As you read the range of texts in our course, please consider how the author tells their story (style) and what it is they say (content). Comment on both of these aspects. If you're stuck, respond to the "Reflecting on What You Have Read" section at the end of each reading.
Chapter 3: No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle
ReplyDeleteReflecting on What You Have Read:
1. By starting of the story giving a clear, brief interview of Jeff Martinelli's life struggles it sets the stage for the rest of the prompt. From these short two paragraphs alone the reader can already get a grasp on the everyday hardships this character has to deal with. Starting the story in this manner if effective because, it draws the reader in, making them wonder how exactly the character wound up in this situation. The other benefit to starting with two short paragraphs is the ability to switch subjects rather quickly, while still keeping the second paragraph relevant to the first one.
2. By including the quotations from previous workers the author is able to prove his credibility. A source always appears to be more valuable when a personal experience comes from it. Another benefit to using the quotations, is demonstrating how real the issue actually is. The quotes featured allow the author to demonstrate the real pain and frustration these workers experience that he may not have otherwise been able to express in his own words.
4. Looking at the image, it is clear that it is a bitter moment for the worker. Martinelli is not exactly proud of the position he is in right now, especially after being downgraded from his initial factory job. However, Martinelli understands that in order to get by he will have to do whatever it takes, and that is exactly what the photo is demonstrating, frustration along with compliance because those are the only options he has.
Chapter 2 – Ahmed, from the Blog of War
ReplyDelete1. Sergeant Michael establishes himself as a typical American soldier by describing what he is doing and how he is feeling. In the first paragraph, he says that he is guarding the entrance of the FOB on the top of a tank with another soldier, Thomas. He continues by saying how the hours seemed endless, how they are both exhausted, and secretly wishing for a reason to use their guns. He seems to be in a state of boredom a lot and dreams about picking up his gun and getting into the action. For example, he states “I was beginning to think that a firefight would be a welcome intrusion into my otherwise peaceful, boring day.”
2. Sergeant Michael tries to help readers experience what it’s like to be in a situation they have likely never been in by using phrases like “out of nowhere” and “like angels sent from heaven”. He also expresses his thoughts by putting many of his questions in italics to make the reader question the same thing, such as “What did they want?” and he vividly describes the boys actions and facial expressions, such as “He looked right back at me with a smile still on his face.” I think Sergeant Michael succeeds in trying to help the reader experience his situation because he used a lot of description, but it is hard to feel the same way he did since we were not there to experience it. Experiences like Sergeant Michael’s almost need to be seen in person to fully understand how he felt and what he went through.
3. The impression I get from the images that accompany the blog are exactly what I would picture when it comes to war. The black symbolizes the hardships that a soldier experiences, such as fighting, being away from family and friends, and being bored. The American flag symbolizes the reason the soldiers sign up to fight in the first place, to protect and honor their country. The symbols show that the writer wants the readers to have a broad overview of war, where the possibilities of stories could be endless. Sergeant Michael conveys an image of a typical American soldier for many reasons. For one, he expresses his boredom and desire to get into the action. Secondly, he shows that he cares for the young boy, Ahmed. He gives Ahmed and his friend candy and soda, is concerned about Ahmed’s infected leg, and truly wants to help him heal. He says “I couldn’t help but look back at the boy with sadness” and “I wanted to give this kid something, anything that would maybe make him happy.” Lastly, he states that Ahmed reminded him that he should be grateful for everything good in his life. Americans pride themselves in their country and how privileged we are to live there.
4. Sergeant Michael goes through many different emotions during the course of his encounter. He starts out in a state of boredom, guarding the FOB and having nothing to do but sit on the tank. Then he becomes exhausted from being there all day. After that, he goes into a dreamlike state, wishing he could have a reason to pick up his gun and fight. Then, Ahmed and his friend show up and Sergeant Michael became confused to what they wanted and excited to see something different than convoys going in and out of the gate. After that, he begins to feel sorry for the boy and is determined to try and make him happy by giving him candy and soda and calling the aid to get him checked out. Finally, when the young boys were finally escorted away, Sergeant Michael felt enlightened and grateful for how good his life is. By writing about his feelings, Sergeant Michael realized that guard duty was not really a bad deal and to always be thankful for what you have because there are always people less fortunate, such as Ahmed.
5. Some reasons I see for including this particular entry are to show people that everything happens for a reason, to express how people should be thankful for what they have since there are people that are suffering and that are less fortunate, and to show some positive aspects of being at war. War is about helping others, not necessarily fighting the bad guys.
My Cancer Year, pg 110
ReplyDelete1. What do the quotations tell you about Turner? What do they imply about McLauchlin's attitude toward Turner?:
Turner's quotes create a deepened sense of strength as cancer is obviously a body-deteriorating disease. For someone to describe "the alien" inside them reiterates the unwelcome invader.
The way Turner describes the discomfort in the inability to sleep hints at the fact that he's thought about it for many hours into many months.
McLauchlin's use of Turner's quotes indicates a sense of respect and admiration for Turner in all that he was able to accomplish in his bout with cancer as far as his career.
2. How do the photographs convey an image of someone who is strong while battling cancer? What aspects of the photographs help create this image? What is your reaction to the drawing of "Prince Namor?" What reasons do you see for including this drawing?
The image above the drawing of Prince Namor is of Turner, sitting small in a chair, with a line of fans waiting to get an autograph. Another is of Turner sitting at a table with a smirk with some coworkers. It's hard for someone suffering from cancer to put a smile on their face and work through what it is they have to do. It's refreshing to hear of a cancer survivor so enthralled in his work that despite being ill, he still enjoys what he's doing and doing plenty of it.
I think the drawing of Prince Namor is strong not only because of his obvious rippling muscles, but because of the heroic proportions and strong green and blue color scheme. This water-man is erupting from the water, as Turner did from his cancer.
3. What is your reaction to the concluding two paragraphs of McLauchlin's profile? How does he use Turner's words? How does he come back to the ideas mentioned in the introduction to the profile?
My reaction to the final two paragraphs, although it maybe is supposed to be drastically emotional, is more of a soothing comfort. Knowing that he had to take up to 12 painkillers per day is very disheartening and discomforting, and it is very reassuring to hear that no more drugs are needed, chemotherapy is in the past, his mind and body are becoming whole and strong again, and he is regaining his sense of self.
Shooting Dad pg. 21
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the the story depicts a very divided relationship between Sarah and her father. She describes the intensity of their differences as a Civil War battleground. She describes her house being divided into territories, each protected by its totalitarian leader. She talks about having disagreements on every level from guns to politics. Sarah and her dad are complete opposites. The images Sarah uses are apparent throughout this memoir and play and important role and contrasting the differences but also the similarities between her and her dad. Sarah describes her room as a cramped cold room filled with various art and music instruments pieces and musical instruments. She contrasts this by describing her fathers work space as being filled with guns, metal shavings, John Wayne memorabilia, and cluttered papers. These are very contrasting images but at the same time shows that they are both similar in that they both surround themselves with their passions. At the end of the essay, Sarah becomes her fathers accomplice when she helps him fire the cannon. This surprised me at first but after I thought about it made sense. I did not realize the connections she was making between her and her father throughout the memoir because it is indirect for the most part and not exactly apparent. I thought it was fitting in the end for her to realize their similarities. She is mature at the end of the memoir and can appreciate the passion that her father has for firearms even though she does not necessarily agree with it. I thought that it was definitely ironic that she realizes that her and her dad are the same person at the end because her entire life she felt as though they had absolutely nothing in common.
Chapter 2: Stripped for Parts, pg 28
ReplyDeleteReflecting on What You Have Read:
3. How does Kahn’s perspective influence the organization of this essay? What are the effects of her including personal, firsthand observations as she follows this organ donor’s case?
The essay is organized chronologically through Kahn’s perspective while observing the organ donor’s case. Her personal observations humanize the cadaver. She describes changes in “his” appearance from “mussed hair” to the color change when the dead man was truly dead. She also expressed her personal wish to somehow console the dead body. This and the descriptions cause the audience to sympathize and connect to the cadaver. She also describes the environment in which the events are taking place. Her essay focuses on a great deal of technical detail but does not read like a medical report because of her personal, humanizing observations.
4. What impressions do you get from examining the graph that accompanies this essay? What questions does it answer? How does the comparison of data in this graph support the point Kahn makes about organ shortage?
The graph gives the impression that the number of organs harvested from the deceased is insufficient to the number of organs needed by the living. It shows that the situation in which donor organs can be harvested is very specific and limited. The graph shows that the number of organs needed on the transplant wait list is far greater than the organs available. It also shows that even if all of the people were organ donors, the number of medically suitable donors would still not provide enough organs for everyone on the transplant wait list. This supports Kahn’s point exactly. Her point is that there aren’t enough organs even if everyone was a donor which the graph demonstrates.
5. How does she reconcile her discomfort with the process of transplant surgeries and the dying of the donor with the end results of transplants?
In the essay she states “transplants save lives” and “thousands of people who would otherwise die survive with organs from brain-dead donors”. Four people were to receive organs from the organ donor in the essay. She reconciles her discomfort with the process by the number of people that can live because the donor died. She implies organ transplants are a stepping stone to a better way of saving people; eventually they will become obsolete and there will be a better method.
Chapter 2, Stripped for Parts, Kahn
ReplyDelete1. Kahn describes seeing a brain-dead male being attended to by nurses, preforming several tasks. This included rolling the body from side to side, watching monitors to see signs of cardiac arrest, and even making his foot twitch by scratching it. She described a vest that is periodically inflated and would vibrate violently, which looked like an invisible man was shaking him from the shoulders. She thought she would just see a fast pace surgery to restore a patient to good health.
4. The impression I get from this graph is that there are a lot of organs needed in the US and that there is no where near as many available to use. The questions answered in this graph illustrate the kinds of organs specifically needed, how many deaths there are in the US (and how many in hospitals), suitable donors, waiting list number, and how many suitable donors have consent. This data supports Kahn's point by showing how few deaths create a suitable scenario to become a donor. These kind of deaths are rare because the majority need to be brain dead with functional organs.
5. Kahn is able to reconcile her discomfort with whole process of the transplant once she is in the plane. She notices that the kidney and heart have become an orange color. The people tell her they will "perk up at a happier environment". Her reconcilment is realizing that the organs will be used to help others get back to good health.
Shooting Dad- Chapter 2
ReplyDelete1. At the beginning of the essay Vowell said that the relationship with her father was like a Civil War battle ground. That they opposed each others political view points and they couldn't finish a conversation without arguing. They divided the house into sections and were very territorial about their sections of the house. So to say the least, the relationship was an interesting one. She could have her views and he could have his but they don't have to agree.
2. Vowell organizes the essay chronologically. She goes back to when she was eleven and goes through her teen years with a brief flashback of when she was six years old and holding a gun for the first time. The anecdotes that she uses create an image of how her family was when she was young. It also shows some of her heritage and where her father got some of his ideas. The memoir does 'ring true' for me. I can see Vowell growing up with her gun fanatic father and having issues with communication between each other. It basically reminds me of a normal family story.
3. The image shown makes me think that guns are a very prominent part of the story and in the atmosphere that Vowell grew up in. To me the image means that Vowell is used to this image of guns lying around everywhere, and that her father was very lax in keeping the guns away from the children. I believe that the image also give the idea that her book probably has guns in it.
4. It didn't surprise me that she became an accomplice to firing a cannon with her father. People change as they grow up. They evolve into a different person from when they were a child. Even though as a child she didn't want anything to do with guns, as an adult she learns to overcome her fear and reach out to her father. Because she realized that her family is more important to her than her dislike of guns.
Chapter 3: E.R. Unscripted
ReplyDelete1. After reading this text I can conclude that Dr. Sandra Scott is a remarkable woman. The short story has no difficulties illustrating her eternal selflessness and dedication to her career and her clients. These qualities really stuck out when the author explained how she takes trips to Haiti in her time off, and has started another clinic. These actions alone demonstrate that this is not just a job, it’s a way of life and it is who Dr. Sandra Scott is as a person. From the pictures one can observe a calm presence, yet concerned for the patients. Showing that she understands the work at stake, knows the importance of her job, and therefore does not take it lightly.
2. In this scenario the quotations are applied in order to explain her actions. Many of us may not understand why she chooses to be at such a hectic location. However, once you read the quotes and hear the tone in her voice, along with her passion, it makes sense why she would want to remain in the same location.
5. My reaction to the last photo leads me to think that Dr. Sandra Scott is a strong person, however still needs to escape once in a while. While her job is extremely stressful, it is understandable that one would need to escape the madness when possible. I think the photo illustrates that she has found her balance, and while she may not be running away from work, she is just looking for a quite location free from the worries of work to free her mind until she returns.
Chapter 2, Theatre Geek
ReplyDelete1. When I read the title "Theatre Geek" I was surprised and interested on how the essay would turn out. I think that David wanted to be a follower however he found his place as a leader in a different field. I think the essay is a good representation of someone finding themselves. I thought at first that the essay would be about someone who was really into theater and that was all of his life was.
2. The background stories about the band and the rejection in middle school, and then the success of him doing well in the senior play make me think that in middle school he maybe secretly wanted to be in the background. It makes me think that he is more of a behind the scenes kind of guy. Because even in the play, he wasn't the main character, he was more of a behind the scenes character. He doesn't need to be in the spotlight to be happy, he needs to do what comes naturally to him.
3. I think the reasons David included those photos was because they emphasize the most important times in his performing arts career. I think he did very well with his performing arts activities, and it seemed to be very important to him.
4. It makes me think that his life was fun and interesting. It makes me feel like he can laugh at himself when he does something not so smart or funny. They answer questions about his character and that he isn't too serious to take a joke.
Chapter 3, E.R. Unscripted
ReplyDelete1. What aspects of the text and photographs lead to form your impression of Dr. Sandra Scott?:
The piece written about Dr. Scott before all the photos really brings a sense of maturity, responsibility, and modesty. Dr. Scott is cool, calm and collected and that is one of the most important parts of being a Brooklyn NYC emergency room doctor. Her impression trumps the dramatic, romantic, humorous cheesy scripts of modern media emergency room citcoms and stories.
2. Notice the quotations in the captions that accompany the photographs. What reasons do you see for including these quotations?:
The quotations in the captions giving a setting and situation as appropriate. They tell why the people are there and publish the wide variety of circumstances that Dr. Scott sees daily.
5. What is your reaction to the final image of Dr. Scott? How do the composition and details of photo help create your reaction? What does the caption contribute to your reaction?: The final photo of Dr. Scott helps to set the tone of accomplishment. Dr. Scott saves lives every day in her workspace and doesn't let her head bloat over it. The photo from behind gives a powerful sense of Dr. Scott leaving her professional life at work with exhaustion looming and weekend excitement laying ahead.
