SAMPLE ESSAYS WRITTEN ON THE REGENTS' TEST

"Self-discipline is the most important ingredient for success."  Attack or defend.

     I am a strong believer that his statement, "self-discipline is the most important ingredient for success," is true because of the following points that I will mention and will try to explain in this essay.

     It is necessary self-discipline to accomplish the goals that you set for yourself.  You have to be in control of the situation and know where you are heading, this way you will be able to achieve your goals.  Organize your ideas.  Planning ahead of time and carefully, will save you a lot of time, and you will be able to avoid a lot of problems.

     To be successful in what you are going to do, you need punctuality, be responsible, be neat in whatever you do.  With these three ingredients you can be sure that whatever you do is going to be rewarded by credibility from the people that you deal with.  If the people that you are dealing with; trust you and believe in you; will make things easier for you.

     All of these points that I have mentioned and briefly am trying to explain, couldn't be possible to do, if you don't have control of yourself, and this comes with self-discipline.

     So if you really want to be successful in your life, and make yourself and the people around you happier, always remember that "self-discipline is the most important ingredient for success."

What do you think are the major effects of divorce upon children?  Discuss.

     From birth to the first few years, life is filled with new, exciting and influential experiences.  Familiarization with the people and things in the surroundings makes lasting impressions.  For years doctors and psychologists have been pondering the question of the effect divorce has on the offspring of a marriage.  Although the information is still inconclusive, I will attempt to define my feelings on the subject based on the first few lines of this essay.
     With the passing of time, even a very short time, parents become a symbol in an infant's eyes.  The infant becomes dependent on the faces, the hands, the bodies that feeds loves and protect it.
     As the infant grows in to a child, it becomes more and more attached to its parents.  If at some point, the child senses something wrong between the parents it will respond in some way.  This response also holds true if the parents are separated and eventually divorced.
     Divorce creates problems with children that few couples or parents realize or understand.  For instance if for 3 years the father, mother and child has been living together as a family unit.  Suddenly (in the child's eyes) the father disappears, he simply walkes out.  This 3 year old child cant understand what's going on.  But he knows and responds to his fathers absence.  This holds true for children of almost any age.  Along with the confusion of "where is Daddy, the child will go through phases which will show that divorce affects him in some devistating ways.
     The security I spoke of earlier is one of the things that could have an impact on the child.  For 3 years, father has watched over the family unit, he is big strong and protects mother too.  Now that father is gone who will be there. The child could resent his fathers leaving or resent his mother for letting him go.  While this is important, the childs loss of companionship could be more important.
     Father has been spending a great deal of time playing with talking to and holding his child.  If this is suddenly lost, the child will or could resent it.
     While resentment may be easiely overcome by a child of 3 years, mental and emotional difficulties maynot be.
     The tension, stress, and strain of a divorce tend to play the biggest role in how a child will adjust afterward.
     I'm sure we all know how attached most children are to be their parents.  There are emotional ties that could never be broken.  However if a child understand what is going on or senses hostility between his parents he tends to be town between them.  He may experience confusion, resentment, hostility mental and emotional stresses.  If the problem continue to exist, this could lead to longlasting if not permanant mental and emotional strain.
     As the study of divorce and its effect on children continue, parents should keep in mind what they are doing to thier children.  Apprehension about future fathers (step-fathers), could spark a new and more tragic experience.
     While I realize that not all marriages work out, I also realize that not all children respond or recover the same.  So parents be aware of the consequences you could be destroying the most precious thing(s) in your lives, your children.

"The United States should severely restrict the import of foreign cars for sales in the "United States.:  Attack or defend.

     There has been a lot of talk and issue about the importing of foreign cars for the last few years.  I think that the United States should restrict the importing of foreign cars because it hurts the sale of American cars and it hurts the American economy as a whole.

