Rhetoirc Blog Post- Round 2

Throughout the semester we have practiced rhetoric-the art of effective expression. Whether it was Fight Club, They Say, I Say, or our research papers, it was based on rhetoric. Heck, the word is even in the name of the class. Through these experiences we have come to an understanding of what rhetoric truly is. However, it is hard to put a label on it. One cannot understand the art of rhetoric unless they have experienced it themselves, for the same reason that one cannot understand how to ride a bike unless they actually practice it. The art of rhetoric is learned through experiences. For example, when doing Fight Club we learned how to develop arguments in any given situation, regardless of our interest in the subject. This was one of the first times that I encountered this in an english class. In high school, we were encouraged to write about topics that we were interested in. Teachers did this because they thought it would motivate us to do the work, which would inevitably make it good. While this did make it easier for me, was that really the best thing? In the end, my teachers were holding me back. The whole point of rhetoric is to branch out of your comfort zone and develop arguments regardless of our interest level. In life, we are bound to encounter situations where these skills would be useful. This, among other things, emphasizes the importance of Fight Club.

Looking back, I believe that my perspective of rhetoric has changed almost every week this semester. At the beginning of the semester, my definition for it was, “the art of effective expression”. Then, after a few weeks in I developed the definition of,  “the art of having a meaningful and powerful effect on an audience with persuasive techniques”. That one was a little better.

The reason why my perspective of rhetoric has changed is because of the experiences I have had in class. For example, this was evident in my research paper. Throughout the semester I worked on the paper. At the beginning of the semester, my paper was just an idea. The only thing I knew was that I was going to write about high school sports. I had no idea what I was going to argue or what defend for that matter. Then, as most things do, it developed over time. This wasn’t just because I put time into it, as time is nothing if it isn’t used efficiently. The reason my paper developed was because of what I learned in class. As I stated, Fight Club played a large role in my paper as it helped me develop my arguments and taught me to acknowledge that counter-arguments exist. They Say, I Say helped me with tone, and sentence structure. This was beneficial as my paper was well-organized and formal. Lastly, our class was itself was beneficial. My experiences in this class taught me to make my work relevant. Write something that people actually care about. If our class had a different focus where we didn’t develop of rhetoric skills, my research paper would merely be thin pieces of wood with words on them. It would serve no purpose, and after taking this class I have realized that I should have one.

Now that I have established how my experiences with rhetoric, it is time to develop one last definition for the semester. The grand finale. Without further ado, I believe that rhetoric is, the art of making a relevant, concise, argument in a persuasive manner. While this still does not encompass what rhetoric is (as no sentence ever will), I believe that this definition justifies it fairly well. However, as I emphasized, one will never know the art of rhetoric without practicing it.

The Importance of High School Sports

https://www.dropbox.com/s/982lwj390yym44h/The%20Importance%20of%20High%20School%20Sports.pptx?dl=0

Fight Club 11/19- Analyzing the President's Move

Pros:

• He should have stepped in and stopped the racism. 
• The President had plenty of time to address the issue, and by him choosing not too it portrayed him poorly. 
• A good President is involved with his students and their well-being. If there is ever any sign of a President who lacks this there purpose is absent. 
• By having a new President it will give students hope, and will help them move on from the issue. Even if the current President were to attempt to solve the problem, the students may still resent him. In other words, in times if stress there needs a be a change. 
• Ethically speking, by the President being uninvolved it shows his lack of pride towards the University. He put himself before the well-being of the students. 

Cons:

• By stepping down he isn't solving the problem. Maybe he should have taken the threats as a symbol to take action. 

• Why would the new President be any better? Now that the school is without a President, nothing can be resolved until another one comes in. 
• They are just delaying the issue. 
• College students tend to over-react to sensative topics. 
• Gahndi and MLK would never ask anyone to step down, instead they would try to resolve the problem instead of making it bigger. By the President leaving, that just shows how unstable the University is. 
• Politically speaking, if the President were to leave everything would blow up and matters would only get worse, It is important for leaders to be responsible for their actions. 

Rhetorical Analysis of the Research Paper- Blog

Writing this research paper has significantly developed my writing skills. Since the beginning, I have spent countless hours on this assignment in order to make it as good as possible. This process, while challenging, has been manageable as I was provided with all of the right tools. For starters, I was able to choose my topic. Passion is the foundation to a good paper. Since I was interested in my paper, I was motivated to make the most contentious and concise argument possible. In previous classes, this was not the case. Teachers expected me to write about topics I was not passionate about, which caused my papers to have loose ends. 