Chapter 3 – My Cancer Year
ReplyDelete1. The quotations tell me that Michael Turner is a very strong individual and views everything in life with a positive attitude. His quote “You can choose to go on living or you can sit and do nothing. I definitely choose living”, particularly shows how he won’t let cancer defeat him. It is just an obstacle he has to overcome. The quotes imply that McLauchlin admires Turner for his perseverance and optimistic attitude, even though he has a life-threatening disease.
2. The photographs of Turner convey and image of someone who is strong while battling cancer because it is obvious that he is in a lot of pain and discomfort while he sits in his chair, but he keeps a smile on his face to give his fans and coworkers a sense of comfort and hope. He won’t leave the convention until every fan is happy and gets an autograph. That shows a lot of character and selflessness that he is willing to put others before himself. The drawing of Prince Namor shows a muscular man emerging out of the water. It looks like he is trying to come out of the book and into our world. It relates to the battle with cancer because Turner is trying to “emerge” from the battle with cancer victorious and come back into the real world, not having to worry about bad news from his MRIs.
3. The concluding paragraphs give me a sense of relief. It is hard to watch people suffer, especially from something like cancer, where there is little to do to help them recover. I love when Turner stated “In my mind, I’ve killed this” because it shows that throughout his battle with cancer, he never gave up. McLauchlin goes back to the ideas mentioned in the introduction by saying what has changed in Turner’s life; from taking 12 painkillers to none, obtaining his normal weight of 175 pounds, and drawing more covers than he could before cancer.
4. McLauchlin’s style of writing seems appropriate for the readers because it talks to them directly, trying to make them realize how serious cancer is. It is also trying to get the readers to relate to the text and show that we shouldn’t pity people with life-threatening diseases. Instead, we should be there to support them and give them hope.
E.R. Unscripted, Chapter 3 pg. 116 12/22/11
ReplyDelete1. After reading and viewing this profile, what impressions do you have of Dr. Sandra Scott? What aspects of the written text and the photographs lead you to form this impression?
After reading the text I was left with the impression that Dr. Scott is a dedicated individual who is committed to her work and wants to help people. The text and photographs shows her calmly performing her duties. They also state that she takes some of her vacation time to teach medicine and treat patients in Haiti, further evidencing her dedication.
2. Notice the quotations in the captions that accompany the photographs. What reasons do you see for including these quotations?
The quotations provide more detail about the environment in which Dr. Scott works and the people she deals works with treating. The quotations also show how appreciative patients and the relatives of patients are for her work.
3. What is the detail you notice first? Why do you notice that detail? What details do you notice about the facial expressions and body language of these people? What effect does the photographer create by showing you these details and not showing the face or body language of the patient?
The first thing I notice is the bloody leg in the center of the image. I noticed this first because it was in the foreground of the image and was illuminated by hospital lights. The facial expressions and body language of the people standing around the patient show concern and they seem to be determining what method to use to treat the injury. By not showing the face or body language of the patient after noticing the leg, the photographer forces you to look to the faces around the patient.
5. What is your reaction to the final image of Dr. Scott? How do the composition and details of the picture help create this reaction? What does the caption contribute to your reaction?
My reaction to the final image of Dr. Scott is that while she finds her job rewarding, she’s finished for the day. The composition of the picture puts her in the center heading down a long hallway towards the exit and the outside. The caption reinforces this stating, “It’s always nice to finish a shift” and “The best thing is just stepping outside.” She’s headed towards the door and she isn’t looking back.
Chapter 2 – Theatre Geek
ReplyDelete1. The title “Theatre Geek” makes me think of a person that is all about theatre all the time and doesn’t do anything else. Being a geek isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I view the word “geek” as someone who is extremely involved in something they love to do. People always start out as an outcast until they find something that they fit into and love doing. After reading the title, I feel like David’s story will be about not fitting in and then finding something in theatre that makes him feel like he belongs.
2. David’s previous experiences in middle school with band, scouts, and other activities contributed to my understanding of his work in the play “Welcome to Lovely’s” because he was always in the background and afraid to stand out. Even when he got to high school and had a chance to be the star performer, he chooses to be a part of the tech crew. His tech crew experience throughout his freshman to junior year gave him the courage to audition for the play “Welcome to Lovely’s” his senior year. He was finally ready to break away from all his behind the scenes work and become an actor. After becoming an actor, however, David realized that all his hard work he had done in the years before as a techie was more rewarding and satisfying. Even though he wanted to be the center of attention and star of the play, he found himself by working behind the scenes.
3. I think David include the various images in his essay to show how he progresses from his middle school ID, to his computer-aided set design, to his designs coming to life, and finally getting the chance to appear on stage. I get the impression that he set a goal for himself to become an actor in the performing arts department and everything he did in the years before allowed him to achieve his goal.
4. David’s use of humor contributed to my understanding of what his life was like by showing that he was able to laugh at himself and keep persevering until he reached his goal of performing on stage. It shows that even though he never really fit in, he kept trying to find himself by engaging himself in different activities until he found the one thing that clicked. In his case, it was working with the tech crew and designing elaborate sets. The humorous stories answer the questions about finding yourself and what you are good at.
Chapter 2: Ahmed, from The Blog of War
ReplyDelete1.Sergeant Michael comes across as a typical American soldier in the beginning of the post by stating that he and his partner were bored and were interested in seeing more action. This conveys his everyday actions because the truth of the matter is that he and his partner are bored, and they are in fact sick of guarding themselves. However, at the same time they are thankful that they are not in dangerous conditions at the time, and realize the blessing of a boring shift.
2.Sergeant Michaels helps the readers experience his feelings by not holding back his fear. He expresses that it was an unexpected occurrence, and that his once urge for action has now turned into hesitation. Sergeant Michaels got his point across to me through his honesty, when his partner states “hopefully they won’t blow me up.” Even though this thought may be impure when in regards to children, the honesty is what really makes the fear of the unknown jump out as you are reading. I definitely think he succeeds because, many of us may have been thinking the same thing, just not willing to admit it. There also may have been those who would have never had this thought, so either way bringing it to our attention that this is the problems they face on a day-to-day basis makes it much more severe.
5.I think that it was a smart decision to show this entry because it shows a different role of the American soldier. A role many people may not know exists, and a role very few get to witness. Though this blog one can observe that there is a civil duty while fighting in another country and it is not as gruesome as we tend to assume. Bringing awareness to the compassion some soldiers have for the townspeople is a good way to bring a positive note to the situation, and allow us to believe that we are helping in more ways than one.
Chapter 3 - No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle
ReplyDelete1. The short paragraphs in the beginning of this profile of a man in search of stability reiterate the feeling of uncertainty. Just like the paragraphs, Martinelli's job could be over in the blink of an eye. The smaller paragraphs also give the reader a chance to slow down and think about what they're reading. They bring the piece to a level of humility, but not charity.
2. Martinelli and McClellan's quotations throughout the piece give a great view into what they're truly working with. It's their true vocabulary, and although their intonation may not be clear in text, it is certainly implied in their choice of words. The quotes are also a tool in adding humanistic qualities. Despite these men's potential or success, they are coming to face their futures even though they have taken a tumble due to the hands of someone else.
4. The photograph of Martinelli helps to put a face to the story, but I don't believe it adds much to the profile. The caption is what saves the strength of the photo in this piece to me. It helps to rise a bit of insecurity in the reader, making aware that our futures may never be secure as long as they're in someone else's hands.
Chapter 3, No Degree, and No way Back to the Middle, Egan
ReplyDelete1. The first two paragraphs show the devestating scenario Martinelli has been put into. It sets the fact that he is desperate to get back a solid job to put him into the middle class again, but it is against the odds in this day in age with college degrees becoming a necessity.
2. The effect of including these quotations is to humanize this story. Rather than just having someone write about what they are spectating, it personalizes the story to each person involved in the piece. It helps show the emotions of frustration and struggle.
3. He makes it clear that he sympathizes for these people. He understands the situation is not theirs to get blame for. This is definitely present in paragraphs like 18 when he paraphrases, which makes it sound like it is both him and McClellan saying it was not unusual to skip college for people McClellan's age back then.
4. The effect it creates is that Martinelli is ironically now doing work for the middle class homes as pest control. The caption adds the attitude that he is not completely satisfied with his current job and wishes to get back into the middle class.
Ch.2 Total Eclipse
ReplyDelete1. Dillard contrasts the scenery in the Yakima valley before and after the eclipse. She describes the valley through the use of extensive imagery and uses various comparisons to accompany the mode she is trying to set. Before the eclipse, she appeals to the senses to give the reader a vivid description of the atmosphere in the valley. During the eclipse, her descriptions of what is going on changes dramatically. It's as if she is at a loss for words on how to describe what she is seeing. The scenery turns in to something that not from this world. I think this contrast is interesting because it gives the reader this unworldly, epic portrayal of a total eclipse.
3. After her "last sane moment" she related the feeling as though she were "standing in a movie of hillside grasses filmed in the Middle ages." This image to me reminds me of the graphic novel 300. She describes the grass on the hillside as "platinum" and "matte" looking. I think this kind of epic scene could be pulled right out a movie like 300. The descriptions during the eclipse are disorienting and make for an event that unlike anything normal.
4. She describes the eclipse as a well- advertised public event that needs no starting gun and no introductory speaker. This description of the total eclipse is fitting because it is something that everyone knows about and needs no introduction. It's presence is impossible to ignore so all you can do is wait and watch.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3, My Cancer Year, McLauchlin
ReplyDelete1. The quotations from Turner show that he was constantly keeping things positive. McLauchlin was always quoting Turner on his positiveness and gratefulness towards others displayed that McLauchlin really liked how Turner never seemed to be negative only hoped for the best.
2. In most of his photographs he is always sitting, showing his struggle, but always seems to be happy, showing his positive outlook. The drawing of Prince Namor shows someone who is very powerful and strong. Turner still willingly draws such powerful characters while he battles such a body deteriorating illness with cancer. Prince Namor's hand covers part of the photograph of Tuner above the drawing, resembling that Turner can overcome the limitations he is being dealt with.
3. It makes me sad to read these last two paragraphs and think that out of all of these positives, he still died a year later. He uses Turner's words to show the optimism of the outcome. He comes back to the idea of using numbers. In the beginning the numbers were negative facts, now they are all positive.
Writing Now (WN): 12/21/11
ReplyDeleteTotal Eclipse, Ch 2, Pg 47.
1. The description of the Yakima Valley compares with what Dillard sees as the eclipse begins. She describes how beautiful and peaceful the valley is, conveying an emotion of happiness, but then as the eclipse starts to take place, everything starts to change darken, instilling an emotion of uncertainty and fear.
2. The comparisons and analogies that Dillard uses contribute to my understanding of the significance of the event she is describing. “There was no sound. The eyes dried, the arteries drained, the lungs hushed. There was no world.” I think she used a great analogy. She compares the darkness as a result of the eclipse to death. Death is a great event and through that analogy we can infer that the multitude of the total eclipse seems to leave Dillard & the rest of the community awe stricken and frightened.
4. Dillard describes the total eclipse as “a well-advertised public event,” but with “no starting gun, no overture, no introductory speaker.” These descriptions tell me that Dillard assumed she would hear some kind of noise, such as a clap of thunder, whooshing noise, or any kind of noise to indicate that the eclipse was coming, but that surely did not happen.
Writing Now (WN): 12/22/11
ReplyDeleteTheatre Geek, Ch 2, Pg 51.
1. The reaction I had to the title “Theatre Geek” made me assume that the story was going to be about a boy who was actively involved in performing in theatre productions. As I read further, my impression of David led me to believe he was a confident kid who cowered behind the curtain when it came to auditioning, but by the end of practices and dress rehearsals he felt confident enough to give it his all and shine on the stage.
2. David’s background information and stories contribute to my understanding of his work in the play Welcome to Lovely’s in that he finally gained the confidence to step it up and to stand out in the spot light. He started out by trying out for a role in an all women’s play, and again in high school, but found himself unsuccessful each time he auditioned. Learning from his lessons, he stepped back, evaluated his interests then joined the stage crew. Once he joined the stage crew, he started learning new tasks that would further enhance his understanding of the work that would be done and each year found himself being promoted to bigger and better tasks. Then, during his senior year he acquired a supporting role in the spring theatre production and won an award through a state competition. With each of his accomplishments you notice David becoming more comfortable with whom he is. He finally becomes the person he had aspired to become.
4. The humor David uses throughout his memoir lead me to believe that his life was very laid back and rich in opportunity. I believe that David was motivated and had a mindset that he could accomplish anything with the proper knowledge of the subject and confidence to do so.
Writing Now (WN): 12/23/11
ReplyDeleteMy Cancer Year, Ch 3, Pg 110.
1. McLauchlin includes quotations from Michael Turner through the story. “My expectations are sort of MRI to MRI. It changes based on the results. I’ve got one tomorrow. I’m looking forward to seeing the results. I’m usually a wreck the day before, just because I want to see what’s happening. But there are so many of them, I’m a little desensitized to the nerve wracking-ness” These quotations and this quotation in particular lead me to believe that Michael Turner is a strong-willed individual who stays positive even in his darkest moment. Although he is nervous, he anxiously awaits the news with hope that he will get better.
2. There are a few different visuals that are accompanied with this profile that depict Michael Turner. On page 111, there is a photo of Michael Turner at work, with a huge smile on his face. On page 112 there is a photograph of Michael Turner conversing with fans and signing autographs in what looks to be a meet and greet. These two photos confirm my belief that he is a strong willed man because most people who have cancer shy away from living their life and stay home with the hopes of recovery. I know how difficult it is to put on a smile every single day and to keep pressing on with life, because my Aunt (Kathleen) Ning battled cancer for years. I saw what went on behind the scenes. The colored sketch of Prince Namor implies that Michael Turner is strong-willed because it depicts ripped muscles, implying a healthy, balanced human being, and he is emerging from water which to me depicts a sense of strength and determination. Michael Turner had the mindset of getting healthy, and he did.
3. My reaction to the concluding two paragraphs of McLauchlin’s profile is excitement and I’m partially not surprised. Michael Turner’s words are very motivational. McLauchlin comes back to the ideas mentioned in the introduction by proclaiming that Michael Turner is 170 pounds and sleeps very well without taking any painkillers at all, when in the past he was only 140 pounds and taking 12 painkillers to receive some sleep.
Chapter 2
ReplyDeleteAhmed, From the Blog of War
1. Sergeant Michael starts by talking about soldiers as a whole and then talks about the different jobs that soldiers have. He talks about what every soldier feels when he or she is being shot at and how they feel during the down times or times when no action is occurring. The reason that they want to be in the action is so that the time passes faster.
2. The reader can tell that neither of these two men has ever been placed in this situation before because he describes the children as being angels that seemed to appear out of nowhere and he asks himself what they want. This gives the reader a clued that neither of them has ever been placed in a situation over in Iraq where they had to deal with children. I think that Sergeant Michael clearly expressed that neither of them has ever run into a situation with children and especially with a child being so sick that he or she will die before reaching adulthood. This can be seen through his needing to give the kids whatever he has available.
