Topic Proposal- Policy Paper

Anabolic Steroids in Sports



On the topic of Anabolic Steroids I will take a global approach and offer a broad plan to solve this major social problem that affects the entire sports community. To do this I will use a policy argument to answer the question of whether or not steroids should be allowed in sports.
The problem is athletes using Anabolic Steroids to gain an advantage over competition in sporting events. Many of the users are professional athletes where the sport is their career. The use is not as rampant in amateur and school sports. Pro steroid activists argue that in many cases using steroids is a business decision for the professional athletes and they are simply trying to reach their full athletic potential. Those against steroid use see it as cheating the game and acknowledge the serious side effects involved.
Steroids have been banned from sporting events and those caught using are given serious and legal consequences. The drugs are not only banned from sports, but they are considered an illegal substance and if caught by legal officials it is treated as any other drug violation. The solution to keeping steroids out of sports is a regular and consistent drug tests that are monitored and cheat proof. In the past, athletes have been able to trick the test into mistaking the synthetic steroids for those naturally produced by the male body. Chemists have come up with ways to detect the difference between synthetic and natural and whether the use is long term or stopped shortly before the test is administered. If sports associations would make such testing mandatory before and during training prior to the start of the season, the drug use would greatly drop. As a culture we need to reduce the appeal for better and better performance also.
Many young and older athletes alike are putting themselves at great risk by using these performance enhancing drugs. More advertising for the dramatic and serious side effects needs to be done to let these athletes know what they are doing to their bodies. These men and women are putting themselves at great risk down the road for the short lived benefits of muscle mass increase and strength in their desired fields.
This paper is based on the medical viewpoint and the viewpoint of saving the integrity of sporting events. It will be taken from the perspective of those against the use of the drugs for sporting and mainly health reasons. I will be able to use my medical journal sources and the editorials against the use of Anabolic Steroids.

in class writing

1.Over the course of my research for my topic on steroids in sports, I found that the counter arguments in favor of the use of the drug were somewhat compelling. The authors made good points about how we as a culture take drugs to alter and perfect our bodies and we should be able to do so in sports. The use of steroids lets an athlete know what his/her full potential in the sport could be. By the end of my research I found myself agreeing with this logic and wondering why we would not let such athletes use the performance enhancers to increase their strength. If we allowed the drugs the athletes would not have to hide the use of the drugs and a safer more hygenic application might take place. If doctors could control the substance use and monitor the athletes to make sure no dangerous ingestion takes place.
3.There are time limits associated with meal plans. There are a few hours in the morning that you can get breakfast, a few in the early afternoon for lunch, and then the rest until around 11 for dinner. The ability to get dinner late is great, but the cut off hours for lunch are way too early. My First class is at 12:30 and most days I do not wake up until right before class leaving me unable to get lunch before class starts. My schedule is back to back, most days I am in class until 7:30 at night. This means I completely miss lunch and am only able to eat one meal a day. Some may think its odd, but If I wake up at 12 I do not want to eat lunch until around 5 and then dinner at around 10. The meal plan makes it difficult for me to eat when I'm hungry. I think that the campus should allow you to eat your meals whenever you want to eat them, not when they think you should eat. Also, if you want to eat 9 meals a day you should be allowed to do so. It's your meal plan and you should be able to eat whenever and as often as you like. At the end of the week I have 6 or 7 meals left over, that simply go to waste. A new policy of meal plans used at anytime should go into effect to make things easier on students with a tight schedule.

SWA #11

The articles that would have more credibility are those that are written by writers from The State. The others are merely letters to the editor, which provide a good sample of the reader's perspective and the opinions of the community, they do not offer credible information. You can measure the credibility of an article by the information given. Without going and fact checking the article, usually facts given are good indication of a credible source. This shows that the author took the time to find out information about the topic and write it down. You can tell opinions from facts pretty easily in an article. An article of just opinions is a good alternative view on an issue, but it can not add anything to an argument other than another view. Less credible articles can be used in a research paper to add an alternative perspective. This gives the reader different viewpoints that are essential to showing all sides to an issue. If you only show one side to an argument it is biased and the reader can not make a true decision on an issue if they do not have anything to compare the argument to.

In class writing

1.I found that the first editorial," Columbia Council Should Support Mission, Homeless," to be the most rhetorically effective piece. The exigence of the piece is the immediate need to address the issues present for the homeless person and attempt to help them. The article approaches many constraints of readers in the way it touches on all sides of the topic. The author touches on the points of needing to expand the mission for the homeless and the effects the surrounding community feels such an expansion will cause.

