Sean Blanda begins his essay, “The ‘Other Side’ is Not Dumb” by defining “false consensus bias.” Explain what this concept is, and give an example from your own life or experience or observation that you think demonstrates this bias. How did you overcome it or could you?
Writer danah boyd argues that, rather than becoming a more diverse nation, the United States is becoming a nation of self-contained identity groups. What evidence does she provide to support her argument in her essay, “Why America is Self-Segregating”? In what ways does your own experience support or challenge boyd’s view?
Self-segregation in college life is a topci on the minds of other writers, too. Go to theysayiblog.com and search for Conor Friedersdorf. Read his essay on elitism in college dorms. What does he say about them? What experiences in your own life reveal that what he says is true?
In Barack Obama’s speech, he tells Howard University students that we’ve got plenty of work to do, but things are better than they used to be . What evidence does he provide to support his claim? What do you think about the work yet to do, from your own experience?