3. The black background of his profile indicates that he could be any American soldier. He does not put a face to the name because he does not want people to think that this story just relates to one man but to a group of people who were over in Iraq. This lets the reader imagine him as anyone and creates a blank slate for the reader’s imagination. The lack of description about him does the exact same thing.
4. At first, the sergeant feels that guard duty is boring because there is nothing going on. Then when the two young boys appear, he instantly becomes alert since young boys have had bombs strapped to them. When his friend walks back to him, he starts to question why the boys are there. After reading the letter, he feels bad for the young boys because he knows that Ahmed will not live to see adulthood. For this reason, he and his friend give the boy what they can, such as the soda and gum. He achieves not only capturing the reader’s attention but also taping into the reader’s emotions, which only makes the story more interesting.
5. This story plays with the reader’s emotions as well as captures the reader’s attention. Even at the end of the piece, the reader is still left with the feelings that the author portrayed. Another reason they may have chosen this piece is that Sergeant Michael never states any details about himself or his comrade so they really could be any soldier in the US Army.
Chapter 3, No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle
ReplyDelete1. He is giving the audience knowledge that they will need in the later in the essay and a basic overview of the essay.
2. It gives the essay a more personal view. It makes the essay more relate-able to the audience.
3. His voice of the essay is sympathetic, and it's clear that he empathizes with the subjects in his essay.
4. I believe that the photo is to show the audience how far Martinelli has come from when he was in management. The caption added to it is I believe to add even more emphasis to how important the factory job was to Martinelli.
5. I think the reason the author chose to write about both men was to give the audience a view of both sides of the coin. If he had only written about one of the men, then the audience wouldn't know that the other man either found a job and was working trying to get back to middle class or was still looking for a job and just trying to live.
Diez in the Desert pg 120
ReplyDelete2. Quinones describes the scenery and physical setting in the Arizona desert throughout this essay. This is an important theme in this story because the environment becomes their greatest adversary. The visualizations help express just how exhausting the situation must have been. I could not imagine being on the brink of death from pure dehydration and exhaustion but the visualizations help you feel that.
3. Quinones recounts how Diez felt and what his thoughts were as he led the trip though the desert but does not quote all of the conversations that were had. I think he does this because it is not necessarily important to know the exact dialogue that was taking place to understand the gravity of the situation. It makes the story seem as though it has been told many times an maybe the exact dialogue had been lost from this. He could have also done this because the story is about Diez and the travelers that are along with him have no need for character development and therefore specific dialogue is not important.
4. I think he decides to not specifically mention Diez's name at the end of the profile because he does not let the reader know whether he makes it or not. I think this was a good scene to end the profile because it makes him out to be a resilient figure even when he was so close to death on that very trip.
Chapter 4: The Reports of Higher Education
ReplyDelete2. I think that testimonials from students and workers from the health centers would add a valuable element to the report. Even though the students do not hold a professional opinion on many of the matters researched, they have personal experience. Since the reports are based on student’s experience, it is still viable information. While the students can offer information that happened to them first hand, the health officials are also a credible source since they observe, and treat many of the problems the report touches base on. They also have the ability to witness real life progressions of students from freshmen year to senior year, and analyze their ability or inability to interact as they continue through college.
3. The photographs accompanying this story definitely touch base on a real issue that any college student faces. For this reason it adds an element of fear, and disbelief. I think that many students get caught up in the college life and may not realize what effect it is actually having on them, but the pictures illustrate that we are similar to the students that were studied in more ways than one, also putting us in danger. The photos influenced my reaction to the actual facts given throughout the story, because it emphasized what I along with many other students are actually doing to our bodies. The angle made me feel like, it was something I have seen before. While, it may sound like fun in theory, the angle and warm colors of the photos add a heavier tone. In adding these pictures, it is possible that one would hope to set a heavy tone since the pictures are accompanied but such serious statistics. If the report only included the statistics and not the photos, or only the photos and not the statistics, the overall message may not be as effective.
4. Part of me agree with the statement “make you wonder how anyone’s ever managed to get an education” however, part of me disagrees with the statement as well. There are statistics that can prove the statement above to be both true, and false. Since consumption of alcohol is such a large part of many college students lives, it does make me question how we are able to accomplish things while we are basically reversing the ability our brain has to grow and learn. However, on the other hand these statistics are also based on drastic measures for example, testing the lab rats on four days of heavy alcohol intoxication. I know that I do not start my weekends on Wednesdays, nor do I drink four nights a week. Therefore, I cannot believe in this statement entirely because there are exceptions, and there are weeks that I may not consume any alcohol or socialize, giving me time to just focus on rest and school.
Chapter 2 - Shooting Dad
ReplyDelete1. In the first paragraph of her essay Vowell quickly asserts that her house was very divided. For example she described how there was a democrat sign in the upstairs window and a republican one downstairs representing her and her father's differences. She says her relationship was hard at first such as when she was a teenager because her dad cared about guns and she cared about art. She uses different memories to show her experiences. For instance she describes how her dad would make guns in his garage while she would read Allen Ginsberg poems.
2. Vowell organizes the essay by setting up various experiences that show the constrast and in the end the similairity of her and her father. The Vowell family seems a little strange to me just because our family has never shot a gun together let alone at the age of six. However, the kids relationship with their father is the same as me and my sister so that wasn't hard to understand. My impression was that even though they are different they are still a family who tries to be there for each other. For example the fact that her dad calls her on election day to say his vote cancelled out hers is a sweet touch. I think the little anecdotes about how even though they both express their very different obsessions, music and guns respectively, the fact of how they both are messy really sticks with me. I think that little detail really makes the memior successful because it shows both aspects of their relationship.
3. The impressions I get from the images are though that even though Vowell isn't obsessed with firearms as much as her dad she actually uses the comparision a lot. For instance she describes gun and a cannon to tell everyone that her life is consumed by them. Her father is always in his garage or out hunting, doing manly things while she is writing music in a cold room and reading poems. The images she uses say a lot about her relationship with her dad because it takes up a lot of her time like writing books and being obsessed with different things.
4. I was a little bit surprised at the ending of her shooting a cannon. However, in a sense I really wasn't just because although they had polar interests they were quite similar. Both her and her father would spend hours doing their own projects in the same messy way so it really isn't quite a leap that she can appreciate her father's dedication to his firearms. Also I got the impression that she always wanted to be close to her father but it's just that she was unable. With her kind of ephihany at the end where she says she has a shotgun radio that's the same as her father's cannon really kind of made it clear to me that they are the same person in spirit. Although I didn't expect her to shoot the cannon I think she is only doing it for her father after he dies because he would have wanted her to, not because she actually wants to shoot it.
Chapter 2 – Total Eclipse
ReplyDelete1. When Annie describes the Yakima Valley she says it's cold and tells us of people wearing knit hats and such to keep warm. During her narrative she says there are hundreds of orcharids and towns, roads, and rivers. It's kind of noisey because of all the people. This directly contrasts her view of the eclipse. When she describes the eclipse it is just silent. For instance she can't hear Gary and she says it's “silent as orbits.” The contrast makes it easier to see how the eclipse effected her.
2. All these contrasts are confusing. It is hard to understand what she is talking about because it feels as if the piece is written by someone who is scatterbrained and just moving from topic to topic. It was hard to tell what she was writing about because it was so jumpy.
3. Annie's last sane moment just served to confuse me more. I think the way she describes it like being completely cut off from reality and being in the Middle Ages just makes it hard to picture the eclipse. I picture watching the moon taking away the sun instead of her looking at her friend , Gary, and thinking about how weird it made him look to her.
4. Dillard's description of the eclipse being wildly known makes her seems presumptious that everyone knew about it. It seemed she was right, however, when she says she sees a bunch of ruggard individualists in knit caps walking to see it. She says it also had no starting gun or introduction which also gives me the impression that she thought everyone knew about the elicpse. It feels like she figured it was so monemental that everyone just had to know about it as it needed no one to introduce it and no one to tell each other about it.
Chapter 3 – No Degree, and No Way Back to the Middle
ReplyDelete1. By beginning the profile with the short paragraphs it gives a straightforward impression. By getting directly to the point of Jeff not having a degree because he worked in a factory for most of his life it lets me know easily what the piece is going to be about.
2. Including the quotes makes the people and thereby the profile seem realistic. In the beginning it just felt like I could be reading a story about a man without a degree but including quotes makes me realize that this actually happens to people. Using the quotes by Martinellio, McClellan, and other people really just positively enhanced the profile by making it feel real.
3. Even though he doesn't use I or we it's clear the point of view Egan has. For example his way of writing about McClellan's rise to making money faster than people with college degrees seems kind of like he views not going to college the easy way out. However, he does seem to feel sorry for them by including quotes about McClellan's son thinking of his father as a hero who takes care of his sick mom even during his hard situation.
4. The picture enhances the profile by actually making it realistic. After seeing it I could now see the troubles the man went through. At first my impression was that he was just doing that job because he was a blue collar worker and couldn't get any other job because who really wants to do pest control for a living? The caption explains how Jeff lost his job and now has to do pest control in order to keep living which explained his story both in the picture and the profile. It makes me understand the troubles Jeff's been through instead of just judging him by the picture and not the words underneath.
5. I think by including both men in one profile it makes you see the different paths that lead them to work at the same company and then to see how they both ended up – jobless. Even though the author could've focused on one man I think that by having both hardship stories it makes the reader sympathize more for the men. Also it demonstrates how one company can affect so many people as both the men had families they have to support. By having two people in one profile it only enhanced the story in my opinion.
Chapter 4: Who's Life Would You Save?
ReplyDelete1. I think the reason that Zimmer chooses to include so much information about about the scientists is that it allows the readers to see the value of this type of work. Using brain scan to judge morality is a moral issue in itself. I think the quotes from the scientists help justify the the purpose and establish a direction in which this research can be useful. I think quoting Greene helps the reader to understand the mind of a scientist. This also may be effective in grabbing an audiences attention that may not have a particularly knowledgeable science background.
3. The cartoons serve as a visual to the type of experiments they are performing. They illicit a moral response just by looking at them. They make you think about those type of dilemmas as you read and challenge the reader to think about the decisions that they would make in those types of urgent situations. The pictures show an urgent situation and are accompanied by a hypothetical situation in which the reader must make a moral decision. This is interesting because as you are reading these situations you are thinking about all of things that illicit responses from those situations discussed in the paper.
4. I always try to make decisions based on reason. It usually has the best outcomes for me. The types of decisions i make out of emotion are usually based on anger or frustration. I think anger is the most potent emotion when it comes to making brash decisions. When it come to tough moral decisions, reasoning is my first response but sometimes you cannot avoid emotions getting in the way.
Chapter 4 – The Perils of Higher Education
ReplyDelete1. The questions the report answer is how college partying is effecting school work. From the sleep deprived students as to type out a bunch of nonsense only to no improve while a person with more sleep was doing the same answers the question of how it effects memory. I think the main question was really how is college social life effecting the students which is answered by the different sections such as can I bum a smoke and welcome to margaritaville university. It's obvious that all the partying negatively effects the students as shown by the report.
2. Reports from college students and people who work in college health centers would definitely improve the report. Although lab rat experiments are great for show the cause and effect relationship it is sometimes hard to consider those experimental situations in real life. I think if there were quotes about how partying effected the students by actual students it would be more crediable.
3. The pictures, especially the one on the first page of the graduating student with half a beer, is shocking. I think it adds to the report which doesn't think partying is the best use of time in college. Also most of the pictures are large and take up one and a half columns of the writing. They are also bright and show bad situations which only serves to add to the point of it being bad for students to do.
4. I agree that the point should make you wonder how students have actually graduated. However, I think that the ending quote about moderation is the answer. In real life I know plently of adults with good paying jobs that drink or smoke on weekdays but it never interferes with their job. I think that these adults got through college by doing the same thing. They don't go crazy when they go out which allows them to be prepared for the next day.
Chapter 4 – ACL: The Curse of Women Athletes
ReplyDelete1. I think that some of Margaret’s teammates read her report carefully without being asked to because it is a serious subject that could affect them personally. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are very common in female athletes and it is an issue that all female athletes should be educated on to help prevent injuries in the future. Margaret does a good job of drawing readers in by starting her report with a quote from the famous athlete, Tiffany Woosley, who knew she tore her ACL right when she did it. Margaret continues by using a lot of other examples of female athletes injuring their ACL. She also uses pictures to illustrate the significance of the ACL. Figure 1 shows a picture of Monique Currie wearing a knee brace, Figure 2 shows a diagram of the ACL, and Figure 3 shows a diagram of the Q-angle.
2. Margaret attempts to establish her credibility in talking about ACL injuries even though she has no training in sports medicine by using diagrams, defining what the ACL is, expressing why women are at a greater risk, and by giving examples of how ACL injuries can be reduced. I think she succeeds because she goes into a lot of detail to get her point across and seems to have researched ACL injuries very well by using a lot of sports medicine related sources. She also uses proper terms, like anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), femur (thigh bone), tibia (shin bone), quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thigh), hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh), etc.
3. Figure 1 shows an actual picture of Monique Currie wearing a knee brace, while Figure 2 and Figure 3 show diagrams of the ACL and the Q-angle. Figure 1 is a way to grab the readers’ attention by relating the report to someone famous, like Monique Currie. Then, Figure 2 and Figure 3 express the serious aspect of the report by going into detail about where the ACL is located and how it works.
4. By writing about the knee before the ACL, Margaret establishes a better understanding for the readers. For example, people that do not know what an ACL is or where it is located benefit from reading Margaret’s report because she goes into detail. She says that the knee depends on the ACL to function because the knee bears the entire weight of the body when people run, walk, etc. Then, she continues by saying that the ACL connects the thigh bone to the shin bone by going through the knee, which helps them to stay in line and also helps to stabilize the knee.
Chapter 5: Considered Living Car-Free?
ReplyDelete1. What reasons do you see for her mentioning these questions before she gets to the question she thinks is most important? Do you agree this is the most important question?
I think that she uses those questions to make readers respond personally to the writing. Then she proposes what she thinks is the most important question, which ultimately is more important than the questions prior to it. Having lived a couple months car-free just this year, I rode my bike, got healthy, and saved money.
3. Does Ashley persuade you that going car-less is something you should do - or something that you might even want and be able to do? Why or why not?
Ashley didn't really need to persuade me, as I've already done it - but I think she would do a decent job for others. The point she makes about "every extra 30 minutes of commuting time per day, participants had a 3% greater likelihood of obesity than peers who drove less," helps to hit home universally.
5. Lists of frequently asked questions don't often appear in academic essays. Given her audience, topic, and purpose, do you think Ashley should have included these questions and answers? Why or why not?