SWA # 10

All three editorials are an oral argument for the move of the Oliver Gospel Mission to its proposed location. The first piece supports the move of the mission and urges the addressing of the homeless in Columbia. The second piece also addresses the mission's request to move to a new location and the Bantu relocation. The third piece is about the organization, Four Corners of Hope and their involvment in the move of the mission. These differences in argument allow for differences of constraints among readers. The similarities constitute the exigence of the arguments.

SWA#9

In today’s society the word “retarded” has become “hate speech” according to Gail Williamson. It is no longer used to describe someone who is simply mentally disabled, but is used to describe something or someone a person does not like. This has given the word a derogatory meaning and can no longer be used to describe the mentally disabled because it will appear as though we are talking negatively about them. When someone uses a cuss word it is immediately known as bad speech, the word “retarded” should be added to those known unspeakable words because it has no positive connotations to it.

To retard something is to slow it down. It has been used in association with the mentally disabled and is accurately done so. Many people use it in the wrong context, but it is by no means “hate speech.” Every time you turn around another word must be added to a list that we are not to say because someone said it in a negative way. If we are to remove a word from our vocabulary every time someone says something that offends someone then we will have almost no words left. It is illogical to try and ban words just because a small number of people are offended.

Exploratory analysis

Barbie is a controversial toy, many think that the doll creates a stereotype for which many girls try to fit into resulting in poor body image and self conscious behavior. The intended audience is anyone who played with Barbie Dolls growing up or those that feel that the dolls reflect a bad image. The author is a young women who herself played with the Barbie Dolls, but later found them to be in bad taste. One of the constraints of the argument is the bias a reader may already have for or agaisnt the toy. Tradition is another large factor in this piece, the doll and its controversy have been around for decades, making it hard to sway a decision after all the publicity it has already gotten. It is a reoccuring debate between feminists and Barbie enthusiasts. The different positions of the argument are those that are for Barbie, those agaisnt Barbie, and those that are in the middle, neither loving nor hating the idea of the doll. Those that are for Barbie are those that seemingly grew up playing with and loving the doll. They are insistant that the doll urges imagination. Those against Barbie argue that she offers a body type that can never be achieved and her image centers around materials and not on education or individuality. There are those that are in the middle that see both positive and negative qualities associated with the doll. The author seems to favor the moderate position, stating that she played with the doll as a young child, but as an adult was concerned with the feminist side and did not like what Barbie stood for.

in class writing

During the process of writing up my annotated bibliography, I found it amazing how long steroids have been used in sports. Also, the amount of secrecy involved with the hiding of participating in such enhancement for sports. There were many articles stating that if we did not allow steroids then athletes would miss out on the effects their enhanced bodies could have on a sport. They even compared steroids to memory drugs and without them we would never know the athletes full potential. I have always heard negative things when it comes to steroids so it was very interesting to read a much different take on the drug.

Annotated Bibliography

Laura Papps
English 102-061
March 2, 2009
Annotated Bibliography


Cawley, Adam, et al. “Catching the Cheats: Advances in the Detection of Endogenous
Steroid Abuse in Sport.” Chemistry in Australia. 1March 2009.
http://raci.org.au/chemaust/docs/pdf/2006/CiAmarch2006p3.pdf.
Cawley’s study of a subject’s urine to determine a doping violation provides a scientific backup of the effects of steroids on the body. The report includes charts and equations to support the results. This laboratory is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The article is objective, providing all the carbon isotope ratio statistics. These laboratories require ways of analyzing so that the androgynous steroid stands apart from the other synthetics in the urine. The article showed the chemical breakdown of the steroid and how it affects the body. This information is important to the medical aspect of steroids in sports.


“A Sporting Chance.” Academic Journal Language. 2 August 2008. Pyschology and Behavorial Sciences Collection. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia,
SC. 1 March 2009.
http://wfxsearch.webfeat.org/wfsearch?cid=11039#wf_ebscoxml_pbh.
The article is not objective, but seems to be an opinion piece. The piece interests those that think steroids should be allowed in sports and those athletes will only benefit from them. The author wants the reader to find that steroids can only enhance our bodies. If the public could take the risks with the benefits then they would agree with steroids in sports. I think the author over generalizes the risks associated with using performance enhancing drugs. This article will be a good alternate view point to the steroid argument.


Graham, Michael R., et al. “Anabolic Steroid Use.” Sports Medicine. (2008.)
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia,
SC. 1 March 2009.
http://wfxsearch.webfeat.org/wfsearch?cid=11039#wf_ebscoxml_pbh.
This source provides an objective look into the history, methods, and detection of anabolic steroids. This article gives medical proof in favor of discontinuing the drug use. Also, ways to detect such usage in the body are given. This article is a credible source to promote anti-steroid campaigns. It will benefit my main position against the use of anabolic steroids in sports.