     First of all, I think that the United States should restrict the importing of foreign cars because it hurts the sale of American cars.  By this, I mean, that the American car dealers have a hard time trying to sell their cars.  The reason for this hard time is because the foreign cars have a  low gas mileage to save money on the high cost of gasoline.  There are a lot of American cars that are just as small on space and convenient on gas as the foreign cars are.  The American cars are bigger, they seat a lot more people, and they cost about the same as a foreign cars considering the shipping cost of the foreign cars.  The importing of foreign cars is hurting the American sale of cars for several reasons such as these I have stated above and it should be stopped so that the Americans can make a profit on their car sales for a while.

     And last, I think that the United States should restrict the importing of foreign cars because importing foreign cars hurts the American economy as a whole.  It hurts the American economy because the Americans have to spend their money to have the foreign cars imported and made.  The Americans spend over $1.8 on such things as education, food, and the government.  Many people are starving in the United States because some of our money is going to foreign countries.  Many people can not get an education because of lack of funds in the United States to help the education system.  The government is also suffering because they have to cut back on many of our funds so they can have money to pay our bills for foreign merchandise.  The whole economy is suffering.  The importing of foreign cars is hurting the American economy as a whole because it effects everything and everybody in the United States.

     I think the United States should restrict the importing of foreign cars for these reasons I have stated above.  The importing of foreign cars has caused many problems in the United States and it is time it is stopped.  I have nothing against foreign cars or having them imported in the United States but having these cars imported into the United States does cause problems for the whole economy in one way or the other.

"The United States should severely restrict the import of foreign cars for sale in the United States."  Attack or defend.

     There are three reasons why the United States should severely restrict the import of foreign cars for sale in the United States. First, the United States are losing millions of dollars to foreign car sales.  Second, millions of United States citizens are becoming unemployed.  Finally, foreign car dealers are becoming richer.

     First, the United States are losing millions of dollars to foreign car sales.  If the United States would restrict the imports of foreign cars, there would not be millions of dollars being lost.  Millions of dollars would not be lost, if the United States would make a better car.  For example, the Japanese people has the knowledge for making cars that give you better gas mileage.  All the knowledge that is here in the United States needs to be put to good use.  In making a car that also gives good gas mileage.

     Second, millions of United States citizens are becoming unemployed.  For example, millions of General Motors employees are laid-off.  The United States needs to bring back all those workers and figure out a way to make a better car like the Japanese.  For example, if the United States can go to the moon, there can also be a better car on the market that has better gas mileage.

     Finally, foreign car dealers are becoming richer.  When a foreign car is sold, the foreign car dealers, which are the Japanese, get thousands of dollars in commerse due to the sale.  In this process the foreign car dealers get richer and the United States get poorer.  If there are restrictions on the import of foreign cars in the United States, the foreign car dealers would not be getting richer year after year.

     In conclusion, the three reasons why the United States should restrict the import of foreign car sales in the United States are the millions of dollars lost to foreign car sales, the millions of United States citizens are unemployed, and the foreign car dealers are becoming richer.

If you were made the programming director of a major television network, what changes in programming would you make?  Explain.

     If chosen programming director of a major television network many changes would be implemented for the viewers.  There would be less advertising during the family television hours.  There would be more educational programs for children.  Also, there would be a cut back on the stereotype movies and advertising.

     Perhaps, one of the first changes to be made in the television network is less advertising, during family viewing.  A smaller amount of commercials would definitely give its audience more of the program.  There would be no interruptions every ten minutes between scenes.  Also, a minimum amount of advertising benefits the viewer in which he can get a better understanding of the program.

     In addition, more educational programs would be provided during the children hours.  However, these programs would be presented during the time most children are at home.  They would not have to watch those programs which relay violence.  Children would not have to view the daily soap operas because there would be special educational presentations just for them.  However, some children might not get to see those programs.

     Although, many changes would be made, equally important is the cut back of stereotype movies.  This cut back would eliminate sexist movies on television.  Also, the view would not get ideas such as, the only roles males and females play are sex symbols.  In addition, a female place is in the home.  The male place is outside doing a hard days work.

     Therefore, being a programming director of a major television network many major changes would be made to better television for society.  This would include giving families more viewing time of programs.  The output of more educational programs for children would be implemented.  Another change would be the limited number of stereotype pictures.  These are some changes and practices which would be used to upgrade the programming of television.