I personally wouldn't have included the frequently asked questions, but depending on the distribution of this position paper, they may be appropriate. I would imagine this paper being widely available to college students, but probably only the older ones would really read it. By that time, hopefully, they shouldn't need to be reading frequently asked questions about whether or not a car is necessary; they should take into consideration all the things addressed before reading this paper.
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteWhose life would you save?
1. The author both Greene’s explanations for how a human being makes rational decisions as well as the emotional. The author describes how the brain works and how this is related to Greene’s study of why we make decisions the way that we do. The author talks about how Greene has done a study on both ordinary human beings and psychopaths showing that different portions of the brain light up under controlled conditions. Described as how ordinary human beings have the emotional part as well as the rational part of their brain light up but psychopaths only have the rational part of their brain light up under certain conditions. I believe that by showing both the scientist and philosopher he creates a balance between what is really going on in our mind and how it occurs. I believe that the information that he has presented is a paper that is both scientific and easy for the average person to understand at the same time.
2. The reason that the Author includes details about the scientists and not just their studies is because it creates credibility to his writing. It shows that he knows not only what each of these scientists are working on but who they are as individuals. In addition, the author gains credibility when he uses specific quotes from Greene. The reason is that more people are going to believe the information if you are trying to communicate to them if you do two things, the first thing that you can do is to use quotes of people who have done work in the field you are discussing. The second thing is to present the information so that the audience knows that you are educated in this field.
3. The cartoons in this article get the reader thinking about some of the moral questions that are asked to the people who are involved in Greene’s study and help people to understand the controversial questions of morals. They engage the reader in the reading as well and get them to think about how they would answer the questions about their own morals. As I read the captions that went along with these visuals I realized the different answers for the question along with my own answer. It also got me more engaged in the reading. The tone of the visuals was neutral, this is because they didn’t have people with faces on the cartoon and there was no blood or gore that they could have shown through pictures. Using the cartoons you see the situation and are asked what you would do. By seeing just the cartoon you begin to think what your answer would be. However, since you are not actually in this situation you could act the same or differently when you are actually placed in the situation. These visuals get across the point they are supposed to which is to get you thinking about the different answers to these very moral questions.
4. I would like to think that I make decisions more based on reason however I know that some of the decisions that I make are based on my emotions. When making decisions that are based on morals I am probably a more emotional decision maker. When it comes to little everyday decisions such as how to get somewhere I would use reason to come up with my answer. However, if the decision is going to affect someone else’s life I most of the time I make a decision based on reason and emotion.
Chapter 5 Where have all the Criminals Gone?
ReplyDelete1. I believe that Levitt and Dubner's attitudes towards these people are sarcastic and that they find these people laughable. The fact that they use faulty forecasting and that these people are self-serving. I think that these attitudes are justified because the people who said that there would be more criminals and then backtracked saying that they never said that there would be more criminals.
2. I think that the strong language is not quite justified but it is useful. It makes the audience view the authors points as valid and appropriate.
3. It does slightly weaken the argument due to the fact that we cannot validate where the statistics come from.
4. The comparison between the threat of execution with a parents threat to a child is slightly confusing. The threat of execution can be followed through with. Normally a parent's threat to a child is not too severe and doesn't have to be followed through with.
Chapter 4, The Record Industry's Slow Fad, Hiatt/Serpick
ReplyDelete2. This bleak future seems justified because of the supporting facts that all seem to be moving in the same trend. The article even writes that major record companies have tried making changes but still haven't been able to avoid the trending line.
3. The purpose of all of these graphs, lists, and comparisons was to show a trending line that held true to all of the images. The captions added to the effect of the visuals because each image had multiple sources listed. This showed that multiple references were used in order to find common data.
4. The reason for concluding with comments from professionals was to show the true feelings of people who are actually in the industry. This made the piece more understandable through emotions, rather than just facts and numbers.
Chapter 5- Considered Living Car-Free?
ReplyDelete1. She uses the idea in America that everyone needs a car to survive. She does this before she opens up to the reader and asks "Do I really need a car?" I really don't believe that this is the most important question. I believe this is true because there are many more important questions a student living off campus should ask themselves. Like should I eat healthier? Should I exercise more? Those are the questions that should be asked. Not do I really need a car.
2. I personally do share the idea that the "freshman fifteen" is not something that is that big of a deal. Although for me it was quite the opposite. But I do not think that Ashley did a very good job of challenging my assumptions. I still feel as though cars have nothing to do with weight and obesity.
5. I believe that Ashley included FAQ's in her essay because our age group and demographic do not want to read a whole essay anymore. We want it to be short, concise and to the point. We don't like to "waste" a lot of time by reading anything anymore.
Writing Now (WN): 12/28/11
ReplyDeleteWhose Life Would You Save? Ch 4, Pg 193.
1. Carl Zimmer is concerned with showing both ways, though philosophy and science, Joshua Greene thinks about his research when presenting information in this report. He attempts to create a balance by explaining and critically analyzing the methods and theories of philosophers through extensive research studies, and scientific tests. Although I don’t agree with it, I think he succeeds in creating a balance because I see this scientific research as some sort of credibility to all of the inferences and conclusions that are drawn about morality and the mind.
2. I believe Carl Zimmer chose to include related stories about the scientists and other people responding to the work done, rather than focusing solely on the content of their own studies for the sole purpose of giving the reader and better understanding about the topic presented, and again, to establish a sense of credibility with the similarities between research. When Zimmer quotes Greene, he establishes a sense of credibility because it not only complements his theories and ideas, but gives the reader a confidence that Carl Zimmer is highly educated and knowledgeable about the subject he is speaking.
4. I would describe my own way of making difficult moral decisions as more so emotional than anything, but dictated by reason, if that makes sense. I try my best to first rationalize difficult situations through reason to come to a conclusion. After I use reason, I compare my conclusion of reason with that of my conclusion of emotion. Depending upon the situation, nine times out of ten I will go with what my heart believes is correct- which means that I necessarily choose what my emotions are telling me. That being said, I usually don’t let emotions associated with anger make these decisions. In conclusion, I usually do not make a difficult decision until I know I have a clear head.
Chapter 3: E.R. Unscripted
ReplyDelete1. After I read this text I had the impression upon me that Dr. Scott is an extraordinary individual. She is obviously a person who is dedicated to her career, and has a genuine interest to help other people. She has good traits that show her responsibility and maturity, while being calm. The fact that she also travels to Haiti to help treat patients and assist with educating in medicine shows that she dedicates more than her work to this, its obvious that it is her life passion.
2. When looking at the quotations with the photographs, you can see the flavor of detail that shows her environment, and why she does some of the things she does. You can tell that the patients and their relatives are extremely happy that she could help them.
5. My reaction to the final photo tells me that Dr. Scott is a very mentally strong person, but shows that she has a limit and needs to be away from it once in a while. While its obvious she loves what she does, she may also love just being worry free once in a while.
Chapter 2: Shooting Dad
ReplyDelete1. In the very beginning Vowell points out the obvious fact that their family is divided, by saying that the relationship between her and her father was like a "Civil War Battleground". It is obvious that they would not like each other very much because they had felt strongly about politics with very different view points. It also says that they don't like each other because one liked guns, and the other liked art. The fact that they split the house up by being so territorial supports all of that.
2. The essay Vowell organizes is under a chronological order. It begins by showing the great contrast between her and her father, but then showing the similarities. When she first shot a gun at 6 was an interesting point, because it shows how her family felt about weapons. It is an interesting point when they state that they cancelled out each others votes on election day. It does a good example of showing both of their own aspects of the relationship.
3. The obvious thing about the images is how big of a part that guns play in the story, and the atmosphere Vowell describes growing up in. The fact that her father was always hunting or in a garage, while she was learning about poems or writing music shows their drastic contrast. It was also surprising to see the drastic amount of guns contained within the story.
4. It was an interesting turn during the end of the story, where she is with her father shooting a cannon. This does a good job showing that people do change as they progress through life. It was also fairly obvious that she wanted a stronger connection with her father, but couldn't because of their differences. The fact that she gets over her dislikes to be with her family shows the strong type of person she is.
Chapter 2: Theatre Geek
ReplyDelete1. My first thought to 'Theatre Geek' is that it was a person who is very passionate about acting and performing in different theatre settings. But is very passionate about that, and is something they love. But the further I read about the character David, it was easy to tell that he had some social problems, but can show his confidence by moving towards being good at auditioning. And then feeling like he has a place.
2. The background information given about David shows that the experience he had when being in the scouts or in his band has to do with his work in the production "Welcome to Lovely's", which was being afraid to be in the spotlight. This is obvious by the fact that he joined the stage crew, when he had the ability to be a star performer. But David had found himself taking on bigger and bigger tasks throughout his part in the stage crew. When he experience being an actor for the play, he changed his mind and started remembering the work he did in the past. Even after winning a competition, he had realized the work being in the stage crew was more satisfying. But in the end becomes the person he wanted.
4. The amount of humor David showed, let me know that he was a relaxed person who could laugh at himself, but also had perseverance. He kept motivated towards his goal of trying to fit in and be on stage, but ended up trying out different things until he became satisfied.
Chapter 4: Whose Life Would You Save?
ReplyDelete1. I believe that the reason Zimmer thinks to show the different information regarding the scientists is that people reading can interpret their own value from the work. Greene tries to create some sort of harmony by analyzing and explaining different theories and methods of philosophers by doing tests and research studies. Reading about Greene might help people reading to get into the mind of a scientist, while also grabbing the attention of people who may not be interested in science, but may be interested in the topics of morality.
3. The different cartoons shown are a visual idea to get some of the readers thinking about morality related questions that are brought up to the people who were involved in Joshua Greene's studies. The reader gets put in different types of situations as you read about the types of challenges they face, and what types of decisions you might find yourself making. When reading the captions, I found myself getting more interested into the story. Because the cartoons can make you think about what you would do if you were slipped into their shoes. Which brings the question of different moralities, and engages the reader in some very different ways of thinking.
4. Describing my own personal way of making decisions that have a high moral impact would be hard. These things can have a huge impact on the outcome, but can be influenced by emotions like frustration or being angry or sad. Its important to use your own moral compass to make decisions on specific situations. But sometimes avoiding emotions is a difficult thing, if you are placed in a situation where something personal or close to you is in the question.
Chapter 4 – ACL: The Curse of Women Athletes
ReplyDelete1. I think Margaret's teammates read her report carefully because of the first few paragraphs. In the very beginning she gives many examples of famous women athletes such as Brandi Chastain who tore their ACL. Also I'm sure the title – The Curse of Women Athletes – had to draw them in. Her report has good information from different sources which contributes greatly to it. The section, When Are ACL Injuries Most Common?, is what I think really would have caught her teammate's attention. I'm sure they were very curious, after having just read all the examples of ACL injuries in women athletes and seeing the first picture, to know when they would be mostly likely to get the injury themselves.
2. I think Margaret successfully establishes her creditibility by using outside souces instead of just her thoughts. She backs up her report by using good sources such as The Washington Post and Women's Sports & Fitness. Also I believe that because she is an athlete herself she would be more credibile merely for the fact that she has played and could have faced this injury herself. Plus she even uses a quote from an orthopedic consultant, Dr. Bill Youmans. All of these sources and her being a women playing sports gives her creditility.
3. The first photograph Margaret uses is of a women althete with a knee brace. This draws your attention to the subject. Just by seeing a real person you know the injury is real. During the rest of her report she uses helpful digrams of the ACL. These other pictures give a visual understanding to the reader especially during the section What is the ACL.
4. By writing about the knee before the ACL I think it gives the reader an reason as to why the ACL is important. For example she states that, “the knee depends so much on the ACL that it is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body,” which grabs the readers attention. Also this gives you more of a understanding as to why the ACL injuries are so serious. By talking about the knee first it is a great introduction to the ACL.
Chapter 5: Cheap Food Nation
ReplyDelete1.I feel like this contradiction should be brought to everyone’s attention. Many people simply do not know the truth behind our food industry, if people found out that collectively we have the power to change the regulations of the food industry than change would be on its way. I was not aware of this contradiction, therefore I am very surprised. I had already been disgusted with many of the malpractices of the food industry; this very fact gave me another reason to disapprove. It helps fuel my stance against the industry as a whole because, if as humans we are not permitted to use steroids than our animals should not be permitted to ingest them either. I also find it frustrating because, many of us wind up indirectly consuming the chemicals through the animals. Therefore, it is harming both the animals and the humans, while many humans are not even aware they are consuming such things. Starting with a contradiction of such magnitude was proven to be very effective, at least while I was reading it. This method only urged me to read more, in search of more answers.
5. Schloseers’s argument is proven to be persuasive for the simple reason that there is truth behind it. Many of the reasons listed as to why we can expect future complications from cheap food can be seen first handed just by taking a single step into the United States. Possibly one of the most evident issues being our health. This complication is seen all over the United States, and I can say that I truly believe it is single handedly a result of our falsified food source. The United States is known for unfathomable rates of obesity due to our food supply. If the animals offered the correct nutrients, similar to that in European countries than many of these issues would be dissolved. The issues would lessen because healthy animals translate into healthy people, therefore a healthier environment since harmful animal products would no longer be available.
6. By stating that the change will only happen through the individuals the author opens up a strong argument. This is an effective closing statement since it brings attention to the fact that change is possible through the readers, creating a more interactive piece. Since collectively our voices can hold enough power over the companies we have the ability to make a change in the industry. This conclusion emphasizes the fact that the power is in our hands, and it is possible.
Chapter 4 – The Record Industry’s Slow Fade
ReplyDelete1. By starting the report with an example, overview, and quotation about how the music industry is declining, it makes the readers aware of a serious problem that exists. The introduction of the report gains the reader’s attention because people think that the music industry is booming from all of the new artists and albums that come out, but the truth is that they are running into money issues.
2. I think the authors’ prediction of the record industry having a very bleak future seems justified. There are many ways to “cheat the system” and download music for free. Consequently, this free downloading is leading to the failure of the record industry because they are not making money off of the music downloads. For example, people can download music off of youtube.com as an mp3 for free instead of paying $1.29 to download a song off of iTunes.
3. By using graphs, lists, and comparisons, the authors try to show the dramatic decrease in album sales and global music revenue from a few years ago compared to now. For example, the Number 10 (Destiny’s Child) of the “Top Ten Albums, Now and Then” chart in 2000 sold $3,802,165 units, which was significantly more than that of the Number 1 in 2006 (High School Musical) selling $3,719,071 units. The captions add to the effect of the visuals by describing what the visual is showing and expressing the exact number of sales to the reader. For example, the comparison “The Growth of File-Sharing” shows that in 2006, the number of people sharing files was 9.4 million and in 2000, it was 4.9 million. The caption states “Since 2000, the average number of people sharing files has nearly doubled.”
