Paragraph Cohesion Exercise

C) The chat room is a good tool to use inside and outside the classroom. Chat rooms provide a break from the school environment, a stress release, and allow a space to meet people. These people can be from all over the world, or even your next door neighbor. Chat rooms are also very effective resources because they have allowed me to converse with other members of my biology class to discuss lectures and labs. A lot of classes on campus have chat rooms set up privately for only the students registered in that class.

D) In LA, the use of dogs in the police force has been rejected and the use of weapons is preferred. During the Watts riots, officers employed guns as means of protection: some looters and perpetrators were killed. Clearly, dogs are a more suitable and effective alternative to weapons. The purpose of canines in the police force is to provide an alternative to excessive and deadly force. Although suspects have claimed to be badly bitten, tese cases are extremely rare compared to the many documented good deeds and rescues involving human lives performed by canines. At UCLA, canines were first introduced in 1979 to aid university officers in protecting the saftey of students from nearby gangs. The gangs relocated due to the use of canines.

Checking Cohesive Devices

*Even with the recent publications that deal with the devastating effects of smoking, people continue to smoke. If they want to suck chemicals into their bodies,[ that is their choice. @ However,] when the secondhand smoke they produce begins to affect those around them, something needs to be done.

*In my paper, I will discuss a policy that supports the use of smoking bans in many public places, but not in places where a great deal of the revenue comes from smoking, such as in hookah and cigar bars. I will discuss the negative health effects of secondhand smoke, the health improvements experienced by employees when smoking was banned from an establishment that previously allowed it, the negligible effects of smoking bans on revenues, the arguments against claims that say smoking bans are unconstitutional, and the reason that a few exceptions should be made. I have a decent amount of information as of right now, but I feel like I will need to do some more research as I write my paper so I can better support my claim.

Tiger Burn

I can understand why the university would want to cancel tiger burn, but I think it is time to get some closure. I knew a girl that died in the fire, and it was good to go to the memorial services and talk about her, but at some point you have to say enough is enough. I think that if people keep dwelling on the fact that those students are gone, they will never find the closure that they need. USC has been very supportive to everyone through this, but I don't think cancelling tiger burn is really going to do anything besides make a lot of the students angry. I honestly believe that the students who died would want us to get on with our lives and continue with tradition.

Question 5

Essentially, both Moore and Kitman argue that hybrid vehicles and nuclear energy will only be effective when they are used intelligently. Moore states that many people believe that just because a car is labeled as a hybrid that they will be saving a lot of gas and money. That is not the case in most instances however. Moore uses the Toyota Prius to illustrate this point. The Prius is advertised to get fifty to sixty miles per gallon, but what most people don’t understand is that the Prius’ seemingly amazing gas mileage only occurs during city driving. When a Prius is driven on the Highway, it uses just as much gas as the next car. He also points out that just because a car is labeled as a hybrid, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will get much better mileage than its regular competitors.

Kitman, one of the founders of Greenpeace, is one of the last people I would think of as an advocate for the use of nuclear energy. In his article, he very effectively breaks down the myths about nuclear energy and supplies his own information to refute those myths. He states that the coal burning power plants in our country account for almost ten percent of the carbon dioxide emissions for the whole world. He also explores the other options of wind and solar power, but goes on to explain why they are undependable sources of energy. All in all, I think both authors were decently persuasive. They both have backgrounds in their respective fields, but their arguments would have been more effective article if they had cited the scientific sources that could help support their arguments.

Question 4

Both Kluger and Lindzen’s articles deal with the topic of global warming, but Kluger’s article seems to deal more with the causes and effects of global warming, whereas Lindzen discusses the recent trend towards alarmism when discussing global warming. Kluger treats the rise in carbon dioxide emissions as the main cause of global warming and natural disasters, but Lindzen states that not enough research has been conducted to prove this. Kluger discusses the negative effects of greenhouse gasses that have now increased due to a rise in carbon dioxide emissions and the effect that warmer temperatures are having on the poles and sea levels.

I found Kluger’s argument to be more effective due to the fact that he seemed to have more scientific evidence behind him. Lindzen had some good points, but I felt like he complained about alarmism too much in his article. I especially liked Kluger’s explanation of the numerous biofeedback loops that have begun or have been disrupted due to global warming. He showed how the rise of carbon dioxide emissions is related to the rising sea level, the thawing of the permafrost, and recent discovery of drowned polar bears, which is something that wasn’t really seen until recently.