Is there a difference between being educated and having a college diploma? Explain.

     There is a difference between an education and a college diploma!  As an associate degree nursing graduate, I learned, that although I had my diploma in hand, and my licensure assured, I still lacked the experience and knowledge necessary to become a skilled nurse.  Throughout the past several years, I have observed that education is a life-long process that cannot end with the attainment of degrees and letters, and specifically that my previous college experience, though challenging and well-planned, was somewhat inadequate.

     Although a definition of education is beyond the scope of this essay, I propose that education includes not only the acquisition of information, but also the wise application of that knowledge.  Although college studies prepared me well for nursing licensure, my education occurred in hospitals and clinics, where I could observe disease processes and provide appropriate intervention for my clients.  Furthermore, I have found that further studies (in-service education seminars, professional journals, and the like) have added to my previous abilities, consequently improving my nursing care.  Originally, courses in allied health fields, such as nutrition, social work, mental-health, management, education, kinesthetics, pharmacology, and psychology were included in course work.  In order to further broaden my abilities, I feel my future education sould include accounting, technical writing, statistics, information and computer sciences, organizational behavior, anthropology and political science, as well as nursing.  In short, I feel that education is a life-long pursuit, not be terminated upon the receipt of a diploma:  in fact, a college education begins with the receipt of a diploma,as we leave the ivy-covered towers and make our way in the professional worlds, where experience and expertise add upon our knowledge.

Choose a profession whose members make a worthwhile contribution to society and discuss the benefits that society receives from members of this profession.

     One necessity of life for living things is food.  Without food people cannot live long.  With today's large population, high costs of production, and low energy supplies much improvement is needed on our present agricultural production systems to meet the needs of the world.  Agricultural researchers are the answer to the problems.  Agricultural researchers make a worthwhile contribution in society in that they are constantly coming up with new and better methods to product the food required by the world.

     Today's food requirements for the world are higher than ever before simply because there are more people than ever before.  While the population grows, the amount of land available for production does not, if anything the amount gets smaller.  More food must be produced on less land.  Agricultural researchers have done much work in this area.  They have developed the practice of triple-cropping, which is producing three crops in one year on the field.  The practice of fertilizing the soil has been developed to provide more nutrients for the crops, and improved feeds that tend to make livestock grow at faster rates have been produced.

     Farmers of today have a real problem in trying to deal with the higher costs of production.  Agricultural researchers have developed methods of crop production where once the crop has been planted you do not need to go back into the field until harvest time.  The main way Ag. researchers have tried to deal with high production costs is by increasing production sharply so that the farmer will recieve more money.

     With all the other problems facing them, agricultural researchers must still work their way around today's dwindling energy supplies.  They have captured the rays of the sun to dry crops and heat livestock facilities.  They have used the wind to power machines such as windmills, which pump water from the ground.  They have invented tractors and machines that are more fuel efficient or run off of alternate forms of fuel.  The work still goes on.

     Agricultural researchers have done much to improve our production methods.  Improvement is a necessity if the world is to survive.  Our old agricultural production practices are a thing of the past, the world's needs can only be met with new and improved methods.  The sky is the limit for agricultural researchers.

Should victims of crime be compensated?  Explain.

     Most victims of crime are innocent.  Some people may be careless in protecting their homes and possessions but no one asks to be the subject of a criminal act.  Criminal victims are put under a certain amount of pressure that could entitle them to some sort of relief.  Although no criminal victim plans his fate, he should be compensated for the physical, social, and mental strains under which he is placed.

     Not every criminal victim faces damage in the bodily sense but nearly every victim is robbed of some tangible object.  If the victim is insured, then he may apply for compensation for his stolen property.  Llyod's of London insures almost any tangible object a person can imagine.  When a woman is raped, she is truly punished in the physical, bodily sense.  She also is robbed of one intangible object which is her privacy.  People under attack are other victims in a physical way.  Compensation should be provided for those who are hurt by a criminal because doctor and hospital bills are an expensive venture for an innocent victim.