4. By concluding the report with comments from people who know the industry well instead of with statistical information, readers can get a better opinion from actual people instead of just seeing the facts. It also gives readers a break from looking at the statistics so they can form their own opinions about the music industry.
Chapter 4, The Record Industry's Slow Fade
ReplyDelete1. What effect is achieved by starting the report with the example, report, and quotation?:
The example of Linkin Park's new album release helps put into perspective how their label, Warner Music Group, is having trouble surviving due to the lack of hard copies bought. Consumers are becoming less and less interested in paying for something that will soon be obsolete. Based on past trends, it's only a matter of time until hard copies of music and devices to play them are not even manufactured. The use of literary devices drives the realization of the record industry's demise to the audience.
2. Given your experience, does a bleak prediction for the record industry seem accurate?:
I believe it does. Consumers are not only looking for different alternatives to hard copies, but they're also looking for freebies. There are many ways of pirating music over the internet that require little to no monetary compensation. I have personally found that the largest source of income for the music industry seems to be live performances. I think that record companies will continue to struggle but live music will thrive.
3. What is the purpose of the graphs, lists, and comparisons? Why is it like this? How do the captions add/subtract from the photo/charts?:
I think that the lists were used very effectively to incorporate recent advances in technology that have aided in the record companies' declines. I think that the captions inside the inserts take away from their effectiveness because of the small print. Much of the information in the charts is self-explanatory and could use far less explanation.
Chapter 5
ReplyDeleteCheap Food Nation
1. Our government and society as a whole has taught us that taking steroids to use so that you can have an advantage over your competition is wrong yet society doesn’t feel as strongly about the steroids that are given to live stock. This is because we don’t see the affects that these types of steroids have for society on a daily bases. Also we as a society view cheating in a sporting event to be worse than cheating nature. In my opinion American societies views on ‘cheating’ are askew. This is because though we want our sporting events to be fair, and though I understand this need for fairness when two or more people or teams are playing against one another; but shouldn’t our countries health be more important than the food they eat? The way the author started off the article was effective because it not only upsets the reader but gets them thinking about society.
2. The use of the word “may” does affect the argument since it is possible that the affects that he states that these hormones may cause us in the future might never really occur. Also, using the word “may” instead will in the article takes away some of the credibility that the author hopes to gain since his statements “may” not be factual.
3. The consequences that these steroids cause the farmers of America as well as the animals is a concern because though I am not a vegetarian I found some of the details that he included about how these animals are raised to be inhumane and disgusting to say the least. The reason that we should be concerned about how these animals are being raised is because we are supposed to be the best species on this planet yet we are treating these animals horribly. We as Americans should be worried about how our farmers are being treated because the more that we have our food being raised or grown with chemicals; these chemicals are put into these animals’ bodies which we then ingest.
4. Paragraph four is an argument that is made on emotional appeals. This is because he describes the conditions in which these animals are raised in such detail that we can almost see the horrible putrid conditions he describes.
5. I found that this argument was very persuasive because I would rather have more expensive food if the alternative is my health or is causing others to lose their jobs and lives. I think that he makes a good argument because is this cheap food worth the cost of what is being done to the animals, the earth, the farmers and even the health of the people eating this cheaper food. The reason that it is persuasive is caused by the language he uses as well as his use of facts.
6. I think that his conclusion is correct because the government is helping to run these businesses and are probably somehow making money off these companies. They are not going to cause change if it means less change in their pockets. It’s up to the people of this nation to make the change and help the food industry be healthier.
Ch. 4: ACL The Curse of Women Athletes
ReplyDelete1. I think the reason that her teammates would read her report very carefully is that she is someone that they know and obviously have bonded with and care about. The subject matter of ACL tears is relevant to anyone who plays sports. I think that as a teammate, I would want to know the nature of an ACL injury so that I could be knowledgeable in preventing them. I think the title itself brings would bring in any women athlete. I read it and wondered "Why are these injuries more prevalent in women than men?" I think the fact that she mentions other well know women athletes shows that it can happen to anyone.
2. She establishes credibility first off by using a variety of good sources. Information coming from others knowledgeable on the subject is always a good way of establishing credibility. I think that she establishes the reasons why women are more affected than men clearly and logically. This gives the paper focus and answers the questions that the reader may want to know at the beginning of the paper.
3. The visuals are placed in sections that are relevant to the material that is being talked about. The first picture shows an athlete once afflicted with an ACL injury and is wearing a knee brace. This image reflects what is being talked about on the first page. The other pictures are informative diagrams of the anatomy of the knee which is helpful to a reader that is not familiar with this type of information.
Chapter 5- "Drop in the Bucket"
ReplyDelete1. I believe that Jacobs started that way because she could also use those personal experiences to describe how little that FEMA is doing in New Orleans. It was both a great visual introduction and a great description to compare the rest of her paper to.
2. I see the justifications for her respect for the private or charity companies right away. She pointed out that the government's way of doing things isn't working. But, right way she points out that Americans are stepping up where the government is slacking. However, I feel that it makes her paper seem to be worrying more about the policies and corporate information, than what is actually being done. She didn't do much talking about the workers, how much work is done on each individual structure and many other factors that would increase the time it takes to complete the renovations. I feel like these factors would really shoot her entire argument down.
3. The demolition of the structures are what she is talking about. She is implying that the government was killing two birds with one hurricane, so to speak. The inhabitants had to move out, and now they can demolish the abandoned public structures to create new public housing systems. However, she doesn't talk about the extensive damage that floodwater does to a wood framed house. Those structures may have been standing but they were almost guaranteed to be unsafe. Building codes are not retroactive laws and these homes were built decades ago. These homes were more than likely not built to code to begin with. So the federal government is justified in demolishing the homes.
Chapter 5: Cheap Food Nation
ReplyDelete1. There are many hidden truths in our food industry, and the fact that many people don’t know the full differences between all of the growth hormones being used adds to that. Many don’t fully realize the different type of effects that all these steroids have on our daily population in America. Some people find themselves using specific steroids for their own purposes, whether it is personal gain or the fact that they want some sort of physical perfection. But on that side note many people don’t realize that most steroids and chemicals fed to these animals, we indirectly consume some of them on a daily basis. But when it comes to use of steroids on healthy competition, some people will want an edge to make sure they get what they want. This piece did a great job of engaging the reader to do some interesting thoughts, and maybe even inspire further research on the topic.
5. It is very obvious to me that this argument is very persuasive when you sit down and analyze the effects of the decisions, especially when it comes to people’s personal health. The argument itself makes great points because of the fact that our obesity percentages are so high because of a corrupted food supply that cuts corners to get more money for the people running it, and in turn poisons the population with the Grade F food that is served to many on a daily basis. It is a true fact that when people eat from these animals that have been fed nothing but hormones and chemicals, and then are kept in horrible unsanitary conditions, causes many problems. But people want to spend less to get more in this world.
6. The argument makes a good point by stating that different change can only happen through the individuals. But people that run the food businesses and the people that are responsible for these chemicals will not back down if it means that they will be getting paid less at the end of the day. People that are so consumed with personal greed do not see the fact that many people can be hurt by what they are doing. People have to make their own choice by choosing what they want on a daily basis, and by picking what they do or don’t want.
Chapter 5, Where have All the Criminals Gone?, Levitt/Dubner
ReplyDelete1. Levitt and Dubner do not seem to think highly of these people. Like when they said "hustled to explain their faulty forecasting", they are saying that these authorities were not only wrong, but then tried to redeem themselves as fast as they could to save themselves from people thinking negatively against their credentials. These attitudes are justified because they use a quote by criminologist james Alan Fox, who said it would be a "bloodbath", when instead crime went down.
2. I think their use of the world 'destroys' does not seem as justified as the word is intended to lean. Much of they're evidence proves that a better economy and crime do not correlate, but with so many other variables that need to be taken into account before both dismissing or agreeing with a correlation, you can't take the theory into a complete dismissal. One of the points they make states that the percentage doesn't match (when they say 2 percent of unemployment fell, while 40 percent of nonviolent crime fell). Comparing just the unemployment rate is not a representation of the whole economy.
4. I think they make a definite case on this theory. They talk about how only a small percentage of crime itself is actual crime that would result in the death penalty to begin with. On top of that, certain areas where crimes are committed result in people more likely dying their, outside prison, then having the death penalty occurring to them. He says these statistics show that usually criminals aren't worried about the death penalty if they commit the crime. He states that only 478 executes occurred in the 1990s, so such a small statistical number of people getting capital punishment to actual crime being committed, criminals usually aren't deterred.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeletePopcorn: Which Kernels Are King?
1.While the article does not provide the reader with an distinctive answer as to which popcorn reigns supreme, I like the way it was written, and do not think that a final decision was necessary. The evaluation was very well written, and informative. It managed to present the reader with solid facts, allowing the reader to make their own decision, instead of trying to persuade them one way or another. This tactic makes the most sense because, everyone has different health needs. Separating the brands, cost, fat, calories, and sodium, helps the reader understand the label more clearly, clarifying all the confusing words. This clarification gives the consumer more power, trusting in the end they will make the decision that is best for them.
2.In deciding which popcorn or food of any kind is best for me, I tend to focus on serving size, and calories. Often times, looking at what has the largest serving size, with the least calories, and least amount of additives. This is relative to the consumer reports, since the same criteria seemed to also be emphasized. The report shows calories per half bag. This tactic is effective, because it puts things in a better perspective. The authors know that realistically no one will measure out their popcorn by the kernel. The article is similar in the fact that, we all find ourselves worrying about health, but do not always know how to tackle it. In this case, they have taken a super food, and modernized it with un-healthy products. The article makes it easier for the reader to bypass the artificial additives, allowing them to make the right decision when choosing popcorn.
3.The ultimate conclusion makes sense to me as a reader, and a consumer. I think that they avoided favoring one specific type of popcorn, so that someone with high cholesterol or another ailment doesn’t take advice that was not intended for someone with that condition. This way those who wrote the report can eliminate the responsibility of giving inaccurate information.
Chapter 7: Homeroom Zombies
ReplyDelete1. The article started off by explaining the short term effects or consequences resulting from the lack of sleep instead of the long term consequences and helps to grab the parent reading the articles attention. It makes them realize that these symptoms, that they are seeing in their children are a result of their children not obtaining enough sleep. If the article had started with the long term effects, which not getting enough sleep could have on teens, the parents reading the article wouldn’t worry as much about their children not getting enough sleep. This would be because they would not see any of the symptoms that go along with these long term effects on a day to day basis. They may have also thought that this could not happen to their child or be lulled into a false sense of security that their child doesn’t have problems sleeping. This could be simply because the parents could be unaware that there child is not sleeping when they are supposed to be in bed. Children may not show the symptoms of sleep deprivation at home and by only stating the long term affects, a child is sleeping in class would not send up as many red flags for the parents. By ending the article with short term effects brings the article full circle and helps parents realize they may want to talk to their children’s teachers if they think their child is having trouble sleeping.
2. I think that having the word Zombies in the title is an accurate description of what these kids or young adults both feel and look like. A zombie is a living corpse and from experience when you have not gotten enough sleep you feel like you are just there going through the motions of the day. When people have not gotten enough sleep they have dark circles under their eyes and drag their feet much in the same way that zombies are portrayed as doing in movies.
3. Schools may think that starting school later would cause more problems than it would solve. The kids would feel as though they were at school longer because school would end later in the day. Also parents who work would have to make different arrangements so that their children could still attend the same school. Though the article states that benefits and the positive effects that this change of time would have for students; it does not address these issues. By addressing these issues the author could have added more credibility to his argument and extended his proposal so a school administrator could view it as a benefit for the school district as well.
4. Keeping a regular sleep/ awake schedule is one of the recommendations that these authors make to the parents who have teenagers. Looking back at my own high school experience I remember my own class mates always asking me how I could be so chipper or awake. Though I know that I am a morning person and I admitted this as one of my reasons for being chipper in the morning, it wasn’t the only reason. I on average got eight hours of sleep on every day with a strict bed time of ten o’clock on school nights and eleven o’clock on weekends. When I was hearing this question almost every other day I started to ask my fellow classmate what time they went to bed on average. They would normally respond that they had not gone to sleep until one or two o’clock that morning. I then told them that the reason that I seemed awake to them was I had gotten eight hours of sleep and they had gotten somewhere between six and five hours of sleep.
6. I think that this figure, on page 423, points out the important fact that today’s teenagers are not the only people who are risking their lives as well as others because they are sleep deprived. It shows that this is not just a problem that today’s youth is facing but a problem that everyone in America is dealing with and needs to address. It also stresses how important it is for the parents to lead by example and worry about their health as well as their children’s.
Chapter 6 – We’ll Always Have Springfield: The Simpsons Movie
ReplyDelete1. Scott frequently makes exaggerated claims in his review of the Simpsons Movie. I think he expected readers to not take his claims very seriously because they were presented in a joking manner. I felt that most of his comments were sarcastic and the whole point of his review was to tell the readers that he felt that the movie was just as good as an average episode and nothing extraordinary. Scott’s exaggerated claims make his review more interesting and entertaining to read, but readers have to be careful not to take every comment seriously.
2. Scott assumes that the readers know all about the Simpsons show and that they remember what has happened in every episode. I personally was a little confused when Scott started talking about “Krusty Gets Busted” and “Homer’s Enemy”, for example, because I am not a diehard Simpsons fan like he is. Scott should realize that not all of the members of his audience share the same knowledge and passion for the Simpsons as he does and I feel like he should have elaborated more on the previous episodes and included some more details from the movie.
3. The criteria by which Scott is judging the movie are: comparing the movie to the episodes on television, deciding whether the movie was better than the regular TV episodes, having all the characters getting the same amount of screen time, and having an interesting plot other than the usual of Homer doing something stupid, Lisa having a crush, Bart getting in trouble, and Marge expressing disapproval. The criteria were pretty defined, for the most part, and Scott expresses his opinions of the movie in each paragraph.
4. I think Scott included the specific images form the movie because it gives the readers some sense of the plot. The first picture shows a scene where disaster is approaching. Then the second picture shows Homer and Bart working together. The last picture is of Homer and Bart escaping from danger. I think the pictures were necessary because they make the review more interesting and catch the attention of the reader.
Chapter 7 – Leave No Child Inside
ReplyDelete3. How valid do the reasons parents have to stay inside seem? How does Louv respond to them? And how persuasive do you find Louv’s response?
The reasons the parents give for sheltering their children are not valid at all. I can’t think of any reason a child should live a sheltered life and be nearly reliant on electrical outlets. Yes, safety is a huge concern of parents but definitely not a reason to limit time outdoors. There are plenty of measures to take to ensure the safety of children, such as joining them, educating them, safety in numbers, etc. I think Louv’s response is somewhat accurate. I like that he brings in the numbers about overweight and obesity. Another great point he brings up is the reduction in attention deficit disorder symptoms when introduced to more time outdoors. I think that his information is very well-chosen, well worded, and persuasive – as he brings up many things that people would like to see change.
