Uniforms

Uniforms verses no uniforms have been an ongoing topic for a while.  No uniforms and uniforms both have several pros and cons. Uniforms are proven to be more beneficial in comparison to no uniforms because they save time, money, and increase focus and a sense of belonging.

Mornings before school can be hectic and dysfunctional, and the last thing someone wants to do is picking out an outfit to wear. Imagine having to wake up and try on several different outfits, which are then thrown over the floor in a rush because time is dwindling down, you cant decide what looks best, and you still need to eat breakfast and pack your lunch. Then, imagine waking up and putting your uniform on. It takes a lot less time and prevents more stress, so you are on time and ready for the day to begin. Not only do uniforms save time, they save money.

Purchasing uniforms is less expensive than purchasing clothes. Assuming students would want to have different outfits on most days of the week, along with different outfits for the seasons. Having a uniform means wearing the same thing everyday, but not getting made fun of for it. Everyone has to wear the uniform guidelines. Buying clothes is expensive, and continues to become more expensive each year.  However, having a uniform involves having different pieces of the same uniform for different seasons, so it’s easier. Also, once you buy your uniform you can use that uniform for the entire time you attend that school, unless you grow out of it or you change schools. Along with saving money, uniforms increase focus and a sense of belonging.

School is one of the most important things in a child’s life, therefore that time should not be wasted while worrying about things that shouldn’t matter. Picking out a cute outfit everyday, constantly wondering how it looks can take away from your focus. Also too, if you are stressed in the morning about your outfit you could be late and not prepared for the next setting, school. Your focus can be off because of one little thing, but sometimes that’s all it takes. Another positive thing about a uniform is that everyone around you is wearing the same thing, so people don’t get distracted by someone’s outfit, or someone doesn’t get made fun of for wearing something “different” or unique. There’s an automatic sense of belonging and a feeling of unity and equality.

Uniforms are shown to be beneficial through the little things like time, money, and focus. Even though these things may seem small they can make a large difference in behavior and the classroom. 

Rhetorical Analysis of Formation by Beyoncé

Queen B, Beyoncé has been a role model for all women, primarily Black women for a long time. She has always been associated with empowerment. Ever Since Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé's lyrics are instructions for empowerment everywhere. Telling women that we are beautiful, and we should feel powerful from our beauty. We should make our own money. We need to be independent and make our own success. Women should stick together. “Girls run the world.” “C’mon ladies now lets get in formation.”

She sings primarily to black women, which is natural because they bond over the same culture and roots.  She has always been associated with feminism, power and culture. Her music is her movement.  Beyoncé’s song “Formation” is a very creative multimillion-dollar hit made to make a bold statement to all and to make women feel powerful, independent, beautiful, and like they can do anything.

“Formation” was pieced together by using her roots, her family history, clips from New Orleans, significant events in New Orleans and Louisiana from the past, the B.E.A.T., and many other things mixed in with an amazing beat to symbolize her goal of the song. This song shows her power, independence, success, revenge, and her cultural pride. "Formation" speaks out to all women, especially black women who relate to her.

            In her song, Beyoncé sings about her family history and elements of black pride. For example she sings,

“My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana 


You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama

I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros

I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils

Earned all this money but they never take the country out me

I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag.”

The purpose of these lyrics is to allude to the pride she holds of her culture. It shows she is not ashamed. Beyoncé is showing off her culture and telling the world she is proud that she is rooted in the southern part of the United States. Another example of allusion in “Formation” is when she says, “I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin') I'm so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces.” Meaning that she has power, Jay-Z is not being possessive of her, it’s her owning him. She shows she doesn’t need a man or a man’s possession, she owns her man. She has the power.

            Another example of allusion is a reference to Bill Gates, Beyoncé says, “You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay
I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making.” This alludes to her being able to make a lot of money and have a lot of success even though she is a black woman.

Another rhetorical strategy used in “Formation” is Juxtaposition. Beyoncé and her Group were in a parking lot wearing short shorts and crop tops then they were shown wearing antebellum-era dresses in a Louisiana mansion. This juxtaposes by showing the evolution and many facets of black culture and femininity.

The rhetorical strategies in “Formation” helps to reveal Beyonce’s pride and confidence in whom she is and the success and difference she has created. It also shows the confidence she has for women all over the world. 

I believe

I believe school is overrated.  I believe that the majority of things we learn are pointless and will not help in preparation for the real world.  “I think that we got so caught up in school being a tradition that we stopped using it as a learning tool, which it should be.” (Tupac) I believe that the curriculum you are required to take is given because it has always been given. Students don’t actually learn much. I feel as if the process of a student is to memorize and cram before a test, take the test, and then forget the information, as is no longer relevant to them. Teachers push so much information from so many different classes on us, making it nearly impossible to thoroughly study. The main goal of many students is to get a good grade, not to actually learn and comprehend the material. “But school is really important. Reading, writing, arithmetic. But I think after you learn reading, writing, arithmetic, that’s it. But what they tend to is teach you reading, writing, and arithmetic then teach you reading, writing, and arithmetic again then again then again, just make it harder and harder, just to keep you busy. And that’s where I think they messed up.” (Tupac)  Almost all students, including myself, wonder why we learn certain curriculum and question, “how will the information help us in the real world?” After taking physics will you ever be asked to find the net torque on a pulley? Chances are, you wont be.

Sadly the real world is not a cocoon - going to school everyday to follow your set schedule and sit in a classroom. The real world is scary, imperfect, and the worst part is that you’re on your own. I believe that we should have more classes to teach us about the world, so we are actually prepared to be on our own. We should have classes on drugs, violence, racism, and financial responsibilities. I feel like learning about topology and geometry is a waste of our time. Learning is important especially when it has meaning and a beneficial effect. “We’re not being taught to deal with the world as is it is. We’re being taught to deal with this fairy land that we’re not even living in anymore.” (Tupac)

High school is the gateway to college and college is the gateway to success. This idea has been rigged because if you aren’t an intellectual person it’s extremely hard to make it in the real world because getting into college is strictly based off of the curriculum and how well you memorized the pointless information just for the tests. It is impossible for a fish to climb a tree; they are not made to do that. Some people are not made to do certain things. College should not be seen as the making or breaking point of someone’s future. If someone failed a physics course in college because they are not a “physics type of person,” does that define them as a human being?