     Another strain that is placed on a criminal victim is social pressure.  Often victims are lectured on their carelessness instead of consoled for their trouble.  Police departments are sometimes cold and unfeeling to a victim of crime.  Children may be the subject of ridicule because of their contact with a criminal victim.  Rape victims are punished by society when they fight for justice in the courtroom.  Compensation doesn't always deal with money.  Sympathy and support from the public would surely be welcomed compensation for a victim of crime.

     The greatest strain under which a criminal victim is placed is that of mental pressure.  Every time a person is the subject of a criminal act, his objects that are stolen are priceless making it impossible to replace them.  Some victims suffer loss of memory because they simply want to black out their horrible experience.  Other victims feel insecure in their own homes due to the invasion of that home by a criminal.  Almost definitely, a criminal victim will suffer some sort of mental depression which may lead to a mental breakdown.  Victims of crime should be compensated for the expense of professional help and the loss of their mental capacity.

     Although compensation for every victim of crime is not likely, it is a favorable gesture for the support of criminal victims.  The strains and pressures which face victims of crime can not always be reconciled with money.  Yet, a helping hand and a sympathetic ear is a step toward payment for the innocent victims of crime.

Do you think Americans are obsessed with physical fitness?  Explain.

     It is no secret that the work week for the average American is shortening.  As time spent working diminishes, leisure time increases.  At a loss for something to do with all of this free time, millions of Americans are turning physical fitness into an obsession; using it to fill free time enjoyably, improve physical well-being and even to keep in step with the suddenly fashionable "fitness craze."

     In the first place, physical fitness is fun and there is little else that the average, work-wearied American has on his mind after a long day at the office other than having a little fun.  That little bit of after work fun takes many forms:  communing with nature on a little jog, the thrill of competition that a set of tennis brings, that wonderfully tired feeling after a work-out in the weight room.  There are as many forms of fun as there are people.

     Aside from fun, the medical benefits of physical fitness are also a reason for the fitness obsession of America.  A daily sustaining of the pulse rate of l40 beats per minute for a period of l5 minutes brings about prolonged life, increased sexual stamina and enjoyment and overall improvement in well being which are all attractive benefits to the average American.

     Lastly, physical fitness is "chic."  It is fashionable to casually mention your marathon time at a cocktail party, and to be seen in a Bill Blass jogging outfit.

     Physical fitness has become an obsession in American society, with almost all members of society participating,  The booming business of fitness is evident by the hugh profits turned over by the fitness industry.

Do you think Americans are excessively concerned with staying young?  Explain.

     As a person who is reaching the middle age, I feel I can relate to this so called youth trend.  It bothers me to hear that to feel good about life, I must look young.  The loveliest woman I know is eighty-six years old, looks like a prune, can barely move without assistance, yet she makes me wish I was just her age.  Our bodies can't always look young.  Even today with all the modern medicine, people will still look younger only during their younger years.  Make-up can help and hide those wrinkles, but not forever.  When Cheryl Tiegs, the young beautiful mode, turns fifty, she will still probably be lovely, but she won't be the picture of youth that she is today.

     I think most of us enjoyed our youth.  There comes a time when we should put away childish ideas about forever young.  Youth to me is mostly in the head.  If you feel young inside then you can stay young in your heart.

     Youth was a marvelous time and my memories are very dear, but those memories cannot be compared to the wonderful memories of golden years to come.  I wouldn't turn back for one minute, for I am young at heart and will feel great about myself no matter what age I am.

Would you prefer to rear a family in the city or the country?  Explain why.

     Confirmed city-dwellers cite the cultural advantages of city life, the availability of varied entertainment and shopping and greater choice of jobs.  The man-about-town takes advantage of his opportunities by traveling on public transportation provided by an efficient municipal government.  His home is surrounded by many neighboring houses or flats and he is likely to have his basic shopping needs fulfilled in stores placed strategically close to his neighborhood.  Whether urban or suburban, his life is lived amongst many people and opportunities and he hasn't far to go to enjoy either.  He may wonder how the country fellow fills up his empty days.