4. What do these benefits tell you about the assumptions Louv is making about his audience?
I think Louv is neglecting an urban population in his proposal. I think much of his proposal would fit appropriately in western, mountain, and coastal states with much more open spaces. It’s hard for schools based in and around cities to construct outside classrooms, etc. But the figures he picked to describe overweight and obesity apply just as much to city students as to country-esque students.
5. Do these students’ reactions persuade you that spending time in nature will have significant effects on large numbers of students? Why or why not?
Yes! I think that the great accounts of one children can spark an interest in many others. Once one discovers the greatness of nature, the rest are sure to follow – hopefully sooner than later.
Chapter 7 – Homeroom Zombies
ReplyDelete1.This article starts off by boldly presenting the fact that kids are sleeping in class because of their bad sleeping habits. I think by starting out with the less serve effects of sleep deprivation such as a nodding off during a movie in class it builds up the intensity. Plus, if you're going to list all the harmful consequences of being sleep deprived you mind as well go in order. I think if you put the more severe ones such as depression and shorterned life span first it would just look weird to list things such as falling asleep in class. It doesn't make sense to do so.
2. According to my dictionary zombie means “a person whose behavior or responses are wooden,listless, or seemingly rote.” I think this is an apt term to describe the students. In the paper it states that, “more than half [in a survey of middle school and high school students] had trouble concentrating during the day at least once a week.” I think this quote gives the reason for using the word zombie. These kids aren't functioning at a very high level because they aren't awake yet which is just like any zombie. If you've ever watched a horror movie and seen the zombies stumble around you'd know that's what the majority of my high school looked like for our first two classes.
3. Few schools have switched to a later start time even though it seems like a good idea. I think the reasons the school won't change is because mainly the hassel they will have to go through. I don't think a lot of teachers would support the later start time. A lot of my teachers loved getting out just an hour or so later after the students. They had families and could pick their kids up from school while beating five o' clock traffic. I know that's the same with many of our adminstrators. I know this propsal really wants everyone to get more sleep so we can function better but, I don't think that would happen at my old high school. I just think that schools are stuck in tradition. This article doesn't really give any great advice on changing the school start time and I believe it's because they can't. The article lists ways of helping kids ajust to their harsh wake up time instead of trying to help the kids change their situation. If the article provided this help than maybe the kids could've been active in pushing back their start time.
4. One of the suggestions this propsal leaves us with is to “keep a regular sleep/wake schedule.” I know from experience that it doesn't really work out. Although five days out of the week I would go to bed around the same time and wake up at the same time it never worked on the weekend. The section propses to “avoid staying up more than an hour later on weekends,” but, this never works. For instance on Friday nights there would be football games that didn't end until late at night, when I already should've been asleep on a school night. After the games my friends and I would like to go out to eat and hang out. There is no way I ever fell asleep within an hour of my normal time. Although this article does make that suggestion, which sounds good in theory, it's just not possible. During the week you don't really have time to catch up or hang out with friends so once the weekend hits everyone stays up until the wee hours of the morning. These behaviors throw off your sleep schedule so no real progess comes of this recommnedation.
5. Although the articles says, “just to talk to them,” this solution really doesn't work. I know I have had conversations with my parents about getting the correct amount of sleep each night but, it's never really helped. Just because we talk about going to bed earlier doesn't mean it will happen. My parents can't create more hours in a day just so I can sleep. As much as we talk my parents and I will never get the reccommended hours of sleep because it just doesn't work with our busy lives.
Chapter 7: Let Teenagers Try Adulthood
ReplyDelete1. The reason that I think that high school is somewhat an artificial environment is because people tend to believe that because you are in a different social class than someone else that you are better than they are. This is not how it works in college because you are equals with your peers and no one thinks that they are so much better than anyone else just because they play a sport or are a cheerleader. In addition to the cliques the teachers send mixed signals to their students at the beginning of high school. You are told that teachers are not going to “baby” you as they did in middle school. Yet in my junior and senior year of high school teachers were still trying to make sure other students turned in assignments on time. Some teachers were even trying to help some students to graduate on time by just having them turn in any assignment for some amount of credit. This is not at all how college works, in college if you don’t turn an assignment in on time and don’t have an acceptable reason for not having it turned in you lose half to full credit. This isn’t to say that college professors don’t care about their students because in my experience these professors will do their best to try and help you. With the deep contrast between high school and college it is easy to think that high school really didn’t prepare us for work in the real world but just contained us until the government thought we were old enough to handle the world and make choices of our own.
3. I think that parents of children who are anywhere from sixteen to eighteen would agree with the authors proposal because their child is allowed to drive a motorized vehicle but not allowed to make other important decisions about their life. The reason these parents would want their children out in the real world sooner is so that they can become adults by the age of eighteen when they are considered by law to be an adult. The questions that the schools boards would ask the author would be things such as how much money would this cost to redo our school district in the way you propose? How many people will be laid off because we no longer will need a middle school? Parents will on the other hand ask, how will this help our children? What are the negative effects this program could have on our children? Does this make sense to have our children at sixteen years old going into the work force or going to college? These parents might also object to the fact that their children will be leaving home much sooner than they left their parents.
4. If a school decided to implement this the consequences for teachers would be that not as many of them would be needed for the district and therefore some would have to be laid off. Students would have to improve in their studies much faster so that they could be ready for college that much sooner from an educational and emotional stand point. The community would have to adjust their way of thinking so that sixteen year olds working full time would not be such an odd thing. If this policy had been put in place during my elementary school years I am pretty sure that I would have been held back a couple times because my reading level would not have been up to what the other students reading levels were. This would have made me feel worse about myself and would not do anything for my self-esteem.
5. I my opinion I would reject the author’s proposal because he didn’t give any statistical data or any facts that would have made me believe that indeed high schools are obsolete. However even without the data this article did not convince me that high school students need or are ready to become adult. The reason that I think this is because half of my high school class still acted like little kids half way through our senior year. I wasn’t fully convinced that high school students are ready for life outside of high school. In my opinion this idea could actually cause more problems than it intends to solve.
Chapter 7
ReplyDeleteLeave No Child Inside
1. Many of my friends and family share the same fear as the children, and they also chose to avoid it. While environmental problems are intimidating, they should not be taken lightly. What many people don’t understand that by even starting small, for example by not using plastic bottles you can still make a difference. Louvs examples definitely prove that the youth of America is experiencing a much larger problem than many of us realize. New fears have been created due to lack of interaction with nature. Along with these fears, serious health problems such as obesity and diabetes have also arisen. By having children focus all their time on technology, they miss out on exercise, connecting with natural elements, and interaction with anything outside a controlled area. Too much of one thing is bad for anyone, as one can see staying inside has started to negatively affect Americans as a whole.
3. The arguments parents list do seem valid, however while I was reading I also kept creating valid counter arguments. For example, if a parent feels like playing outside is unsafe for fear of strangers, than the parent needs to make more of an effort to be outside at the same time. I am not saying the children need to be towered over, but the parent could wash the cars, plant flowers, clean the garage, or anything really so that the child has the opportunity to explore outdoors, or better yet the parent should join them in exploration. Louv’s response to the parent’s arguments was the least bit sympathetic. I think he gave the correct response, since parents seem to be under the wrong impression that they are protecting their children by keeping them inside. When in fact, it is proven that they are not. Lack of outdoor activities and interaction is not only harming American children physically, but also mentally. Louv’s response was awesome; he included everything he needed in order to prove the parents wrong. Most importantly, he proved how their physical health is at jeopardy from lack of engagement in nature. He also then went on to prove that the outdoors opens up more doors for creativity. Creativity is much more heightened when surrounded by nature, that it has been proven to improve children’s test scores and that’s not all, the children enjoy it too.
4. Louv starts out explaining the positive effects of outdoor learning on a very high note. He continues his argument by backing up his statements with proven facts. This tactic shows that he feels as though his audience will doubt the effectiveness of outdoor classrooms. However, since his audience includes members of the Sierra Club, this means they are already environmentally engaged. Therefore, he knows that some readers will doubt him, while also understanding that if handled the right way the viewers can easily be persuaded.
Chapter 7 – Camera in the Station House
ReplyDelete1. Richard Emery wrote this piece in the Criminal Justice Ethics both for the general public and a specialized audience of criminal justice professionals. When he generalizes without giving evidence to support it makes him not credible. Just because he is a civil rights attorney does not mean he knows what goes on in a police station. For example his whole article is basically trying to get cameras into police stations in order to know what goes on in them. Maybe the general public doesn't take issue with his generalization but, I think the professionals would have wanted him to elaborate more.
2. Emery anticipates objections such as privacy of police officers. He is quick to assure the reader that police officers shouldn't have privacy, except in bathrooms and locker rooms, as they are public officials. This means that their station can be accessed by anyone such as their superiors, press, or other officers who would be expected to report misconduct.
3. While I agree police should be held accountable, especially to a higher standard since they should set a good example for the public, he should've made the same claim about people police arrest. Obviously if you are getting arrested it's not for something nice such as baking a cake for your neighbor. No, it's for doing something illegal. Why should the people who are protecting us, put their life on the line for us, out of the goodness of their heart be videotaped? The police are held accountable for their actions, and they know that they are not above the law, which is why most police officers are held to a higher standard of conduct. You have to be of good character to become a cop so I don't see why Emery has such an issue with police brutatily. The criminals, you know the bad people the cops arrest, are the ones who would be more likely to try and get sympathy from a jury for getting beat up by a cop. It's just dispicable how Emery assumes police are the problem when the problem is really the arrested.
4. I reject Emery's suggestion of videotaping police being comparable to a sport event. In sports you know you're being videotaped because you are an entertainer. Cops are not. I think that by putting cameras in stations and cars you would just give the police more anxiety. They would always be worried about how the public is going to judge them and not be able to focus. When I was on a ride a long the officer told me that as a cop you always have to trust your judgment and never go back on it. Riding with a camera would only make the cops second guess every decision they make which doesn't make for good police work.
5. Emery's proposal might bring him success but, I think that would only be if criminals read his proposal. Criminals would be the only ones afraid of so called police brutatily therefore the cameras would only benefit them. After being insulted though I don't think the police would agree. Emery states that, “the urgency to control police violence and assuring the public that their police operate humanely and fairly,” which I find is rude. Police officers are supposed to protect the public not go out and beat them up which is basically what Emery is implying.
Chapter 6 – Breakfast at Manory’s
ReplyDelete1. I found Vitarius’s restaurant review of Manory’s engaging because he used a lot of descriptive words to make the breakfast foods sound very appealing. He described the eggs as being fresh off the grill, thick and crispy bacon, spicy and perfectly cooked sausages, and fluffy and sweet pancakes with whipped butter and maple syrup.
2. I think that Vitarius included background information in his review about his tendency to sleep late and his love for breakfast to try to relate better to his readers and fellow students. It is a known fact that most college students do not like to wake up in the morning for class and often run out of time to eat breakfast. Vitarius offers a solution by suggesting that his readers go to Manory’s for breakfast because they serve breakfast all day long and it is more convenient for college students.
3. The photographs that accompany this review are both of a breakfast plate; one that has just been served with pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausages, syrup, butter, and juice and another that is completely clean of the food that was on it. The first picture of the plate with food makes me hungry because it looks very appetizing. The second picture of the empty plate makes me assume that the food must have been really good because the person that was sitting there ate it all to the very last bite.
Ch 6. We Will Always Have Springfield" The Simpsons Movie
ReplyDelete1. I do not think that Scott expects the reader to take some of his claims very seriously. Most of them are stated in a sarcastic manner and are strictly opinion. I think the review is more interesting with these types of exaggerations. I like how he compared the action of the Simpsons movie to the action in a block buster Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. The reader knows that these are two completely different types of movies but can get a feel for the dilemmas that may persist in the Simpsons movie.
2. By not including any of the details in the episodes or movie, he assumes it is common knowledge that the reader knows these classic episodes. I think he figures that anyone who is particularly interested in seeing this movie or reading a review about it has been a fan of the series for some time. I think this narrows the audience too much for a general movie review. I could relate to it because I like older episodes of the Simpsons but do not necessarily know the names of them. In this sense, the reader is able to guage how good the movie is compared to some of the best Simpsons episode.
3. Scott judges how good The Simpsons movie is by comparing it to many past episodes on TV. He sums up the differences and similarities between the movie and TV series that make the movie unique. I think this is a good way to review a movie that has been created from a TV series because it is the only way to compare it to anything.When people think about the movie they think was it better or worse that the TV show. I do not think he needed to define his criteria any more than he did because it is not necessary to summarize the quality of a movie like this.
Writing Now (WN): 1/3/12
ReplyDeleteThe Record Industry’s Slow Fade Ch 4, Pg 177.
1. Judging by the title, the example presented, overview, and quotation, all give me a realization that this article is gong to highlight the negative aspects of the music industry, and it does. The rock band Linkin’ Park sold a whopping 623,000 copies in its first week of sales, but Warner Brothers, their record label, are still forced to pay off 400 people. In addition, their stock price has decreased 42% since their peak last year.
2. Given my experience, I agree with the authors in their prediction of a bleak future for the record industry. They talk in the article about how the music industry’s top executives gathered for secret talks with Napster CEO Hank Barry with the idea of having a licensing deal, but they never came to a compromise. I truly believe that is the point in time where the music industry made its worst decision. There were many little websites that people were using to file host and share back then, and if they had just come to a compromise, they could have brought in much more money in sales. I understand the position they were in with the artists and retail stores telling them the opposite of what they wanted to hear, but this is a social problem that we all have. We need to start making decisions with our gut feeling, not by what other people say and what other people want. We need to justify our decisions by what we truly want, but keeping in mind that it’s not all about the money, even when it is. I do not know anyone who purchases music in stores anymore, besides myself and a few other people who enjoy the hard disc and booklets. The truth is, artists do not make money off of their music. The only way that they make music is off of their live performances and the merchandise they sell. Please, support live music.
3. By using graphs, lists, and comparisons, the authors can truly get across the point that they have been trying to make. On Page 179, let’s imagine if we were just looking at a profile of 2006. We might look at it and say, ‘Wow, High School Musical sold 3,719,071 units.” But with this comparison to the year 2000, we realize that this isn’t right. There were 9,936,104 units sold of ‘NSYNC. Literally everyone had that CD- I know I had the tape deck. Despite the information shown of units sold, we have an understanding that 36% of record stores have closed, which makes up for all of the loss. When then realize that file sharing has almost doubled and that is where the true business lies. The captions that accompany the pictures only add to the effect of the visuals. These captions provide even more detailed information for a better understanding of what is truly going on behind the sales and where the consumers are really exploring and spending their money which we can conclude to be through live music and artists who tour.
Writing Now (WN): 1/11/12
ReplyDeletePopcorn: Which Kernels Are King? Ch 4, Pg 352.
