The New Place | Educator Series: Robin

WRITING

1980 - present

Humanities I-III Mayo High School, Rochester, MN 1980 - 1983 As fate would have it, the collection of papers written for Van Zant's Humanities class were the last of my collection waiting to be digitized when they were all destroyed in the home fire. Perhaps it's for the best. They ranged in quality from university level to one that inspired Van Zant to diplomatically suggest I was out of my depth. Only their titles remain. Perhaps I should re-assign their writing to myself.	Creon's Downfall (Antigone) - Ancient Athens Renaissance Music's Effect on Social Structure What Were the Reasons for Satan's Fall? (Paradise Lost) - Man and God The Paradox of God's Providence (Paradise Lost) - Man and God Crime and Punishment Test on Chapters 1-4 Crime and Punishment Test on Parts 2-3 The greater the ignorance, the greater the dogmatism (Oedipus Rex) - Man and God The So-called Fantastic and the So-called Real (Out of the Silent Planet) - Man and God The Right to Violent Rebellion: Existential and Nihilistic Thought - Measure of Modern Man Test on the Contemporary Society and the World of the Future - New York and Contemporary America Test on "New York and Its Citizens" - New York and Contemporary America Test on "New York: Ideal and Reality" - New York and Contemporary America Test on Madame Bovary - Beyond Enlightenment
The Perception of Abortion Presented to Dr. Ruth Thompson, St. Cloud State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for English 331 - Advanced Expository Writing, Fall, 1986, St. Cloud, MN PDF w/professor comments	ABSTRACT: In my attempts to come to a conclusion about the abortion issue, I found myself trying to come up with universal truths, universal definitions, and universal solutions that would convince everyone that my stand on the subject was singularly intelligent. I think that these misguided yearnings are born of too many five-paragraph "introduction, body, and conclusion" essays written with the idea that in seven hundred words or less I could solve the problems of the world. As I thought, I realized ( that I am not the only one who is working under the delusion that what works for one will work for everybody.) I have read and listened to arguments on abortion from both ends of the spectrum and have found myself agreeing with elements of both. I believe that both arguments have elements of truth because I believe that everything we do is governed by personal perception. I hope to define this perception and this philosophy in this paper, to illustrate how diverse perceptions can be, and then go on to prove that assigning universal laws and truths to the abortion issue is illogical.
The Perverse and the Unnatural Presented to Dr. Ruth Thompson, St. Cloud State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for English 331 - Advanced Expository Writing, Fall, 1986, St. Cloud, MN PDF w/professor comments	ABSTRACT: What is the relationship then, between perversion and morality? I believe that the application of the word "perversion" is in answer to the individual's immediate reaction to the act. "Morality" concerns itself with how that act fits into the individual's value structure, rule system, and religious ideas. An immoral act is incongruous with an individual's rule system and will be punished, if a philosophy of punishment exists with that person, by whatever agent in which they believe. Can a perverse act be moral? Yes. Going back to the example of the astronaut and the policeman, I do consider the desire to risk one's life to be perverse. I think that it is important that I should point out that, along the lines of my definition, "perverse" does not always have to contain negative connotations. I may consider something perverse because I cannot understand it, but that does not mean that I think it's bad. The question of morality deals with good and bad; and in this situation, I deem the desire to risk one's life, perverse but moral.
Euthanasia and an Examination of the film Whose Life is it Anyway? Presented to Dr. Ruth Thompson, St. Cloud State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for English 331 - Advanced Expository Writing, Fall, 1986, St. Cloud, MN PDF w/professor comments	ABSTRACT: J. Gay Williams, in "The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia," maintains that "every human being has a natural inclination" to avoid death. This argument has been refuted in class by the observation that, after a period of time, the body begins to deteriorate and cannot be stopped. Therefore, it would seem that the body has a natural inclination toward death. I would like to state that I believe that instead of a natural inclination to avoid death, there is a natural inclination to avoid discomfort. By running away from attackers, dodging trucks, and shying away from fires, our instinct is to avoid pain. It is our minds that take us one step further to consider the possibility of death. A baby will do the same thing, after finding out that contact with certain things cause pain. Its mind has no concept of death yet so it is working solely on the idea of avoiding discomfort.
Post Graduate Nonacademic Writing	Think Globally, Act Locally (for Minnesota Playlist) Best Ways Older Workers Can Prepare for a Recession (Chris Farrell talks with Robin Johnson)