Pick something supernatural or a conspiracy theory or an urban legend and argue it is r

Some students have expressed concern to me about this assignment in previous years, so
let’s look at those concerns.
1. “I don’t believe in this stuff. It’s stupid.”
No one is asking you to believe anything, and nothing is stupid. Pick something that you
are interested in learning more about, something that has piqued your curiosity, or
something that you already have an interest in. You can argue without having to be
personally invested and no one is going to judge you and think, “Oh, what a nutjob! She
believes that garbage!” It can be fun learning about something different and unusual.
There are tons of weird things happening in the world around us today, so don’t be afraid
to investigate some of it.
And here’s something else to consider: I don’t believe in this stuff. I find it fascinating.
I keep an open mind and I like to learn about stuff, particularly about stuff that doesn’t
have a clear-cut answer. As a fan of learning, this is something that is an interesting
challenge. Just ask Mulder.
2. “I’m offended. This is evil and it goes against my religion.”
No one is asking you to go against your religion. You can pick any topic you want that
fits these criteria. Conspiracy theories are pretty safe. They are usually about lies and
politics. Some of the stuff that fits under supernatural can be spiritual in nature. As long
as you do not turn it into a paper that preaches your religion, you may do that. This is a
fact driven paper, and while everyone thinks their religion is the only 100% factual
religion, that’s not true. Everyone has their own beliefs. Stick to facts that can be
proven, if you are talking supernatural, religious, or whatever else.
3. “This is crazy. I can’t prove this is real.”
Some people have a severe allergy to sunlight/vitamin D. They are exceptionally pale
because of this and they can burn severely in the light and, in some radical cases that
have been recorded over the years, even catch fire. Because of drastic iron deficiencies,
they have been known to crave blood. In fact, there are extreme medical cases where
pregnant women, for example, have been known to crave blood (iron), dirt (salt &
potassium). These same people might even have an allergic aversion to silver. If I lived
Back In The Day, I might call them a vampire and bury them with a stake in their mouths
(National Geographic discovered these graves), but today, I know better. Elizabeth
Bathory bathed off the blood of the virgins in her kingdom, and when she ran out of
them, she took them from neighboring kingdoms. She bathed in it, drank it, and gave herself facials—not unlike Kim Kardashian (who famously does blood facials). Bathory
knew then what we know now: collagen, stem cells, and antioxidants in blood help one to
appear younger looking. While Vlad the Impaler is the most famous “vampire” thanks to
Dracula, but he wasn’t the only one that history records. I just proved vampires are real,
but I’m not breaking out my old Team Edward t-shirt just yet.

4. “I’m scared. I read about this stuff and I can’t go to bed now.”
Don’t research after dark. And don’t do it alone. I’ve had so many people tell me about
their nightmares. Plus, I will admit…one girl wrote a paper about the boogy man and
now I can’t sleep with my feet hanging off the edge of the bed. I’m rather tall, so my feet
easily go off the edge—then I jerk them back up just in case.