ENG 112 Oakley

EDUCATION

• Would it be better to pay college athletes salaries rather than give them scholarships?
• Is it a good idea to award college grants, scholarships, or loans only for "in demand" majors?
• Should minimum computer skills be college prerequisites (similar to reading, writing and math prerequisites)?
• Is mandatory attendance in college classes a good idea?
• Should K-12 students be paid to attend school and/or to receive good grades?
• Do 100% online college degrees provide the same quality graduates as face to face or mixed programs?
• Is requiring service learning or volunteer hours in either K-12schools or colleges effective?
• Are there justifications for requiring fine arts courses for all students in K-12 or higher education?
• Should non-traditional languages (Farsi, Urdu, Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi) be offered at publicly funded high schools & colleges?
• Are companies taking advantage of unpaid college internships while offering no real training? 

ENVIRONMENT

• Is off-shore oil drilling right for North Carolina?
• Should biofuels be required in racing vehicles?
• How should we balance sport fishing interests vs commercial fishing interests?
• Are wind farms in the best interests of North Carolina?
• Does a ban on giving out plastic bags at retail businesses really help the environment?
• Beach sand renourishment - should it be done; if so, who should pay?
• Should North Carolina take steps to restore the state’s oyster population?
• Is the Mars expedition & other space exploration a waste of money and talent?
• Do the benefits of fracking outweigh the dangers?

MEDIA

• Are anonymous blog posts or letters to the editor fair, or should you have to "own" your opinions?
• Are mean girls really meaner than mean boys?
• Should we treat cable television companies like other utility company monopolies?
• Are "opt out" or "opt in" privacy settings for social networking sites better for users?
• How real is reality tv?
• What should be done about viral photos or videos & personal privacy?
• Do Americans have an anti-science bias?
• Does the news include too many entertainment and sensational stories vs useful news?
• Are we afraid of the wrong things - do we misunderstand personal risk?
• Is Google growing too fast and becoming too powerful?

MONEY / ECONOMICS

• Should we eliminate senior citizen discounts in favor of discounts for young people, or should we require proof of financial need?
• Are current education, exercise, or medical benefits for prison inmates too generous?
• Which business practices of quick cash or payday loan businesses should be regulated?
• What is the real relationship of wealth to happiness?
• Are labor-saving devices always a good innovation?
• Should non-profit organizations be allowed to use contributions to sue other non-profits?
• Are current IRS tax rules for reporting tip income fair?
• How do minimum-wage issues vary in the US vs other industrialized countries?
• Should job postings that prohibit unemployed persons from applying be permitted?
• Are facilities with mixed public and private ownership (such as convention centers, parking decks or sports stadiums) a good idea?

HEALTH

• Is internet gambling more likely to cause addiction than other types of gambling?
• Do gluten-free foods really benefit people without gluten-intolerance conditions
• Who should regulate how thin fashion models can be in an attempt to reduce eating disorders?
• Should soft drink, candy & snack food sales in schools be restricted?
• Should there be smoke free beaches?
• Will charging parents of obese students with child neglect help or hurt children?
• What should parents of young children do about fantasy beliefs such as Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, & ghosts

POLITICS / LAW

• Are ordinances, rental agreements, or HOA rules that restrict dog ownership by breed appropriate?
• Is it fair to charge extra to obese people for space-related things (events tickets, public transportation seats, etc.)?
• Should convicted felons lose their voting rights for life?
• Should states require inspection of vehicles?
• What laws, ordinances, or policies should govern skateboarding?
• Can workplaces craft fair rules & regulations about tattoos?
• Should states or counties offer film production incentives?
• What is the role of lawsuits in the fashion industry - what can or cannot be trademarked?
• Has the "Citizens United" Supreme Court ruling made political campaigns more or less democratic?
• Would substituting public ridicule or corporal punishment for jail time for some nonviolent crimes be a good idea?