1. The comparison article by Consumer Reports’ does not directly answer the question in the title, but whole the point of the article is for the consumer to make the ultimate decision. The visual comparison between popcorn, chips, and pretzels was a great piece of information to include within the article, because it also highlighted other common snacks that Americans eat every day. With the information provided in the article I can apply my new knowledge to making the same healthier decisions with chips and pretzels just as I would popcorn.
2. If I were in the grocery store deciding which popcorn to buy, I would retain what I learned from the “How To Choose” section of this article. I do not have many health complaints, but I do try to eat foods that are healthy- low in fat and sodium, while having a good source of protein and dietary fiber. As a college student, my biggest concern is money. With that being said I am more likely always looking for the cheapest better buy, so I would take the advice from the article and my ultimate decision would be the Act II Light Butter. Usually I would not go to the store and purchase popcorn, but instead my household owns an ‘air popper.’ When I am at home with my mother, we would go out to purchase the necessary popcorn kernels and pop them in the air popper ourselves. For flavor, we would add our own salt and melt our own low fat butter to add on top.
3. The article clearly states in the table which popcorn is best but through the text does not declare which is truly best. Going back to my response in question one, the whole purpose of the article is for the consumer to make the ultimate decision- this makes complete sense. It all depends on our personal taste. With that being said, one could love the taste of salty popcorn, the sweet taste of kettle corn, extra butter, or maybe their personal taste is watching their weight, so they do not necessarily like bland popcorn, but they will choose a popcorn that best suits their diet and maybe once in awhile splurge and eat that popcorn with double extra butter.
Writing Now (WN): 1/13/12
ReplyDeleteWe’ll Always Have Springfield: The Simpsons Movie Ch 6, Pg 362.
1. After reading Scott’s review of The Simpsons Movie, I do not believe that he expected the reader to believe his exaggerated claims. The Simpsons is a comedic cartoon, so why should he be obligated to write a serious review? Through his writing, Scott communicates the sarcasm and light-hearted humor and emotion that we may find while watching the movie, or very long television episode ourselves. I think that it was a great idea to include these claims because by presenting his views in a sarcastic, joking manner Scott gave himself more credibility as a movie reviewer just by understanding the emotional purpose of the movie. The Simpsons Movie wasn’t supposed to be a big deal or anything special, it was just another episode and something new for viewers to experience.
2. When Scott claims that The Simpsons Movie is “not better than the best episodes” and does not give details from the episodes that he lists, he makes a huge assumption that the audience is completely familiar with all of the episodes. I’m not a die-hard fan, but I do know a little of what he was talking about. Personally, I think that Scott should have included some insight on a few episodes, such as noting the basis of the plot or highlighting what joke exactly made that episode worth watching.
3. The criteria that Scott is judging The Simpsons Movie on is mainly in comparison with the television show. He defines that criteria in the first paragraph and within each paragraph throughout the rest of the piece. He explains that the movie is ‘funny’ and loaded with ‘dumb jokes that are often as funny as the other ones’ just like the television show. Then he goes on to explain that there are ‘crowd scenes’ displayed within the movie on ‘a scale rarely attempted on television.’ He praises the work within the movie communicating that there was some improvement from the general television show. He then goes onto explain that there should have been more or less of certain characters within the movie so there would have been a better balance. Even though he ‘gives away’ the basis of the plot- Homer does something stupid, Lisa has a crush, Bart is in trouble, and Marge is disappointed- he explains that this movie has a little bit more to it than your typical episode without giving away the whole movie.
Writing Now (WN): 1/16/12
ReplyDeleteHomeroom Zombies Ch 7, Pg 421.
1. The first paragraph and visual aid of this article highlight the short term effect resulting from lack of sleep: falling asleep in class. I think it is a wise decision to start off the article with this short term effect rather than starting off the article with a long term effect because this is one of the most common problems with young adolescents and all would agree. It is a good idea to profile students that fall asleep in class because this idea will ‘wake’ the parents up. Lack of sleep is not a joke, and neither is the importance of a child's education, as it serves as the fundamental learning device for life (in my opinion). If a parent read this article and simply were given the long term effects of sleep deprivation, the would wait longer to realize the problem that is presented right in front of them. In my opinion, it just seems silly to even write an article explaining the long term effects before the short term effects.
2. I think the use of ‘zombie’ to describe a high school/college student in the morning is a great idea. Honestly, that is how I used to describe myself when I was in high school. I would look and feel absolutely dead in the morning, even after taking a shower and eating breakfast. In the morning I would sit in class and be there, but even though I was awake, mentally I would not be, even if I could still answer questions and understand what was going on. Within minutes, I could not relay back to you any of the information I just presented in the class or even remember anything of what I learned, unless it was written down. I would find myself dozing off in my classes, and in high school I would take an hour to and hour and a half nap when I would return home from school (mainly in the spring semester months), depending upon whether I had an extracurricular activity after school. Using the term ‘zombie’ is a great way to communicate the resemblance because its mannerism are widely known and thoroughly understood by all.
3. I understand some schools have changed their policy to start later, but the obstacle in doing so cuts out the opportunity for extra curricular activities. Really when I think of my own high school, I think “why not do so?” because the school board has been battling to completely eliminate all after school activities which is a complete and utter tragedy. School administrators would run into a lot more problems by this change. When you really think about it, test scores and comprehension of material may definitely rise, but this also calls for students feeling like they have an extra hour in school. With that extra hour of energy this may provoke students to get into more mischief or cause problems throughout the classroom more so than having the extra hour in the morning, where everyone is toned down and too tired to even care. Lastly, the change would be detrimental to the guardians of the children, as they will have to make arrangements for their children if they have to go to work early in the morning. Personally as a child, I never faced having a nanny or babysitter get me ready for school, but when my mom went back to work when I was in middle school, my brother would have to put himself on the bus as a fifth and sixth grader in the morning. Why would any parent want to subject their child to such responsibility in the morning (i.e. getting their own breakfast, making sure everything is turned off after they leave, locking up the house) if they didn’t have to? It’s not a good idea, and a scary one at that. I know it was for my mom, and we still started our day early in the morning. I think the article really should have addressed this, because in doing so it would have created a solution to a big problem and given the article some more credibility and overall understanding.
Ch 7. From An Inconvenient Truth
ReplyDelete1. I think the way he starts out by saying "this crisis will get resolved only if we as individuals take responsibility for it" is a bit overwhelming at first and leaves you asking "How?". It is hard to think that you alone can make a difference and I think the point of this article is to list things that everyone can do to consume less. As I read, I realized that there relatively painless ways to reduce consumption that are not necessarily apparent all of the time.
3. I think the most feasible thing to reduce waste mentioned in Al Gores excerpt was to bag you groceries in other product in reusable bags. I think this is the easiest thing to do to if people become aware of the situation to help reduce the consumption of valuable resources. It would be simple to keep reusable bags in your car to use at the grocery store. I think the suggestion to modify your diet to decrease the consumption of meat is not unreasonable but is probably the most unlikely one to implement. Breaking dietary habits are much more difficult to accomplish than just making simple lifestyle changes to consume less. I do not think that people would be convinced to change their diet just to reduce carbon emissions.
4. I think that the texts that argues against Al Gores recommendations are effective because they address misconceptions about the environment and then proceed to correct them. I think this is an interesting way to break up this article. I think this is persuasive because it allows you to believe the validity of Al Gores side by disproving the other. It is effecting in addressing concern that the reader might have as they are reading this.
Chapter 7, from An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore
ReplyDelete1. At first the statement led me to believe that the things we would need to individually do would be drastic. Once he started to elaborate on how small things we do really impact our climate, I realized it wouldn't take that much effort. If these small individual changes were made, big positive effects would occur as a whole.
2. I was amazed to hear that it takes over 500,000 trees each week to supply Americans with a Sunday newspaper. Also that 12 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce plastic grocery bags, ending up in landfills. These statistics, along with the others supplied persuaded me to make the provided changes, such as bringing my own bag to stores.
3. I think many of his simple recommendations seem feasible. The one that seems the most feasible to me is to bring your own bag to stores as I mentioned in the previous answer. This one would be easy for me because I never like constantly having all of those plastic bags laying around until I use them for small trash bags (I don't like to throw them out to begin with). One recommendation that would be hard for many people is to adhere to is to "buy things that last". Reason being is because of the price for durable items. When it comes to products, I look for quality over the price point. But this isn't true for everyone. Also it is hard for many people to judge what qualifies as a durable item. Many items sold in America are made in China, which use cheaper materials. To change this recommendation, I would try to advocate to buy more products made in America and spend the extra amount of money. This would insure a better quality and help people to only buy what they need, as his other recommendation states.
Chapter 7, Let Teenagers Try Adulthood, Leon Botstein
ReplyDelete1. I agree with his proposal somewhat. Yes, I feel there are many parts of high school that are artificial. Throughout high school, I had many friends, and we were all very close. I guess it would be called the "in" crowd. Because of this, there were many times I constantly had to step back and analyze what was actually going on, and constantly tried to include others who were considered 'out of loop'. But I disagree completely with his idea that life outside is not artificial... just look at who our entire culture idolizes: celebrities. The famous, rich, and beautiful people. Just because we leave high school doesn't mean we escape this; we are just a little less encompassed in it. And yes, colleges tend to mix things up a little bit, but there are still obvious 'in' crowds. Getting rid of high school won't solve this problem.
2. I think his points here are both right and wrong. Yes, the maturing process is taking effect more quickly. I think this comes from all of the television which seems to play big roles in my generations thoughts. But what about those who still aren't maturing as quickly. Allowing the option, as he said, to go to college at 16 will be beneficial to some, but not to others. So just because it takes someone slightly longer to fully mature, they lose many chances that the others who developed quicker maturity already took advantage of. These few years could make critical differences in that person's life. So to replace his proposal of artificialness in high school, he essentially creates biological warfare. People who's body develops their maturity level quicker reap the benefits from this new proposal of more options at 16 versus 18.
3. The school district I went to is slightly different from this 'artificial' one. Our school enjoyed sports, but everyone felt it was the entire community playing on the field, not just the players themselves. Teachers were fair to all students. I along with many of my friends played sports and we never had grades handed to us. I think that parents would object to Bostein because they realize schools are always going to have more popular kids then others, just like the offices they work at have more popular people than others. Teachers would object to say that every student is treated equally, and since a span of 4 years is between all of the kids at school, a variety of maturity levels are present.
Ch 7. Homeroom Zombies
ReplyDelete1. I think the short term consequences were pointed out first because that is the immediate effects seen from sleep deprivation. Long term effects such as heart disease and diabetes are often not just caused by sleep deprivation but are caused by a mixture of factors. I think the short term effects are highlighted first because they are causing students not to pay attention in class. I think that draws the reader and builds up the article rather that starting with the long term effects then moving to the short term effects.
2. I like the use of zombie in the title of this proposal. I think it is accurate description of someone who is sleep deprived. When I am really tired in the morning I sometimes feel like I am awake but not really capable of doing anything because I am so tired. I think it is creative and might draw more attention that a more plain title.
4. I think that keeping a regular sleep schedule when I was in high school was pretty unrealistic. I played sports and worked throughout high school. My sleep schedule suffered from all of the extracurricular activities and homework. There was no way my parents were going to be successful in getting me to go bed at a regular time and not staying out any later on the weekends. There is so much expected out of high school students and it is hard to have disciplined schedules that allow you to be on a type of sleep schedule that allows you to get enough sleep every night.
Chapter 6 – Popcorn: Which Kernels Are King?
ReplyDelete1. I think that including the comparison of popcorn with other snacks added extra helpful information when it comes to choosing a healthy snack. The article starts out by saying popcorn is “whole grain, high in fiber, low in calories and fat, and bulky, so it may fill you up faster than other snacks”. It also includes a chart comparing popcorn, chips, and pretzels. Even though the question in the title of the article was not directly answered, the author provides a lot of information about different types of popcorn and snacks to help the reader to decide which is best for their health.
2. If I were to try to decide which brand of popcorn to buy, I would base my decision on number of calories, total fat, serving size, and cost. My goal when I purchase any food product is to buy food with the largest serving size and fewest calories, but also in low price range. This way I get the most for my money. My criteria are similar to the criteria used in the article because they also include cost, calories, total fat, and serving size. They also include sodium and saturated fat. The article shows the audience also looks for food to be low in cost, calories, fat, and sodium because Americans seem to always be concerned with their health. The “Ratings – Microwave Popcorn” chart really puts the brands of popcorn in perspective for people and helps people to make their decision on which popcorn is best.
3. I think that including no judgment of which popcorn is the best in the text was a good idea. It causes the readers to form their own opinions and decide which popcorn they think is the best. Every person is unique and judges food on different criteria, so I think the article did a good job on just relaying the facts to the reader.
4. I think the author included information about the dangers of palm oil, the amount of fat, and how to cook your own popcorn to add alternatives to deciding on a brand of popcorn and to suggest healthier options. The article says palm oil is not better than trans-fat because it still increases the risk of heart disease. Also, the article suggests cooking popcorn yourself because it is less expensive and allows you to control what goes into it, like the amount of oil and butter.
5. I think the article did not include customer reviews because they wanted the readers to form their own opinions about which popcorn brand is the best. Customer reviews would greatly influence the readers’ opinions and decisions.
Chapter 7 Let Teenagers Try Adulthood
ReplyDelete1. I agree that high school can feel trapped in the artifical world of high school. It's hard to see past the Friday you are waiting for, or the next test. When Botstein writes, “most thoughtful young people suffer the high school environment in silence and in their junior and senior years mark time waiting for college to begin,” and it is the truest statement in this article. When I was a senior I couldn't wait to graduate. I was bored with my classes while everyone else was relishing in senioritis. Now that I'm in college it's so much easier. I am not forced to hang out with people I don't want to because I'm not forced into taking the same classes. I don't have to work on terrible group projects where I am the only one who does the work. In my experience people in college care more because they are paying for their education and don't want to waste their money. People also want to be there because they chose to come to that college instead of being forced into a high school they don't want to go to.
3. My parents and teachers would never agree with Botstein's proposal. At 16 I was mature for my age and already knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, I doubt the rest of kids do. The first error my parents would see with this plan is that kids aren't legally allowed to work as many hours at an adult and they aren't considered an adult. My teachers would definitely agree with my parents that kids aren't motivated enough to decide what they are doing for the rest of their lives at 16 despite that Botstein says they are.
4. Botstein's proposal has huge consequences. Most teachers are used to dealing with more mature or at least older kids. Botstein's plan would force them to teach an age group that they didn't want to set out for. Students would obviously be hit with the most consequences as they would be the ones manipulated by this new system. I think it is an okay plan in theory, but I don't think students would adapt well. I don't think they would be ready for high school in 7th grade because I was extremely immature and not ready to handle the more intense studies like Advanced Placement classes in 7th grade. I wouldn't have been ready for Botstein's plan because of this. As to the community younger kids would be taking older people's jobs again. Also I don't think kids would have enough money to go to college. Most kids get their first job at 16 in order to save up for college which they go to around 18. It just wouldn't work out them going to college because they wouldn't have this. That means the community would suffer because nobody has a higher education and there are only so many low level entry jobs in one town.