Topic Proposal for Policy Paper

Even with the recent publications that deal with the devastating effects of smoking, people continue to smoke. If they want to suck chemicals into their bodies, that is their choice, but when the secondhand smoke they produce begins to affect those around them, something needs to be done.

In my paper, I will discuss a policy that supports the use of smoking bans in many public places, but not in places where a great deal of the revenue comes from smoking, such as in hookah and cigar bars. I will discuss the negative health effects of secondhand smoke, the health improvements experienced by employees when smoking was banned from an establishment that previously allowed it, the negligible effects of smoking bans on revenues, the arguments against claims that say smoking bans are unconstitutional, and the reason that a few exceptions should be made. I have a decent amount of information as of right now, but I feel like I will need to do some more research as I write my paper so I can better support my claim.

Point IV

1) Smoking bans should be put into effect
Smoking bans should not be put into effect
Smoking bans should only be put into effect in certain places

As of right now, the dominant perspective is that smoking bans should be put into effect. The main reason that people support smoking bans is because they believe that the bans will protect the health of the nonsmokers who are around the secondhand smoke produced by the smokers, like bartenders and waitresses. They also believe that people who go to restaurants and other public places shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the smoke that smokers produce. Almost all of the arguments that support smoking bans are backed by scientific research and evidence that shows the danger of secondhand smoke and how health issues have improved in people who work in establishments that allowed smoking until a smoking ban was put into effect.

2) I think the perspective that supports smoking bans should be most dominant. The safety of others should outweigh a person’s desire to smoke. If someone wants to smoke, they should do it in a place where only they are affected.

3) If laws are passed to prevent smoking in restaurants and other public places, then my perspective would be enforced as a policy.

Campus Policy

1) I was talking about the parking policies with someone the other day and he told me that USC sell three times as many parking stickers than we have spots for. If the parking situation on campus wasn't bad enough, students are now no longer allowed to park overnight in the lot behind the colonial center. USC says that our cars interefere with parking for events and commuters no longer have enough room to park in the mornings. Many students move their cars at night and return in the morning before the commuters get there, so there is really no validity in that argument.
2) By selling three times as many parking passes as there are spots, USC is ensuring that most of it's parking is being used at all times. Parking passes also generate a lot of money and the hundreds of tickets handed out each day also bring in a lot of money.

Reilly vs. Achenbach

Achenbach and Reilly both argue that people should swear less, but why they belive cursing should be lessened is completely different. Achenbach believes that overuse of a specific word weakens it, while Reilly believes that we should stop cursing because it makes us seem unimaginative and unintelligent. I can understand where both of these authors are coming from, but in reality, it is going to be nearly impossible to get people to stop cursing until they decide that they want to.

Freewrite

When I was younger, I never understood what the word "sweatshop" meant. I remember going to Walmart and seeing protesters standing outside with signs and asking everyone that went into the store whether or not they knew they were buying clothes that had been made by children or by people that were paid six cents a day. When I went to high school, I understood what a sweatshop was, but felt like there was little I could do to help the people who worked in them. Then, my school had an overnight event where about twenty sweatshop workers came and talked to us. The came from all sorts of companies like Nike, Disney, Martha Stewart, and numerous Walmart providers. They told us firsthand of the horrors of working sixteen hours a day in dirty, poorly ventilated factories for almost nothing. They told us that even though we were young, we could still make a difference. Form that day on, I have refused to buy anything from Walmart and I haven't bought anything from companies that are known to use sweatshops and I have encouraged everyone I know to do the same.

Questions For My Reviewer

1)Are there any awkward sentences?
2)Do I explore the arguments of all three sides adequately?
3)Did I properly cite my sources in my paper?
4)Does anyhting need clarification or futher development?

Issue

I had a conversation with a friend the other day over whether or not euthanasia was morally right. She is a strict Catholic and I have no specific view on religion. She said that suicide, not matter for what reason is always a sin. I tried to tell her about my uncle who died of lung cancer. Towards the end, the cancer had spread to his spine, causing him unimaginable pain. For the last few months of his life, he was barely conscious due to the massive amount of morphine he needed to manage his pain. If I had been in his situation, I think I would have chosen a death that I could control rather than one that destoyed my family while they watched helplessly as I died a slow and painful death.