     Country folk point out the tranquility, healthfulness, stability and strong family ties engendered by a rural way of life.  The country gentleman enjoys the clean air and pastoral beauty of his surroundings.  He is proud of the self-reliance he and his family must have in order to manage without the services available in the city.  He feels less encumbered by the encroaching bureaucracy of government.  And he has a strong appreciation of neighborliness since he and his neighbor must go to greater effort to spend time with one another.

     Of course few people are as determinedly urban as our man-about-town or as complacently rural as our country gentleman.  The ease with which we see a play or visit a museum in the city is often made frustrating by snarled traffic, crowds of people and sometimes danger.  All cities have problems with crime pollution, traffic and government red-tape because the problems are caused by people.  And rural villages can rarely afford the luxury of a symphony orchestra or art museum because these things cannot be financed by a mere handful of people.

     The family man has his special set of needs whether he lives in the country or the city.  If his occupation permits him to live in either place he may well choose one or the other for the welfare of his children.  Few would argue that their health and safety are not likely to be enhanced by country life.  There is also the less tangible consideration of a childs spiritual needs.  Rural families tend to have strong ties with church and other organizations which promote firm moral principles.  And of course, the necessity of spending more time within the family unit obviates a lessening of external influences.

     Today, the rural family is less far removed from the city.  Television has brought the family closer to world events and to cultures other than its own.  The country youngster is far more likely to visit a city frequently and at least has an opportunity to partake of cosmopolitan delights to a greater extent that did his parents or grandparents.  The family which lives in the country and enjoys the advantages of clean air, safety from crime and strong family and religious influences can make use of the city's resources on occaission without having to endure the frustration and expense of permanent residency.  This is truly enjoying the best of both worlds.

"In spite of advances in scientific knowledge, people are still superstitious."  Agree or disagree.

     We live in a world that is over striving to improve our scientific knowledge.  The advances in the past fifty years alone are incredible.  Despite the scientific nature of our society many people are still very superstitious.

     The athletic world is a prime example of widespread superstition.  Many athletes are superstitious about dress.  A friend of mine, who is a baseball player, feels he cannot face a game if he is not wearing his lucky socks.  Many professional football teams, such as the Dallas Cowboys, prefer to play in their light colored jerseys as opposed to the dark colored ones.  As an avid tennis player I own several racquets but I have a favorite.  If I broke it and were forced to play with another one it would make me a bit nervous.

     Many people are superstitious about certain dates.  On Friday the l3th, many people will not even go out of the house.  On Friday the l3th people avoid walking under ladders and even black cats.  This phobia reaches into other areas as well.  Last week I was in the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Atlanta and I found that there was not a thirteenth floor.  I would not be surprised if this is the case with many tall buildings.  Technology is utilized when buildings such as this are constructed so it doesn't make sense that the thirteenth floor would be different from any other.

     Technological advances reach into other areas, such as meteorology and weather prediction.  Science is able to understand the causes of certain types of weather, but farmers still "pray for rain."  Lightening is just the flow of electrons along ionized paths and thunder is only the noise made by rapidly expanding air due to the heat of the lightning, but some people still think God is angry.  Superstition also plays a part in weather prediction.  If it is sunny on Ground Hog Day, then the ground hog is frightened of this shadow and returns to his hole to brave six more weeks of winter; some folks actually believe that this is a factor.

     Superstition can be observed in almost every aspect of life.  Regardless of the scientific knowledge available some people allow superstition to dictate a part of their lives.

Which is most useful to a college student -- a pick-up truck, a car, or a bicycle?  Explain.

     Of these three things -- a pick-up truck, a car, and a bicycle, a bicycle is most useful to a college student.  A bicycle is most useful in that it is easy to park, inexpensive to operate, and doesn't add to the air pollution.

     If you have ever tried to park your car at this university, it would be clear that a bicycle would be quite useful.  Parking spaces are very few and hard to find.  The other night I drove around two blocks trying to find a decent parking space.  When at last I thought I found one, there was someone's cute little MGB taking a whole parking space.  If I had had a bicycle I could have shared that space.  Even when there's no parking space available outside, a bicycle can be brought inside and parked in the hallway.  Now try doing that with a car or truck.

