Mascot-Ology

From now until the NCAA basketball championship in April, experts and prognosticators, along with millions of amateurs competing in office pools, will attempt to predict the outcomes of all 67 of the tournament’s games.

People have all sorts of reasons to pick one team over another. Some break down game footage; others look at advanced statistics; and still others give preference to schools they or their friends attended.

But what if we took a different approach and picked teams based on the strength of their mascots?

1)  Who would win?

2)  Whose Mascot is the toughest? Whose is the weakest? Why?

3)  Which mascot is the most common?  The most unique?  Explain.

4)  Why do schools choose the mascots they do?  What do mascots say about a school?

5) Why aren't their any 'Indian' mascots in the March Madness Tournament?


The "Brave," an American Indian warrior, became the symbol of the Talawanda Schools in the 1950s.

But who was Talawanda?

Do Indian Mascots honor insult Native American Groups?

Should Talawanda have changed its mascot? If so what to?

Golden Arches Theory

 

The Golden Arches Theory comes from a 1995 book by New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. It posits that nations whose economies can support fast-food chains tend to have a middle class that cares more about maintaining calm and commerce with its neighbors than starting conflict.

That belief actually fell apart in 1988, when civil war broke out in the former Yugoslavia. Over the years, the armies of India and Pakistan, and Israel and Lebanon, have respectively faced off, despite the presence of McDonald’s within their borders.

The calls for a brand boycott are premised on taking aim at the comfort of Russian oligarchs and the country’s middle class. Doing so, the thinking goes, will create enough economic and cultural isolation to put the screws to the Russian regime to retreat as Ukrainians continue to resist the incursion.

1) What is the Golden Arches Theory?

2) Do you think it will prevent us from war with Russia? Why/ Not? What has history taught us?

3) What other companies have joined McDonalds in sanctions against Putin's Russia?

4) Will you support these companies by giving them more business? Will you give less business to the companies who have not supported sanctions? Why/ not?

5) Is the dollar more powerful than the sword? Explain.

News vs. Media: What's the Difference?

You might see the terms “news” and “media” seemingly used interchangeably. While it might seem that they’re one in the same, it’s important to understand that there’s a strong distinction between the two. Media refers to the tools used to store and deliver information, whereas news (or, news media) refers strictly to the sharing of recent events.

News is all around us. From what we hear on the radio to what we see on television, come across on the Internet, see in an advertisement, or even hear from a colleague or friend, the news and peoples’ opinions on it are an ever-present part of everyday life. This information forms our opinions, shapes of conversations with others, and even affects how we view the world around us. With the wealth of information now available at most individuals’ fingertips, it’s important to take time to evaluate just where we find news. For many individuals, it’s some (if not all) of the following: television, laptop or computer, radio, newspaper or magazine, cell phone. tablet, smart tv, e-reader.

1) From whom do you hear most news events?

2) What role does social media play in how you access news?

3) What devices do you use to access news?

4) Why do you prefer these?

5) What is the difference between 'news' and 'media?'