Culturally Constructed Body Image

A major part of the “ideal” body image has been constructed by the media. Take magazines for example. I dare anyone to find one recent magazine that has healthy sized women as models, not the airbrushed waifs that are featured on almost every page. Nearly every advertisement, whether it be on television or on a billboard features people with society’s “ideal” bodies. Even young children are being exposed to recent trend. For instance, before I left for school, I went to the mall with a few of my friends. As we were shopping, we walked past Limited Too, a clothing store for young girls. I was shocked at what I saw. Skinny mannequins sported miniskirts, tube tops, and low cut shirts for nine and ten year olds. Even I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing some of that stuff. I remember when I used to go there as a kid, everything seemed much more modest than what the ideal image has become today. I have a feeling that these new fashions have appeared due to society’s huge influence on potential buyers. I also know that this barrage of images of the ideal body can cause many horrible effects, like bulimia and anorexia. On the other hand, I don’t think that the media needs to cater to overweight people either. A middle ground needs to be reached.

SWA #8

1) Right now, I am still collecting information on my topic. and I’m also trying to organize the information I have so when I go to write my papers, I won’t waste any time. I liked the idea of mapping out an amount of time that I want to spend writing each day. I’m a huge procrastinator, so I think this would really help me. I’m also want to try and organize the information I have so when I go to write my papers, I won’t waste any time.

2) An outline would help me organize my thoughts into clear and coherent points. It may take a little extra time to do now, but I think in the long run it would save me a lot of time by showing me what topics I need to discuss and what to write about next in my paper.

3) The first tip pertains especially to me. I tend to put a paper aside the moment I finish it instead of looking back over it and making sure it’s my best work. Breaking the paper down by topic and paragraph is also a good tip. It would be a good tool to make sure my paper has enough data and also just to make sure it’s clear and complete.

4) The exploratory paper is a paper that is written to explore all aspects of an argument. With a well written exploratory paper, it will be easier for me to choose a side that I want to defend in my policy paper. With this information, it will also allow me to disprove the opposing side’s argument in my policy paper.

5) The easiest way of conducting peer review is to simply exchange papers with a classmate end evaluate each other’s writing. I really like peer review because you get instant feedback and you classmate is often able to tell you if something sounds awkward or is unclear, rather than having a teacher take points off for those mistakes.

Annotated Bibliography

Huang, P, MD. "Impact of a Smoking Ban on Restaurant and Bar Revenues." Center for Disease Control.
26 Feb. 2004. 15 Oct. 2007 .
This article deals with the effects of smoking bans on bars and restaurants. To study the trends, the CDC obtained quarterly tax reports and tracked the sales to see how smoking bans affected revenue. Due to the fact that the CDC was conducting this investigation, it is reasonable to say that this information is dependable. This resource is fairly objective and rarely interjects the author’s personal opinion. This resource also examines both sides of the smoking ban debate, but has more information supporting the claim that smoking bans have little to no effect on revenue. To make this article better, I would have cited more examples like the El Paso experiment to back up my information.

"Smoking Ban." Wikipedia. 15 Oct. 2007. 15 Oct. 2007 . This is one of the longer articles on smoking bans that I have found. The page has extensive links issues related to smoking bans such as critiques of smoking bans, tobacco related health issues, the reasons smoking bans should be put into place, the history of smoking bans, alternatives to smoking bans, and the effects of smoking bans. Wikipedia is a great resource, but I still need to make sure that this information is valid, and not just a bunch of misinformation posted by someone who knows nothing about this topic. This is a very important resource for me due to the fact that it discusses many of the things I wish to talk about in my paper.

Lung USA. June 2007. American Lung Association. 15 Oct. 2007 .
This is a fact sheet that deals with secondhand smoke and the effects it produces published by the American Lung Association. It discusses the types of chemicals in secondhand smoke, the deaths it causes to nonsmokers, and the devastating effects it has on young children and the elderly. This information is reliable due to the scientific nature of the group that published this information. Almost all of the information in this article will be useful in my paper when I discuss secondhand smoke.

"Smoking and Your Body." Healthy Living. 6 Oct. 2005. Health Canada. 15 Oct. 2007 .
This article deals with the types of illness, mainly the different kinds of cancer, caused by smoking. It also discusses respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases that can be caused by smoking. This seems to be a valid resource due to the fact that it was published by one of Canada’s national health agencies. This article could have better explained what actually causes the illnesses, rather than just listing them and saying a little about each.