     Bicycles are not only easy to park, they are inexpensive to operate.  With college costs constantly rising, it is necessary to find areas in which to save money.  Riding a bicycle would save money in the area of transportation.  Gasoline for my car now costs $1.46 a gallon (the price may rise by the time I get home).  The cost of operating a bicycle is minimal.  Air for the tires is free at most service stations and the cost of replacing an inner tube is under five dollars.  You don't have to worry about oil changes, transmission troubles, and other expenses that plague car owners.  All this adds us to great savings for the college student who rides a bike.

     The third reason a bicycle is most useful to college student is that is doesn't add to the air pollution.  We get very excited or enraged when discussing industry's chemical wastes and its effect on the environment, but seldom is mentioned about our auto exhaust fumes.  In a recent meeting on our polluted environment, everyone drove a car (including me).  If we are truly sincere in wanting to clean up the air, riding a bicycle would be the way to do it.  A bicycle has no toxic fumes to pollute the air.

     If given a choice of a truck, a car or a bicycle, a bicycle would be most useful to a college student.  A bicycle is easy to park, inexpensive to operate, and doesn't add to the air pollution.  What more could you ask for?

Should the media be restrained from reporting the projected results of a national election before all polling places have closed?  Explain.

     In the last presidential election, the people of the United States observed a conflict between two of the most basic rights in their constitutional democracy -- a free press and free, fair, and open elections.  A projected winner, Ronald Reagan, was proclaimed by the media before all Americans had finished voting.  Because of serious questions raised by that incident, I feel that the media should be restrained from reporting the projected results of a national election before all polling places have closed.
 
     The last thing we want in our democracy is for discouraged citizens to feel that their votes do not count.  Many Californians expressed such a feeling in the last election when the media, in an attempt to scoop each other, declared a winner before California had finished voting.  If would-be voters think, "well, it's all over anyway," and to not vote, then all of America is not heard.  Having the election winners reported  a few hours later (and, after all, the media "will" get their say) is less important than having as much of the voice of America heard as possible.

     In addition, let's face it, the media have been wrong in election projections in the past.  At least one President has gone to bed thinking, because of media coverage, that he has lost the election, only to awaken and discover he had won.  The media are not infallible.  Also, projections -- however accurate for the votes counted at the time -- can be altered still by people who have yet to vote.  These people deserve that chance.

     Therefore, in order to keep the spirit of our system of government and to keep in balance our many basic rights that sometimes conflict, the media should wait until all of America has voted before declaring an election winner.

Describe the influence that advertising has had on your life and the lives of your friends.  Be as specific as you can.

     The concept of advertising started many years ago in the old country.  I worked for Julio's Coffee Plantation, where the most famous and delicious coffee bean wine was made.  It took my friends and me many hours of bean picking to supply the world with enough of the wine.  In our company, we let our product quality do the advertising.  We never had signs cluttering the countryside or little jingles on the radio goading the public to buy our product.  We continued in this happy way for years, drinking our famous "Julio's Coffee Bean Wine," picking the beans, and visiting the Lucys in the red light houses.

     One morning when I was in the fields picking beans, a wave of fear and and excitement swept across the plantation.  When news finally reached me, I was scared that our lives would be ruined.  It was rumored and later verified that a new wine had come out and had conquered the market with a new thing called advertising.  This threat to our happiness was "Jose's Hopping Wine," produced by Jose's Jumping Bean Plantation.  That night, as I reached my grass hut on the edge of the plantation, the newspapers were already proclaiming that the hopping wine had taken our place as the  most popular wine in the world.  The slogan, "I can tell by the state of your mind, you've been drinking that coffee bean wine; so come on and start to feel fine, just drink Jose's Jumping Bean Wine!"  was soon to run us out of business and put my friends and me out of our cozy huts and onto skid row.

     Advertising has had a devastating effect on my life.  I had to leave the old country and its comfortable ways.  I had to give up catting around on balmy summer nights with my pay burning in my pocket.  Now I'm trying to stay alive in the city.  Instead of sitting around my shack in the old country drinking that fine coffee bean wine, I'm lying in this parking lot drinking sterno.

What accounts for the surge of interest in Western apparel, music, etc?

