Shawns Blog

  After reading both articles from The Arizona Republic , it’s clear that Arizona is pushing hard for more people to get college degrees. In “Ducey: Why Arizona needs more college grads,” former governor Doug Ducey argues that having more educated workers helps the state grow and compete economically. The second article, Earnings potential goes up a lot for Arizonans with college degrees   backs that up with numbers, showing that people in Arizona with college degrees earn significantly more over time. Both pieces rely heavily on logic and statistics, which makes their argument convincing, but they also feel a little one-sided. They focus on the benefits without really addressing the challenges that a lot of students actually face, especially financially. As a student and someone living in Arizona, this topic feels personal. I’ve seen friends and family question whether college is worth the cost, especially with tuition, debt, and the pressure of choosing the “right” major....

 Over the past decade, electric vehicles (EVs) have gone from a niche concept to a mainstream alternative to traditional gas-powered cars. Companies like Tesla  and Rivian  are leading the charge, but almost every major automaker is now investing heavily in EV technology. What’s fascinating is not just the environmental benefits, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also how EVs are reshaping transportation infrastructure, urban planning, and even the way we think about personal energy consumption. Charging stations are popping up in places that never seemed relevant before, like shopping centers and highway rest stops, making EVs more practical than ever. One of the biggest challenges for widespread EV adoption remains battery technology. Current lithium-ion batteries can be expensive and take a long time to charge, and battery disposal raises environmental concerns of its own. Innovations in solid-state batteries and fast-charging technology, however, promise to solve...

 For this blog entry I looked at a news report from CNN about immigration at the southern border of the United States. I also compared it to coverage of the same topic from Fox News . Both reports are supposed to be informational, but they show how news can still be slanted without clearly stating an opinion. The CNN report focuses more on the struggles migrants face and includes emotional stories about families. The Fox News report talks more about border security and crime concerns. Even though both reports include facts, the information they choose to show makes the story feel very different. When I watched these reports, it made me think about how rhetoric is used in the news. CNN uses more emotional stories, which is an example of pathos , because it makes the audience feel sympathy for the people involved. Fox News focuses more on numbers and security problems, which appeals more to logos , or logical thinking. Both reports also use ethos by interviewing experts or official...

  This past NFL season gave us a lot to talk about but one of the most exciting storylines wasn’t just a team, it was an individual performance that helped define the year.  Jaxon Smith‑Njigba  of the  Seattle Seahawks  didn’t just have a great season  he had one of the best wide‑receiver seasons in recent NFL history. I’ve been a big  Ohio State Buckeyes  fan for years, and I actually watched JSN play in college. Even then, it was clear he was going to be special. His route running, speed, and ability to make plays in crucial moments stood out every game. Watching him dominate at Ohio State, I knew the NFL was going to get something really special, and this season proved it. From the moment the season started, JSN was consistently outstanding. Week after week he produced big numbers, earning multiple 100‑yard games and quickly becoming one of the most reliable offensive threats in the league. By midseason, he had already set the Seahawks’ single‑...

 One activity that takes up a lot of my time and that I genuinely value is working at Discount Tire, a job that didn't hold must interest before I got hired there. For some people, a job is just a paycheck, but for me it’s been a place to build real-world skills that I’ll use long after I leave. Working there has taught me responsibility and time management. Showing up on time, staying focused during busy hours, and making sure each vehicle is handled safely requires consistency and attention to detail. When you’re working on someone’s car, there’s no room for shortcuts. That level of accountability has helped me grow more disciplined in other parts of my life too. Another big lesson has been teamwork. A shop runs smoothly only when everyone communicates and does their part. Whether it’s during a rush or handling a difficult situation, learning how to stay calm and work together has made me more confident and professional. I share this because working at Discount Tire isn’t jus...

Blogs are a great way for people to share ideas, stories, and information online. Some blogs are professional and polished, while others are more personal and casual. I enjoy blogs that are organized, easy to read, and have a clear purpose. Blogs that feel messy, scattered, or full of ads can be frustrating to follow, even if the content itself is interesting. One blog I really liked was The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) The Marginalian – Marginalia on our search for meaning. This blog is run by Maria Popova and covers interesting ideas about art, science, philosophy, and culture. I liked it because it’s thought-provoking and packed with insights you don’t usually see online. The layout is clean, with long-form articles broken into readable sections and images that support the text. Popova’s purpose is to share knowledge and connect ideas, so her writing is smart, reflective, and well-researched. The posts include links to books, essays, and other resources, which makes it easy...