Hudson, David L., Jr. Smoking Bans. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004.
This is also a very long, yet very useful article. It discusses many things I want to talk about in my paper and it thoroughly discusses both sides of the smoking ban issue. It also discusses some of the less thought about parts of the smoking ban debate, like whether or not tobacco advertising is a form of protected speech or whether or not smoking bans take away a smokers personal rights. This article will be helpful in both my policy and exploratory papers.

Saad, Lydia. "More Smokers Feeling Harassed by Smoking Bans." Gallup Poll Briefing (July 2007): 5.
This article will be very helpful for the exploratory paper. It is easy to find information that supports smoking bans, but it is much harder to find information that shows the other side of the argument. The author collected data from smokers and found that many feel discriminated against because of the adoption of smoking bans in many places. This article also effectively discusses the side of the smoking ban argument that supports the bans. If the author had cited more scientific data instead of just surveys, this article would be more effective.

Fisher, Laurie. "Smoke-Free Public Areas: A Breath of Fresh Air." Cancer Causes and Control 11.8
This article talks about smoking bans in public places and the problems such as disease and discomfort that smoking causes nonsmokers. It also discusses the effect that smoking bans have on restaurant and bar revenues. This resource cites government and scientific data, but only discusses one side of the smoking ban issue. It would have been more effective if it had discussed both sides of the argument.

Gruber, Jonathan. "Tobacco at the Crossroads: The Past and Future of Smoking Regulation in the United States." The Journal of Economic Perspectives 15.2 (Apr. 2001): 193-212.
This was the longest article I found. It discusses the history as well as the projected future of smoking regulations in America. The article also includes youth use of cigarettes over the past century, the effect that cigarette price has on use, and the validity of the smoking ban argument. This article discusses both sides of the argument and supports each with data. This is by far the best resource I have found. It will be extremely useful in writing both papers.

SWA #7

In his article, Alan Finder makes the observation that in recent years, many more students have become interested in religion on college campuses. He attributes this rise in interest to the rise in religion in politics. He claims that events such as September 11th and the war in Iraq have brought the issue of religion into the spotlight for many people. Many students now are also just more interested in religion and what to find out what they believe for themselves, rather than blindly accepting what they learned as children.
Richard just discusses the difficulties faced by both the liberal majority and the conservative minority on college campuses. He says that due to the fact that conservatives are the minority, they are propelled by their own anger towards professors and their peers whom they believe have made campuses hostile. They have a slight advantage in expressing their ideas however with the help of outside funding for speakers and publications. Liberals on the other hand have their own problems. Since almost every issue has a club on college campuses, it is hard to unite liberals together under one leader. They also don’t have nearly as much money available to them as the conservative students do.
In his article, David Leonhardt observes that there has been a marked increase in the number of college dropouts in the past decade. He attributes this trend to the difference between rich children and poor children. He claims that poor children aren’t adequately prepared for college by their high schools and that the appeal to get a job and make money instead of finishing a degree often proves too great for most that come from poor backgrounds. Cost is also a major issue for many people when deciding where to go to school. He also says that the colleges that are available to the poor have such a limited list of majors that most students don’t see the point in continuing their education.

Topic Proposal

As you approach the hostess’ stand, she asks you a simple, but important question: Smoking or Non-Smoking. You can either wait for an hour to get a table in the non smoking section, or you can be seated immediately in the cloud of tobacco smoke that hangs over the smoking section. Should smoking be outlawed in restaurants and other public places to satisfy nonsmoking clients, or should the laws be left the way they have been for years?

My paper will argue that smoking bans should be put into effect in all public places. These bans aren’t meant to single out smokers and make them uncomfortable. The smoking bans should be put into place to protect those who don’t smoke, but are inevitably affected. Having a nonsmoking section of a restaurant is like having a no peeing section of a pool. One way or another, everything mixes. I will also discuss the opposing view as well as the history of tobacco
use and the outcome of smoking bans that have already been put into effect.

My audience will be my classmates, my teacher, and anyone else who is interested in the smoking ban topic. I hope that my paper will be informative while being interesting as well.