     "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys."  When Waylon Jennings recorded those words, he probably never dreamed that in a few year's time most mothers would be teaching their children to be cowboys.  The Western revival has struck America like a bolt of lightening, and the sale of cowboy apparel and cowboy records has risen like the flooding rivers after two weeks of rain.  I feel that the renewed interest in the West is due to the changing morals of society, a new feeling of respect for generations past, and the search for a new fad.

     As each new generation grows from adolescence to adulthood, it brings with it new morals and ideals.  A few years ago, people were fighting for free love, drugs, and peace.  Today, some of our morals seem to be taking an old-fashioned turn.  People have begun placing more emphasis on honor, truth, friendship, and pride, all of the things upon which our nation was first built.  Cowboys, especially the ones in white, are the epitome of all that is good, but I feel that our nation is realizing that new morals are not necessarily better ones.

     Along with changing morals is a renewed feeling of respect for our ancestors.  People are no longer ashamed to admit that their great-great-grandfather was an Apache chief who scalped a thousand white men.  Anything dealing with the cowboy era is considered something to be proud of, for, even though scalping was a gruesome act, it was still a part of the lifestyle in which our past generations lived.  We are learning to respect the decisions, both good and bad, of our forefathers, for we might not have lasted as a nation, if they had not made those decisions.

     Perhaps the simplest answer to the entire question of the Western revival lies in the fact that people are always looking for something new.  We have worn bell-bottomed jeans and love beads; we have "punked out" with Blondie and the B-52's; now we are wearing boots, leather vests, and ten-gallon hats while we hum "Happy Trails to You" on our way to class.  I feel that the renewed interest in the cowboy era is a passing fad, and ten years from now we all may be wearing zute-suits and dancing the Charleston on Friday and Saturday nights.

     Whether the Western revival is due to changing morals, renewed respect, or a passing fad, it, nevertheless, is here.  Millions of dollars are spent each day on clothes, horses, records, and movies which bring the days of Buffalo Bill and Tom Horn back to life.  No one can say how long this interest will last, but I feel that of all the fads I have lived through in my life, the cowboy lifestyle has been the moist beneficial to me.  I have truly learned to respect the ways of the past, and I am very proud to say that my great-great-grandfather was indeed an Indian chief.

Analyze the qualifications in a person who wishes to be a leader.

     Marlene Rubenstein would lose a beauty contest to an army boot.  With her flat nose and thick glasses, she was the ugliest member of my highschool class, including the goat used as team mascot.  But Marlene was chosen president during her sophomore, junior, and senior years; and in college she led student government for three years.  Marlene's success is not a mystery:  she wins because she possesses the qualities of a good leader.  Although many qualities contribute to leadership, Marlene's major assets are her ability to accept responsibility and her resourcefulness.

     Accepting responsibility means being able to carry a project through to completion.  In the tenth grade, Harvey Williams, the boy in charge of the Sophomore Class Float, had an appendectomy.  Marlene took over as float chairman.  She organized two teams of workers to build frames after school and divided the whole class into three groups who took turns on weekends.  We completed the float four days ahead of schedule and had plenty of time to make changes in the final form.  As a result we won First Place.  What I didn't know at the time was that Marlene had promised Mr. Stevens, the chemistry teacher, that she would build a Vandegraf generator for the science fair.  I later discovered that Marlene got up each morning at 6:00 to work on her science project.  Needless to say, she also won first place in the fair competition.
 
     In addition to accepting responsibility and completing the obligations required, Marlene could always be counted on to solve problems through her resourcefulness.  For example, when the paper mache walls on our tenth grade float fell over, Marlene had us dip pillow cases in wet flour and hang them on ropes stretched horizontally between the wooden pillars.  This gave us a perfect textured wall!  Just before the parade, we discovered a flat tire on the float wagon.  Marlene immediately turned a wheelbarrow upside down as a fulcrum and had three boys use an extra four by four as a Jack while two of the others quickly changed tires!  Marlene's resourcefulness, like her willingness to accept responsibility, made us respect her and want her as a leader.  It is not surprising that Marlene is now running for the U.S. Senate.

