Sample Prospectus #2
[My annotations are in blue]
Your Name
English 100 (Online) – the course name
Ticket #8142
Date
Prospectus – Identify the assignment
Ecstasy and Teenagers
1. Define Problem: John use to be an intelligent, talkative, outgoing young man. He was doing very well in his first two years of college, and then slowly he just began to withdraw from school completely. He use to call his friends all the time to go out, and he was a lively energetic person who loved to experience each day to its fullest. He had dreams and aspirations of graduating college with a degree in business. Presently, John doesn't attend school anymore. He doesn't talk to any of his old friends, and he doesn't experience each day to its fullest anymore. He is not the same person he use to be and he probably will never be again. What has happened to him is the result of the drug called ecstasy otherwise known as MDMA, which stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
This all happened when John was first introduced into the "rave" scene. Raves are like never-ending parties that last anywhere from 5 hours to 12 hours, sometimes even longer. Raves can be found in just about all locations across the county and is attended by large numbers of youth, sometimes up to 20,000 people. When John attended his first rave with some of his friends, the mysterious atmosphere and all it had to offer enthralled him. It was by far the most exciting thing he had ever experienced. The atmosphere was confusing, dark, and mysterious. It was full of life, fun, pleasure, and thousands of people his age. The colorful hypnotizing lights flew across the walls and ceilings blurring his vision with every glance. People were dancing to the entrancing music, holding on to one another, and having the time of their lives. A few aspects that attract people to raves are the hypnotic electronic music, meeting new people, having fun, and the liberal use of ecstasy. When John started going to raves, he eventually began taking ecstasy. Soon, he became addicted to both ecstasy and the raves and had the urge to start going every week. The dosage of pills he took slowly increased from one pill a month, to six pills a week. Eventually, his personality changed and it became hard for him to concentrate on work, school, and things in general. It got to the point where he slept all day and partied all night. He didn't care about his life, school or aspirations anymore; all he cared about was the raves, his "raver" friends, and ecstasy.
Ecstasy is one of the most popular fastest growing drugs in America today. It is easily accessible to teenagers and has grown to be very common among them. The hypnotizing effects it produces causes many to become easily addicted to the drug. There have also been many rave related deaths as the result of ecstasy. The University of Psychiatry is Zurich, Switzerland, has done research that shows that ecstasy releases dopamine and other chemicals into the system, and causes the feelings of "good moods" and emotional excitation. There have also been studies from the Human Neurological Pathology Laboratory in Toronto, Canada, which show that levels of seratonin and ketamine were decreased by 50-80% in the brain, which is responsible for much of the brain's memory. John is one out of many teens that is experiencing this growing social problem.
2. Solution: Enforce the law on ecstasy and illegal raves. I believe there should be more enforcement on both of these dangers. The government should put more effort into investigating these illegal raves and shutting them down. They should send out young undercover law enforcement agents to these raves to crack down on ecstasy dealers and the people that put up these raves. I've attended one of these raves myself and I find that you can purchase ecstasy as easily as if it were candy no matter how old you are. There should be a heavy violation for not only selling ecstasy but also selling it to a minor. There should also be a heavy violation on people who produce the raves. Raves usually have limited security and are an extreme danger to our society and young people. One of the many dangers of ecstasy is that it is easily manufactured in many small household laboratories which is produced and sold at pennies on the dollar. I suggest that parents and physicians also do something by achieving a better understanding of this drug in order to effectively counsel and treat young teens. The government should sit up and take notice at how ecstasy is taking over the lives and minds of many of the young people of America.
3. Audience: The audience for this proposal would be mostly the government, parents of young teens, and also teenagers themselves and the public at large.
4. Rhetorical Strategy: Consequence: This proposal's intention is to make it known to both the government and interested parties about the fast spreading drug that is slowly taking the lives of teens today. There should be more enforcement and interest in this matter because this drug seems to be overlooked and is very harmful to our society. We cannot let ecstasy and raves take over the lives of these young people. The damages are permanent and this problem will keep on persisting if nothing is done.
5. Areas of Research: Areas of research will include: Medical Journals, Medical Online Archives, Internet, Newspapers, Magazines, and interviews and personal experiences from underground party-goers, plus eye-witness accounts from raves where ecstasy is prevalent.
6. Provisional Objective: The intention of this proposal is to inform not only the government, but also interested parties such as parents and teens about the harmful effects of ecstasy and how it can take over your mind and life. Very little seems to have been done about this growing problem and something has to be done right away. The government needs to take notice and see what is going on. Parents also need to learn more about this drug and raves in order to be able to inform their children on its harmful effects. Finally, if the government puts more enforcement on ecstasy, then there is hope for the growth of the young people of America.
Updated: 11 August 2009