Huang, P, MD. "Impact of a Smoking Ban on Restaurant and Bar Revenues." Center for Disease Control.
26 Feb. 2004. 15 Oct. 2007 .

Lung USA. June 2007. American Lung Association. 15 Oct. 2007 .

"Smoking and Your Body." Healthy Living. 6 Oct. 2005. Health Canada. 15 Oct.
2007 .

"Smoking Ban." Wikipedia. 15 Oct. 2007. 15 Oct. 2007 .

"Tobacco Industry's Targeting of Youth, Minorities and Women." American Heart. 2007. American Heart Association. 15 Oct. 2007 .

Smoking Bans

Constitutional rights
Rights of those around smokers who don't smoke (waitresses, bartenders, other diners)
History of smoking
Second hand smoke issuses
Various types of disease associated with smoking
-cancer, respiratory problems

Post Secret Analysis

I chose to do the last post secret card on our class blog. The text is one simple sentence, but it still draws you in due to the fact that the picture of a scarred face is right behind the text. It is impossible to see one without seeing the other. The explicit verbal claim is that God was trying to teach this person a lesson, but the implicit claim is that a person should try to not be vain. I think the author is a younger person in their twenties or thirties. The audience isn't just one demographic of people, because a very diverse range of people read the post secret blog.

Advertisment

This Verizon adverstiment works just because it gets the reader interested in what it has to say. Printed in big, bold letters are the words"Free Razr Phones!". Everyone likes free stuff, so of course they are going to read the rest of the advertisment and see what they have to do to get the free phones. This advertisment also advertises unlimited text messaging, which makes me think that the intended audience is parents with children who have phones and text a lot. The claim is clearly stated, but you have to read the fine print to see that there is much more that has to be done before you can get the free phones. It is hard to identify the evidence, support or warrant for this advertisment.

Responses

Race Wasn’t an Issue to Him, Which Was an Issue to Me

Central Claim: The author claims that race and the way one deals with the issue of race is still a dividing line in America.

Reasons and Evidence: The author only points out personal experiences with race and doesn’t cite any other kind of evidence. She says that the reason that race is such a big dividing line is because only certain people can feel what it is like to be on the wrong side of that line and it is hard for people who have never experienced any issues with race to want to grapple with the problems it brings to society.

Warrants: The author believes that race is still a huge issue in America today and she doesn’t think that we are handling race issues the way we should be handling them.

Opposing Views: The author only states the other view through semi-dialogues with her ex husband and new friend, Jerry. She rarely shares the other side of the issue, which in the end weakens her own argument. She can’t really refute the other side if she doesn’t explain that argument as well.


Realistic Idealists

Central Claim: “Teenagers are embracing social activism with the zeal of missionaries and the executive skills of seasoned philanthropists.”

Reasons and Evidence: The author cites many college surveys and documents college admissions officials’ firsthand accounts of the increase of teenagers who participate in community service.

Warrants: The author believes that not only are teenagers participating in community service so they can impress college admission offices, but because the genuinely want to help others.

Opposing Views: The opposing view is hardly even mentioned in this article. It’s true that many more teenagers are doing community service, but the author is a little idealistic in her belief that this rise in participation is only due to the fact that these kids care more about others than previous generations. Many people do community service for no other reason than it is a graduation requirement. The author cites many examples of people doing community service because the genuinely want to, but she gives no examples from people who are required to do community service.

Rhetorical Analysis

Essay "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid"

Central Claim: "From heat waves to storms to floods to fires to massive glacial melts, the global climate seems to be crashing around us... This is precisely what they (scientists) have been warning would happen if we continued to pump greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, trapping the heat that flows form the sun and raising global temperatures."(p.269-270)

My Claim: "In his article, Be Worried, Be Very Worried, Jeffery Kluger makes the argument that if people don't make immediate changes to the ways we impact our ecosystem, global warming will continue to devastate the earth."

My Revised Claim: By citing specific scientific examples and appealing to the audience's emotions, Jeffery Kluger makes a strong and effective argument for the immediate need to confront global warming in his article, Be Worried, Be Very Worried.

Essays and Tentative Outline

Swearing Off Swearing by Rick Reilly: Reilly’s title implies that we should swear off swearing, but he makes little argument for that case. He gives examples of how it is commonplace and almost accepted for people to swear, but he doesn’t really give us a definitive reason as to why
we need to stop.