In what ways has the availability of fast food restaurants affected your eating habits?  Explain.

     The availability of fast food restaurants has greatly affected my eating habits.  It has changed me from a peaceful, mild-mannered carrot-cruncher into a slavering, wild-eyed Big Mac Attacker.  My once inviolable three-squares-a-day-no-snacks routine has now gone by the wayside, and my self-control and iron will has been considerably eroded.

     There once was a time when the words "jelly doughnut," "cheeseburger all the way," and "hot apple pie" held no particular meaning for me.  I could cruise past billboards and listen to radio advertisements, and feel nary a twinge of junk food lust.  Not anymore.  As the avalanche of advertising grew, and finally overwhelmed me, I gave in.  I pulled into a fast food chain one afternoon after being driven berserk by a succession of hot-to-go billboards, and discovered the joys of pigging out.  No more napkins!  It's all hands and mouth now -- a disgusting, degrading spectacle.

     Back before my present state of debauchery, I maintained a strict vegetarian diet of three carrots every four hours.  I did this religiously, never missing a day, never allowing myself to fall prey to Betty Crocker and Dunkin' Doughnuts.  That's all changed now.  I eat anything, anywhere, at any time.  The entire world may be snuggling away in its bed -- I'll be out in hot pursuit of a Burrito Sumpreme.  While my friends are all out bar-hopping and yukking it up, I'll be out crusing for the perfect pan pizza.

     Perhaps the worst damage I've suffered has been done to my once rigid self-control.  I used to be a discriminating sort.  If a good product swam in grease, or seemed poised for attack, I always made sure to keep careful distance between it and myself.  Now everything looks edible, plants, artwork, 12 day old zucchini casserole, inanimate objects -- everything.

     The availability of fast food restaurants had had a very negative affect on my eating habits.  It has changed my once carefully composed and austere demeanor to that of a crazed, unkempt slob, and has caused me to lost my ability to discipline myself entirely.

Should college students be required to take physical education courses?  Why or why not?

     For the average college student, formal physical education courses may prove to be too much of a good thing.  Oh no, I'm not knocking physical fitness, but for sheer physical endurance both required and acquired, consider one day in the life of a commuting college student -- me.

     Rolling out of bed is my first warm-up exercise.  At the breakfast table, I "exercise" great restraint -- no butter, dry toast.  I stretch my imagination as I creatively pair yet another T-shirt with my old reliable jeans.  Having given my teeth a brush and a promise, I leap into my Honda Civic and race to the Kiss-Ride parking lot.  With amazing dexterity I run up a down escalator, fingers clutching a moist little pile of coins.  With incredible manual dexterity I manage to exert sufficient force to more the turnstile one notch.  With moments to spare, I leap onto the platform, and from there into the train.  Once in my seat, the now demure Pavolva, I enjoy my ten minute break.

     The trip from train into classroom is much to same -- same muscles, same exercises, same inherent obstacles.  The classroom, however, offers exercise of a different sort.  There are certain core curriculum courses which, if allowed the full power of their existence, will bore one to extinction.  One must exercise great restraint in such a situation.  Then, of course, we have the intense isotonic exercise for the buttocks of sitting on them, relieved only by the occasional squirm for a two hour lecture on "The Curiously Erotic Art of Chinese Footbinding."  (I love these new ethnic studies!)  And no class would be complete without having to cope with a full bladder and an absolute necessity to take furious and copious notes.  My sphincter muscle has acquired a tone here-to-fore only written up in the medical literature.

     I now have only to sprint back to the transit station to qualify for a Presidential Sports Award.  Woe be unto the unsuspecting mugger who attempts to mug my mug, for I am poised, ready and aware.  My bulging eyeballs rotate quickly in a muscular peripheral sweep of the station.  Anyone who dares to monkey with my inner city paranoia risks a sound thrashing.  I don't usually brag, but my umbrella thwack got me to the Olympic trials.  Test me if you dare.

     So, you see, physical fitness is already inherent in the commuting college student.  From home to train to class and back again, a person must be in shape.  I've got the biceps to prove it.