5. I reject Botstein's practical and efficient reasons. I get that kids are maturing older than in the late 20th century, however, he says adults don't like adolescents which is untrue. All my teachers have cared about me and wanted to me to learn. Also, he says that there is nothing utopian about his plan. I think he plan is utopian though and will never happen. It's impractical because kids don't know what they want at 16, aren't mature enough to handle the courseload of high school senior at 16 and just aren't grown up enough. I get that he wants kids to be out of high school and stop the violence, but that won't happen if kids go to college earlier. I get they wouldn't have to hang out with the same people except this doesn't help if every immature person goes to college. It would just be like high school in college. His plan just doesn't work.
Chapter 6- We’ll Always Have Springfield: The Simpsons Movie
ReplyDelete1. The exaggerated claims that the author makes are supposed to come across to the reader as light hearted but fun at the same time. The author doesn’t want the reader to take this article to seriously since after all it is about the Simpson family. I think his review without these claims would have made the article suffer because they show the reader the author’s view point. The author is obviously a self-described hard core fan of the Simpson show. What we get to see through the paragraphs that have exaggerated claims is the author’s personality. By adding these exaggerated claims it helps the audience see the author as a funny person who is passionate about what he is writing.
2. What the author assumes, by not providing details about the different episodes that he talks about, is that the reader has already seen these episodes of the Simpsons. By not describing these episodes to the reader it reduces the number of people who will read this article. I believe if the author had taken his time to at least explain to the audience the main point of each episode; it would have helped the author to gain credibility as well as a greater audience.
3. The criteria that the author, Scott, is using to evaluate this movie are the television series that has produced hundreds of episodes. Though the author does not completely come out and say this is a comparison of the movie and the television series the reader can tell by the language he uses. An example of this is when he states in the article “It is not better than the best episodes,” clearly shows that he is comparing the show and the movie. I think that he defined his criteria fine since throughout the piece he compares and contrasts the movie to the television show.
4. I believe that each of these pictures clearly shows one of the points that the author was trying to make. For example the first picture, on page 362, goes with the point that the author makes about this movie being mainly focused more on the regular voices of Springfield. The second picture, on page 363, shows that Homer does not normally make good decisions just like in the movie. The last picture is a great ending photo because it is from a seen near the end of the movie. Though these pictures may not have been necessary, they help to break up the text of the article.
From An Inconvenient Truth
ReplyDelete1) What is your initial reaction to this claim? As you read the rest of the proposal, does your reaction change? Why or why not?
My initial reaction to Gore’s claim of how we can individually change climate change is that it’s very realistic, very smart, and it’s something I’m a personal advocate for. Throughout the whole proposal I still agree with his opening argument. I believe that we, as individuals, must take charge of our actions and teach others on our way.
4) Sidebars (inset boxes) in this reading highlight arguments against Gore’s recommendations. What reasons do you see for highlighting these arguments? How persuasive (or unpersuasive) are Gore’s responses to these arguments?
I think it’s smart of Gore to incorporate those arguments because most of them are common, although ignorant, thoughts about climate change. I think that Gore’s responses are appropriate because they dispel the misconceptions without sounding pompous.
5) How would you characterize the tone of these questions? How would you characterize the tone of Gore’s responses? What reasons do you see for including these conversations? What reasons do you see for the tone they convey?
I think that the tone of the questions is ignorant with a twist of denial. I think Gore’s responses are smart and show background support. He supports educating others on our paths to a cleaner America. I think it’s important to include the question and answer inserts because they slow the readers up and make them think about things they either have never thought of or even forgotten. I think Gore’s tone of passive yet urgent is suiting and necessary because they’re time-sensitive issues that need to be addressed by a large amount of people in a short amount of time.
Let Teenagers Try Adulthood
ReplyDelete3) Consider the school district where you went to high school. In what was and for what reasons might parents and teachers agree with Botstein’s proposal? What questions or objections do you anticipate that parents and teachers in that school district would raise in response to Botstein’s proposal?
I think that my school district would not let a proposal like this fly. In an upper middle predominantly white school, the parents value their time away from kids and appreciate knowing where there children are from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. The teachers wouldn’t be on Botstein’s side either because they’re already fighting for their wages, they don’t need to begin losing jobs, too. I think the parents would wonder how their children would adapt from the school world to the “real world” at such a young age. It’s a big change no matter what age.
4) If a school district were to implement Botstein’s proposal, what would be the consequences for teachers? For students? For the community at large? If your school district had implemented Botstein’s proposal while you were still in elementary school, how would you have been effected?
The teachers would be facing a major loss of jobs. For students to graduate at sixteen, at least two years worth of educators will be lost. Students are being thrown into a major life change during a time of major growth both inside and out. The community at large is going to face an even more drastic job deficit, as the students who find themselves unfit for further education will advance to the job world. The rest of the world then has to fight the 16, 17 year olds for jobs.
5) What reasons does Botstein give for claiming that his proposal is “immensely practical and efficient”? What bases do you have for accepting (or rejecting) those reasons?
Botstein remains that cliques and hierarchies are a problem, and are also to blame for students not being ready for the real world. I agree that they’re an issue in public high schools, but I don’t think that earlier graduation is the way to go to help students prepare for what comes after high school. I think that some of Botstein’s points about high schoolers are spot on and need addressed, but via an alternative method.
Chapter 7
ReplyDeleteFrom An Inconvenient Truth
1. The claim that responsibility must be taken on an individual level is what makes the most sense to me. I think that this is the best way to go about things. Once individuals start to take responsibility for their action there will be great success. It is much easier to get people to change their ways one at a time, then changing the lifestyles of millions all at once. If individuals can manage to make a conscious effort in reducing their carbon footprint, then things will come together as a whole in the end with everyone working to achieve the same goal. The rest of the proposal only enforces my opinion. Dramatic lifestyle changes are not easy. In this case change will be at a different pace for everyone. Breaking up the proposal in steps allows the audience to tackle each step at a different time, when their lives allow them to do so. Therefore, it is not necessary that the population makes all their changes in sync, the most important aspect is that we make the effort.
2. I have seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth, I have already been persuaded that my presence is contributing to the environmental problems we are faced with. The facts all sounded familiar to me, but the thing I found to be most surprising was the magnitude of problems. For example, I knew that the use of plastic bags is proven to be extremely wasteful and harmful to the environment. However, I had no clue that we actually use 100 billion of them, or that it takes oil to make the plastic bags. I found this to just be shocking, especially since people everywhere fail to recognize the impact of these bags.
3. Many of the suggestions Gore makes throughout the paper are quite simple in theory. If I was to pick one that I found most feasible, it would be using a reusable tote. This is something I do whenever I go shopping. While people may see it as inconvenient, it is not. There are ways to make it simple, and you will feel great doing it. In order to ensure that I do not forget the totes I tend to keep them in my car or on the door knob so I am reminded to take them when I need them. The initial investment in reusable totes is minor, making it even easier to make the change. One suggestion that I found to be difficult for the average person would be composting. The initial investment in a composting bin is much higher, than a simple tote, or even a water filter. This practice requires much more knowledge about the breakdown or organisms, and is time consuming. Composting also requires space. Making the switch from plastic to fabric can be done in any environment. Since composting often requires space this rules out many people in cities, or those who simply do not even have a yard or a garden. As time goes on the cost of composting bins will decrease which will help the cause. I do not foresee many other options to making composting more convenient. The truth is it takes space and energy and with the growing population these things will continue to become less available.
Theatre Geek
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the title for “Theatre Geek”, I thought that perhaps the author was going to be greatly devoted fan of the arts. I believe the title lets the reader know, that these are someone’s personal memories who is aware of their unusual nature. The word “geek” also makes me think that the author is semi-self deprecating.
As you read David’s history with other school activities, you can see that it took him a while to progress to the point of leadership. Then to also take the step to be the student in the spotlight on stage was another stressful point of progression.
The photographs allow the reader to see that David was not an athletic child, which may have contributed to his low self-esteem. However, the pictures of the set, demonstrate the real pride he had in his work as a techie. He valued his time as a techie a great deal more than his time on stage.
Total Eclipse
ReplyDeleteDilard describes the setting in the Yakima valley fairly simply in comparison to the description of eclipse. Yakima valley is upward and covered in snow, without changing throughout the piece. The description of the eclipse changes greatly as the piece progresses. It shows that the author was less familiar with the eclipse than the Yakima valley.
One particular comparison is her description of the difference between a full and a partial eclipse. She describes it as the difference between marrying a man and kissing him. I think the comparisons helped to give the reader the author’s understanding of the events. As the author admits they are unsure of the science of the eclipse.
The description of “standing in a movie of hillside grasses filmed in the Middle Ages,” seems to showing just how odd the author found the events. Perhaps in their mind their own world was not ready to see the eclipse. Maybe the eclipse is associated with something from the future or is otherworldly.
A Day in Iraq
ReplyDeleteHe seems a little bit bored with his entire process over in Iraq. His familiarity with the other men in also lends to his boredom. His description of checking his watch, and knowing he will be disappointed also shows his boredom. Yet, he does describe other events in which the participants were not as lucky, so he has familiarity with all the aspects of the experiences in Iraq.
I think the author does succeed in conveying the abnormality of seeing two young boys appear while on guard duty. He describes them as angels at one point, to show the lack of belief that the events are truly occurring.
The whole piece truly lives up to stereotyping of soldiers. The analytical way the author tries to convey the events to the simple text. Also how the author reacts to the children, I think that there is a certain expectation for soldiers to act as heroes to all civilians that the author must live up to. Yet, the lack of images and simple text also seem to hold a sort of self-importance in his duties that he does not have time for such frivolous things.
ACL: The Curse of Women Athletes
ReplyDeleteThe author’s information on why women are at greater risk, as well as the title would certainly cause female readers to be more interested then a normal blank report on ACL injuries. The image of Monique Currie struggling with a knee brace really shows the seriousness of such an injury as well as the prevalence it has on female athletes.
The author’s lack of medical background is actually helpful if her target audience was other team members who would also not have a medical background. She breaks down the logistics to a readable level. However, she is very straight forward about the risks, and how certain movements increase the risk of injury, which makes her piece seem more professional.
The first photography was used to show the potential serious consequence of having an ACL injury, and the prevalence in female athletes. The other photos are used to help the reader visual the medical logistics behind the injury, and therefore, why certain movements are needed for strength training.
The Record Industry’s Slow Fade
ReplyDeleteBy starting the article that way the author shows the seriousness that record companies financial issues truly are. It also shows how the lack of financial gain for the entire company, leads to their employees being laid off, which puts a face to the bankrupt company.
Yes, the future is bleak for the record industry; most people my age either buy music through iTunes or just illegally download it. There are also great free music stations such as Pandora or Stereomood that are very popular.
I believe that the visuals and captions are used to connect the popular nature of music to the reader and the financial crisis that the industry is experiencing. They also help the reader visual the decrease from a once thriving major industry to the possible bankruptcy that they are now in.
We’ll Always Have Springfield: The Simpson Movie
ReplyDeleteThe author’s claims probably allowed a feeling of camaraderie for readers who are familiar with the Simpsons. I have never seen the Simpsons, so I am not sure that those pieces of information helped me connect to the piece anymore than normal.
The author must believe that his audience is familiar with the episodes mentioned in the piece. As well, it would be helpful if the reader were familiar with the entire series of the Simpsons.
I am not sure that the images were necessary to the author’s piece. Especially, since he seemed to be assuming that his readers were very familiar with the Simpsons series as a whole. However, they do bring a sort of nostalgia feeling for the series, that the author seems to have towards the show as whole.
Breakfast at Manory’s
ReplyDeleteI did find the text extremely engaging. The authors rather insistent, but also a tad snarky love of Manory’s is fantastic to read. I love the opening to the piece where they ask two questions in a row about your experience at Manory’s and the insistence that you must go there right now if you are unfamiliar with the restaurant. The piece shows that it knows that it is fairly ridiculous subject to write about, but the author is in an absurd situation, where he no longer has time for breakfast.
I think the background information is used to connect the reader, other college students, to the predicament of no longer being able to experience breakfast. It also helps with understanding why breakfast is a treat for the author. It also sets the tone for the piece, the simple desperation of a simpler time when breakfast was an option.
I enjoyed the photographs that went this piece. From the full plate in the beginning to the empty one at the end it’s a great contrast to show the special place this breakfast holds in the author’s heart. I do wish that there were some photos to show starving broke college students.
Popcorn: Which Kernels are King?
ReplyDeleteI think the title is still appropriate; it lets the reader know quickly what the article will be about. The article also covers which popcorns are most appropriate depending on your dietary needs. Yet, I do suppose that if the piece were to be more than an information piece it would have been interesting to hear the author’s own personal view on which popcorn is their favorite. There is also a section in which they evaluate the flavor of the popcorn, which is not necessarily related to the complex dietary situations the rest of the piece follows. If this particular section were to be expanded, perhaps the title would have been more appropriate.
I like my popcorn sweet, so I would try to find the lowest calories with a slight sweetness added in. The article does cover calorie counts as well as suggestions for readers who want a sweet flavor. The audience would be educated on dietary suggestions, as well as their own dietary needs, which would be diverse.
It is also interesting to hear that even though popcorn may be labeled trans-fat free, it does not mean it necessarily healthy as it may have had palm oil used instead which is just also bad for an individual. Also the inclusion of telling readers how to cook their own popcorn, allows for the reader to have direct control over what they are consuming without having to try to decipher labels.
Chapter 6, Breakfast at Manory's, Vitarius
ReplyDelete1. I found the review engaging. Anyone from this area would find many of the jokes referring to parts of his town very humorous. This creates a connection with the readers he was intending this piece to be for. This is seen especially in his "THINGS TO DO ON YOUR WAY TO MANORY'S (FROM THE RPI CAMPUS); Green roofed, ivy-covered buildings must be very prevalent in Troy, NY
2. He wants to show his imperfections, he wants to humanize himself as "one of you". By talking about how he sleeps in and likes breakfast, he tries to relate with the reader by getting on their side so they will be swayed into what he is saying. If they accept him, they will be open to listen to his suggestions.
3. The first photo makes me very hungry. I personally like breakfast, and by him perfectly setting everything in an orderly fashion makes it seem like the perfect place to eat. It sucks me in to see what he has to say about Manory's. The statue picture adds a more personally connected, local, feeling. The last photo is to close with him eating what he first presented in the first photo. All of the silverware is messy and all the food is gone, symbolizing satisfaction with the meal and showing that the plate was worth finishing.