Dropping the F-Bomb by Joel Achenbach: This article dealt mostly with where the f-word came from and the variety of situations it could be used in. It also dealt with the fact that it is starting to lose its original taboo with people today. To me, it would be hard to write an analytical essay about a cuss word

New Bill Would Defend Marriage from Sharks from The Onion: The Onion is a satirical newspaper; so therefore, this article had to be taken sarcastically. After reading the article, most people would take the author’s use of the word “sharks” as a euphemism for gay people. However, since the author doesn’t come out and say that is what he meant, it is hard to discover what he was arguing for in the first place.


Be Worried, Be Very Worried by Jeffery Kluger: I chose to write an analysis of this paper because Kluger makes a very strong argument that global warming is occurring and backs it up with scientific evidence of things that have happened and of things to come if we don’t do something to curb our current trend.
Target Audience/Why Author Wrote Article: Kluger wrote this article to anyone who has noticed the recent and devastating change in climate that is apparent on every continent. He obviously feels very stronglyabout the subject, seeing as he took the time to collect a huge amount of scientific evidence. His only problem is that it seems like he only presents one side of the argument.
Logos: There are many scientific facts that are referenced in this article. The author also lends interpretation to his audience and lets them imagine what could happen if things do not change.
Pathos: This article appeals to the audience emotionally by citing examples of tragedies that we have seen over the past few years and by shocking us with scientific predictions of what may happen over the century.
Ethos: There are numerous examples of research cited in this article, which help to create a sense of credibility in the reader. The examples are also things that the audience has seen and heard of in the past few years.
Examples: Wildfires, rising seas, etc.
Solutions: Reduce CO2 output, alternative energy
Thesis: In his article, Be Worried, Be very Worried, Jeffery Kluger makes the argument that if people don’t make immediate changes to the ways we impact the earth, global warming will continue to occur.

SWA #5

Out of all of the essays that were written in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, “Shootings” by Adam Gopnik was the one that really got to me. From his gut wrenching first line to the list shootings that have occurred internationally, Gopnik’s arguments were the ones that I could most closely identify with. I was one of the people calling a friend, trying to find out if they were ok. I was the one terrified of what I might have heard at the other end. The text itself is extremely, and sometimes bluntly honest. He was not afraid to ask the questions that other people had been wanting to ask and to point out the lawmakers repeated mistake of refusing to change something about this county’s gun control policies.
This article was written for anyone who has heard about the Virginia Tech shootings. It is impossible to read the first line and feel no empathy for the victim’s families who were desperately trying to contact their loved ones. The author clearly voices his opinions on gun control and his disappointment in our government’s failure to make more stringent laws about who can own handguns. He also gives examples of what other countries have done in the aftermath of a shooting rampage and how their new measures have prevented other such incidents. I’m sure that Gopnik could have been much harsher in his criticism of our county’s lawmakers, but due to the fact that he was writing for such a widely read paper as The New Yorker, I’m betting that he had to keep his opinions in check.
Obviously, the exigence for this article is the Tech tragedy and all of the other shootings that have occurred and our government’s failure to take action and prevent something like this from happening again. However much I agree with Gopnik, I also have to wonder if he was only reporting one side of the story. He talks about the stricter gun control laws in other countries, but he doesn’t cite any credible sources. On an emotional level, his argument is very persuasive, but in order for it to have any real merit, Gopnik needs to cite credible sources and discuss, in detail, ways that our country can deal with this recent shooting epidemic.

SWA #4

Both blogging and updating a Facebook page are great ways to inform people about your life, but I feel like Facebook is more of a social situation rather than a rhetorical situation. Most of the writing done on a Facebook page is done by other people rather than by the author themselves. On a blog, the author does the majority of the writing. With Facebook, there is little you can find on someone’s page that inspires argument or change. To me, Facebook sometimes seems like nothing more than a glorified chat room. Don’t get me wrong, I love Facebook and how it allows me to keep in touch with all of my friends just as much as the next college student. If I really wanted people to read my opinions, I would put them on a blog and encourage them to leave comments about what I wrote. A blog is constantly changing with new posts and comments left by others. While a Facebook page also changes with the comments left by people, these comments are usually just shout-outs to the person who created the page or an update on how someone is doing.
Blogging on the other hand requires some thought and can spark debate much better than a Facebook page can. The author of the blog takes the time and energy to write a specific post and wouldn’t do so if that topic didn’t matter to them. They expect comments about what they have written instead of a few words from a friend talking about a recently posted picture. With a blog, the author can truly express how they feel about certain topics through their posts instead of by joining a group or cause on Facebook.