Fornari, Victor, et al. “Can Steroid Use be a Precipitant in the Development of an Eating
Disorder?” International Journal of Eating Disorders. July 2001. Pyschology and
Behavorial Sciences Collection. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia, SC.
1 March 2009. http://www.web.ebscohost.compallas2.td.sc.edu/ehost/pdf?.
This article provides an objective view to a side of steroids not commonly looked at. This addresses any young adults that may be taking the drugs and are not aware of the abstract side effects. Weight gain is a common side effect of the drug, but an eating disorder may also develop. This article brought up a new perspective not found on any other source. It will help in facilitating different points in a position.


Quinn, Elizabeth. “Steroid Use Continues Despite Health Risks to Athletes.” About.com:

Sports Medicine. 21 August 2008. 24 February 2009.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/performanceenhancingdrugs/a/AnabolicSteroi

d.htm>.


This source is an objective article on what steroids are, how they work, and some commonly used types. This is directed to anyone who wants an unbiased view on steroids. I leaned the many effects of steroid abuse in this article. The information will enhance the claim on the drastic effects steroids can have.


Katz, Jeffrey. “Should We Accept Steroid Use in Sports?” NPR. 23 January 2008.
24 February 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18299098.
This source is against the drug use and gives examples of athletes who have taken them. This addresses anyone in sports or those interested in sports. Debates over the topic were held between six experts, which are listed in the article. It includes those that are for and against accepting performance enhancing drugs in sports. This article provides the credibility from experts needed to back up a position.


“History of Anabolic Steroid.” Anabolic Steroid Guide. 24 February 2009.
< http://www.anabolicsteroidsguide.com/history-of-anabolic-steroid.html>.
This source provides a history of anabolic steroids from the view of a group that is for the drug. The article gives history such as athletes in ancient Greece using steroids. This seems to point to the group using this fact to give the drug credibility. Also, on this site is a link to buy such performance enhancing drugs. This is an addition to the position for the usage of the drug.


“Anabolic Steroids.” Espn.com:Drugs and Sports. 6 September 2008. 24 February 2009.
< http://www.espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html>.

This source gives objective evidence of the hazardous effects of steroid abuse. A description of steroids and their uses is followed by a list of side effects. Also, the conclusion that they are indeed addictive is detailed. This source will be useful because the idea that the drug is addictive was not found in any other source.

Topic Proposal

Laura Papps
Topic Proposal

Anabolic Steroids: Roid Rage or an Advantage?
Steroids may have short term effects on enhancing performance in sports events, but the long term effects may be toxic. There are lists of the side effects of the drugs some that are permanent and non treatable. Do the short term benefits of such drugs really make up for the lasting ailments that may occur? Over the past year some professional athletes have come under the spot light for the mistreatment of such performance enhancing drugs. The punishments have been severe, not to mention the backlashes that are secretly occurring in the bodies of such athletes. Those interested in this topic include athletes of any sport and anybody interested in competitive sports. Some of the arguments against such drugs include doctors and medical researchers. Those for it obviously include athletes wanting to increase ability and strength and give them an upper hand on the competition.
My paper will look at three different positions on anabolic steroids. The first position is that of a medical view. This includes the side effects and the detection of such drugs in the body. Another position is the ethical stand point. Are anabolic steroids ethical in sports? Should they be allowed? The third and final position is that of the athlete and those for the use of the drug. What are the advantages? What is the temptation to use such a product?
Many people are involved in sports, if not participating, simply fans. We have seen the athletes in the news and in the games. This paper will look at the different viewpoints on the drug and the pros and cons to allowing it in professional and amateur sport events.

SWA #7

1. Library subscription databases can specialized to certain areas of information. Some of them can have information from decades back on your topic. The world wide web has a multitude of information and sites, but not all of them are credible, quality sources.
2. A bibliography is the arranged list of sources related to your issue that are listed alphabetically. An annotated bibliography simply adds summaries and written evaluations to the list of sources. The summaries on the sources can be later used in the paper.
3. A source credibility can be evaluated by noting if the source is associated with an organization that is recognized in the field you are reseaching, if it is duplicated in print, the currency of the source, and is it accessed by a large number of people.
4. A plan of your research will make it easier to write your paper later.
5."Plagiarism is the dishonorable act of passing someone else's words off as your own." Be sure to put quotations on all quotes and cite the authors.