persuading readers, the statement’s caption includes that it was written by USC President Wanda M. Austin (Appendix 1). This appeals to ethos, as the USC President is a highly credible and trustworthy source to gather information from due to his status as President and involvement with the college. Pathos is utilised within the statement to create emotional responses through the use of emotive language such as “criminal”, “believes” and “alleged”. As well as these emotive, loaded uses of language, the use of “we” is a strong appeal to pathos. Personal pronouns like “we” are used to make readers feel like part of a group or inspired to take collective action. This can be empowering for the reader, as they are not left as a bystander with no stake in the issue, and are therefore encouraged to take action. Compared to statements by Georgetown University or Wake Forest University, USC does not effectively appeal to logos, as there is no attempt made to appeal to reason through the use of facts, statistics or evidence. For example, Wake Forest University appealed to logos through the use of evidence that it had “retained outside legal counsel to further investigate the charges against head volleyball coach Bill Ferguson while he is placed on administrative leave,”. Through the careful construction of the statement, USC used elements of rhetoric to create emotional appeal, while appearing credible in relation to their involvement.

Georgetown University released a letter via social media that was much more in-depth and transparent than other colleges’ (Appendix 2). The statement was written by Vice President and General Counsel Lisa Brown and Vice President and Senior Advisor to the President Erik Smulson. Similarly, the letter appeals to ethos as the statement-makers are highly credible and trustworthy due to their status within the university. It’s also interesting to note that this is the only statement made concurrently and that this could potentially elevate ethos due to the inclusion of two sources. Although the letter uses personal pronouns such as “we”, it’s the statements like “we were deeply troubled to learn”, “criminal acts against the University” or “Mr. Ernst’s alleged actions are shocking”, “highly antithetical to our values” are emotive. The use of language helps depict Georgetown as a victim of misconduct, which connects to the publics’ beliefs that they are victims of the widening corruption of elite college admissions. It is also important to note that the statement was formatted as a letter, which is more inclusive and personal, which makes readers feel as if they are being personally addressed. This interconnects with how the appeal to logos is with strength. By opening with “Earlier today, we were deeply troubled to learn that former Tennis Coach, Gordon Ernst..”, evidence is provided about who is directly involved. By providing evidence and timelines about Ernst’s involvement, the statement appeals to logos by using facts and evidence to appeal to reason of Georgetown involvement. Georgetown’s letter is effective in persuading audiences of their victim status as it effectively frames Georgetown as a victim of staff misconduct through the use of the rhetoric elements.

Operation Varsity Blues laid bare the elaborate lengths that some wealthy parents will go to get their children into America’s most elite universities, the media played a role in how colleges, students and parents responded to the public scrutiny. The use of framing was carried out by the media and practitioners to shape the way the public viewed Operation Varsity Blues. This shows that the use of framing has allowed, to a certain extent, the lives of students to be reconstructed, but the lives of the parents’ to be defined by the bribery in which they partook in. Through the use of rhetoric theory to persuade the public, the elements of ethos, pathos and logos were crucial in the public statements made by colleges’ to ensure that stakeholders and publics reinstate trust in them. Although colleges have ensured that their application programs have been improved since, as the media states; the scandal highlights the widening privilege of wealthy families.