SWA #3

Before reading this article, whenever I thought of the word “argument” I imagined the people on CNN screaming back and forth at each other or me and my dad arguing over whether or not I can get a tattoo at the dinner table. This type of arguing can be described as “traditional argument”. It usually boils down to both sides trying to prove that their point is right and that the other side is wrong. Both sides feel very strongly about their point and become stubborn and refuse to compromise, even if that means that all of their time and energy spent arguing has been for nothing. The other, less aggressive type of argument is called consensual argument and focuses more on finding a solution to a problem through mediation and compromise rather than arguing until one side gets tired and gives up. Both sides have their pros and their cons, but I think every situation needs to be dealt with individually and if one style of arguing gets both parties nowhere, they need to be mature enough to accept that fact and try something else.

SWA #2

Kathleen Parker’s article, “Seeking Balance in an Either-Or World” deals with problems faced by those who find themselves unable to take sides in an ever-evolving political world that demands loyalty to one side or the other. She uses the debate over abortion to further illustrate her point. On the pro-choice side, she can’t see justification in forcing a woman to go through with a pregnancy, but on the pro-life side, she can’t justify the termination of an innocent life either. Her solution: Better sex education in High Schools to keep people from having to make that life-altering choice. Parker believes that political parties have been “hijacked” by radicals from each side and are therefore stereotyped because of those select few. At the end of her article, Parker reveals that partisanship is no longer the norm. She says the majority of young people (who make up most of the population) identify themselves as Independents rather than Republicans or Democrats.

A central theme of Parker’s article is that of our country’s desperate need for balance. She uses parts of John Avlon’s book, Independent Nation, to support her point. He, like Parker, believes that a unique blend of perspectives should be used along with good old fashioned common sense to solve the issues at hand. He believes that leniency, along inflexibility, can lead to many problems. Instead of depending on a solely left wing or right wing mindset, different aspects of both political ideologies are needed to properly handle each individual situation.

I myself am an Independent and like Parker, have faced scrutiny by people with partisan beliefs. Most scrutiny she faces is due to her stance on many subjects. I face scrutiny, not only because of the positions I take, but because of my age. Many believe that young people are too naïve to form their own opinions. I think now is the best time to form our opinions seeing as we will be the ones running the country in the near future. Our Independent ideologies may be just what our country needs after being run by radicals for the past few decades.
I have also found it hard to find a politician who shares the same assortment of beliefs that I have and often I find myself debating what is best for the country as a whole. For instance, while I think our country should have programs that ensure proper care for all of it’s citizens, the financial commitments needed make me question whether or not that is the road our country needs to take at this point. Like Parker and so many others, I believe compromise is the first step that both political parties need to take so they can at some point meet peacefully in the middle of the road.

SWA #1

The most alarming thing that Michael Skube sees in college students now these days is their lack of basic vocabulary. Even in high school, I started noticing that the vocabularies of many of the students around me didn’t seem to get any better as they progressed through school. Most of the vocabulary we did learn in English class wasn’t in the least bit useful in everyday speaking and we forgot most of it after we took the vocab test that week. Like Mr. Skube, I also noticed that very few people in my grade read for fun outside of class. People used to ask me, “Why do you take ten hours to read a book when you can watch the movie in two”. It is people like that who often have the worst vocabularies. Instead of putting in some effort and experiencing a book word for word, like it should be experienced, most people want to be entertained. Even now, the two hour long movies are becoming too long for our short attention spans to handle.

In Todd Hagstette’s essay, he speaks about the focus a reader must have in order to properly understand a piece of writing. For some, it is almost impossible to read and take in even a paragraph of writing, let alone an entire book. Some people may find it easier to focus when they are uncomfortable, but I disagree with Mr. Hagstette and would rather be comfortable instead. If I want to absorb what I am reading, I need to focus on the words on the page instead of how sore my back is getting form sitting in an uncomfortable chair. I do agree with him however that repetition is a main factor in understanding a piece of writing. Even the most focused readers can skip over something the first time they read a piece of writing. Repetition ensures that the reader sees the piece of writing as a whole.