This is essay topic B for admission to Texas State University.
Choose an issue of importance to you - the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.
my main concern is if i answered the prompt and is it to long??? but any other suggestions or editing advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
Zane L. Blount
Texas State University
Topic B
December 11, 2012
In 2010, the city of Diboll began construction on a new intermediate and elementary school right down the street from Diboll High School. In the spring of 2012, students began attending these state of the art schools; this left the former Temple Elementary school abandoned on the other side of the city. I believe that the community of Diboll would be greatly assisted from the construction of a recreational activity center in place of the vacated Temple Elementary school.
The city of Diboll should build a recreational activity center because the facility would include several benefits like the encouraged health of citizens. In the Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, Dr. Randall Rosenberger's academic article states "Physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity are growing national concerns owing to their associations with chronic diseases and overall well-being. Parks and recreation ... play a pivotal role in addressing these public health issues by providing the public with infrastructure that enables ... physical activity."With only Old Orchard Park, Diboll is not addressing the health issues mentioned by Dr. Rosenberger at full force. In order to encourage the overall health and general well being of the citizens, Diboll needs to provide a facility that enables them to combat obesity, heart disease, and several other physical inactivity related illnesses. This facility would play a key role in the communities' health. Being an overweight kid my entire life has not been easy for me. If I would have had a recreational activity center at my disposal, I think that I would be much healthier than I am now.
Another benefit from having the city of Diboll build a recreational facility is the creation of jobs through construction and maintenance. There are several job additions that Diboll should take into consideration that will accompany the recreational facility, which will give many unemployed citizens the opportunity to return to the workforce. There will also be numerous construction workers that will be involved in the construction of this new recreational facility. In the book, Opportunities in Recreation and Leisure Careers, authors Clayne Jensen and Jay H. Naylor say, "Leisure occupations are among the most rapidly growing vocations in America. The recreation industry has been and is currently preparing for a leisure-oriented society. The field of recreational leadership has become a well-established profession. Consequently, there has been an upsurge in career opportunities and career preparation programs in leisure-related fields." Because leisure occupations are one of the fastest growing careers, the city of Diboll (along with surrounding areas) should give their unemployed citizens a chance to have an illustrious career working for the new Diboll recreational facility. With a new recreation center being constructed over the former Temple Elementary school, many citizens who have graduated from college and are great at understanding and meeting people's needs will absolutely be able to obtain a stable career.
An additional reason why the city of Diboll should construct a recreational facility is because the facility would have a profound effect on the promotion of volunteering. Not only does the city of Diboll need to help the promotion of volunteering, but the citizens of Diboll need to find a way to actually volunteer as well. Volunteering is a very important aspect of having a superior community and city, but it saddens me to say that volunteering is a serious non-factor in Diboll. Martha L. Barnes and Erin K. Sharpe affirm, "In an era of declining volunteerism it is critical to examine alternative approaches to volunteer management that may better promote engagement and address common barriers to volunteering... Within the human services, the field of parks and recreation has long been heavily dependent on voluntary support." The recreation center in Diboll will be a great alternative to the normal volunteer work, which will help break down the common barriers between volunteerism and citizens stated by Barnes and Sharpe. However, In order for the recreational facility to be a great volunteer outlet, the citizens of Diboll must find an activity that they could assist with at the recreation center. Martha L. Barnes and Erin K. Sharpe go on to say, "Among the volunteers we spoke to, it was clear that their decision to become and remain volunteers was tied to the ability of the volunteer to integrate the work in the park with their personal lives, interests, and vocations. In terms of personal life integration, most volunteers had already been connected to the park, mainly as a visitor or user, prior to becoming more actively involved as a volunteer." The citizens of Diboll could use something that they love to do in order to choose a volunteer subject. For instance, if a certain individual in the city of Diboll considers him or her self an extraordinary chef, maybe this person could volunteer to instruct a class on how to prepare fine cuisine from the comfort of home.
With the numerous benefits Diboll would gain from building a recreational facility, one must ask themselves why the city of Diboll has chosen not to. I understand that the Temple Elementary school has been around for years, but now that it has been abandoned, there is absolutely no reason why it should remain standing in the way of a modern recreational facility. I also realize the financial aspect of building this new facility might be concerning, but what this recreational facility will give back to the community will be priceless.
Works Cited
Randall S., Rosenberger, Bergerson Terry R., and Kline Jeffrey D. "Macro-Linkages Between Health and Outdoor Recreation: The Role of Parks and Recreation Providers." Journal of Park & Recreation Administration 27.3 (2009): 8-20. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.
Naylor, Jay H., and Clayne Jensen. Opportunities in Recreation and Leisure Careers. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. 1 Dec. 2012.
Barnes, Martha L., and Erin K. Sharpe. "Looking Beyond Traditional Volunteer Management: A Case Study Of An Alternative Approach To Volunteer Engagement In Parks And Recreation." Voluntas: International Journal Of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations 20.2 (2009): 169-187. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.
is the works cited page necessary?
Hello Zane,
firstly, i want to say it took me about 10 minutes to read the whole essay. It really is too long and very, very off-the-mark. I still have no idea how the building of the recreational centre affects you personally. There is no personal involvement in the essay and i'm also not sure the topic itself is very important. I mean, in possibly 18-20 years of your life, the building of a recreational centre is the issue of importance of your life? i'm sure there are more important things which come to mind. I am applying to Texas too and for this essay, i wrote about the state of poverty in my hometown which inspired me to pursue a degree. The issue has to be much more focused. This is not a case-study to convince the government of Diboll to build a facility, this is an essay you're writing to a university to convince them why you're worthy of a place in their university. I also felt you need to be more creative in your writing. I'm sorry if i sounded too critical. I am only being honest.
Good luck for your application!
Mitri
