Page 1132 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

2. Prospective employers have been known to search for job
candidates on social networking sites to help finalize a decision

about hiring. By the same token, employees have been fired for

inappropriate content or for posts disparaging an employer. Do

you believe employers are within their rights to do these things?

Topics for Writing

Journal Entry or Small Scrawl: Your Social Network

Do you have an account on a social networking site? What kinds of

things do you post there? What information would you think twice

about posting? Why?

Essay 1: One Libation from Graduation

The article mentions Stacy Snyder, who was denied a teaching

degree because of a photo posted on her MySpace page. The photo

showed the then 25-year-old at a Halloween party wearing a pirate hat

and drinking from a plastic cup. The cup’s contents were not visible,

but the photo was labeled “Drunken Pirate.” Despite the student’s
good grades and performance reviews, the college denied her a

teaching degree on the grounds that she lacked professionalism, and

awarded her a degree in English instead. She sued the college for her

teaching degree and lost. Do you think the college was justified in its

decision not to award her an education degree? Write an essay

explaining why or why not.

Essay 2: Advantages or Disadvantages of a Social Network