Another reason why the process of writing my research paper has been manageable is because the whole class revolves around it. Everything that I have learned and done in class has only enhanced my writing skills. All of the little things have made a difference. For example, Fight Club has been incredibly influential towards the process of writing my research paper. As I have discussed in previous blog posts, being able to come up with arguments on short notice and defending them is a valuable skill that is essential for research papers. Also, They Say, I Say has refined my writing ability. It taught me the importance of audience and how a relevant argument is a good argument. Not to mention all of the useful paradigms that have improved the flow of my paper. Even the rhetorical vocabulary has improved my writing (and my chance of getting hired in an elevator). 

Aside from the weekly routines, I thought that having multiple rough drafts was beneficial in the development of my research paper. In high school, the only drafts we had were peer editing, which wasn’t helpful at all. Having the professor look it over and give high and low order concerns really helped me focus on what direction I need to go in as I developed my paper. This really helped pace my workload out and make my paper as concise as possible. 

The only issue I had with the process of writing my research paper was not knowing the requirements at the early stages. It would have been incredibly helpful to meet with the professor before I began to write the paper. I could have used the direction early on so I knew what to look for when coming up with my paper. Instead I spent a lot of time looking for articles that I didn’t end up using. This was frustrating because if I had used my time efficiently I could have finished the process a lot sooner. 

All in all, the process of writing this research paper has been interesting. It seems that I am never quite finished with it as there is always someway to improve it (like most things). Nevertheless, I am excited to see what the outcome of my paper will be as I have never put so much time into one assignment. 

The Benefits of Fight Club- Revised

The Benefits of Fight Club

Friday, October 30th, 2015

As we have learned over the past two months, Fight Club really teaches us more than we realize.  Fight Club is more than a class activity, it strengthens our opinions as writers and people. The beauty of it is that it allows us to put our perspective on different topics. It reveals our character. Every week when I analyze the articles given to us, I automatically start coming up with arguments, even if they don’t fit my beliefs.. For example, it teaches us how to develop arguments from any given situation, and to stand by them even if it is difficult to do so. It also teaches us to accept counterarguments, comprehend them, and make a rebuttal, which reflects in our paper. Before coming to this class I refrained from doing this as I feared it would weaken my argument, but in reality it does the exact opposite. Recognizing the counter argument strengthens the paper as long as you write a rebuttal. This is similar to what we did when we wrote our in-class paper regarding the banning of automobiles. The purpose of that assignment was for us to practice developing arguments on any given topic. Fortunately, we were able to choose the topics for our research paper, since it is easier to develop arguments on topics that you are passionate about. As a result my claims are much stronger and credible than ever before. 

On the other hand, there are some things that I still find difficult when writing my paper. For example, I am having issues with the structure and organization with my paper. While I am very passionate about what I am writing and have several strong arguments, I am unsure about how to organize and present them. Clarity  is an essential factor to a good research paper as if the reader’s can’t follow what I am saying they won’t be able to take away from it. The other thing that I am still having trouble with is using my quotations effectively. As you know, ethos is an important part of a persuasive argument as it will reel in the audience. Other than that, my paper is coming along well and I am excited to refine it. 

Although Fight Club does benefit my writing in several ways, there are certain things that are easier to accomplish in a verbal argument than in a written one. For example, tone and body language is incredibly effective as it strengthens your argument. Also, it is easier to rebuttal a counterargument when you are sitting with the person you are arguing with, as you can identify their tone and facial expressions. In the end, Fight Club truly reflects our character and has developed our papers immensely. 


***

After looking at my old post about the purpose of Fight Club, which was just a few weeks ago, I realized that I was missing one key aspect in my argument -the comparison. While all of us discussed how influential Fight Club is and how it benefits our research papers, how do we truly know? There is no doubt that Fight Club impacts our papers, as we have practiced developing arguments within minutes of receiving the topic and began to recognize that there are valid counter-arguments, which are important aspects of a strong research paper. However, what is the difference between us practicing these skills and listening to our professor tell us what is important.  With this thought, I decided to compare two research papers of mine and identify the differences. 

 The first research paper that I analyzed came from a class I took in the first semester of my senior year in high school called Advanced Composition. This class, similar to the on we are taking now, was a research class. In my high school class, however, each student was required to read a scholastic book with diverse topics. My research paper was on the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and what caused them, dating back to the upbringing of Al-Qaeda. The requirements for the paper were near identical to the one we are currently working on as they were both rhetorical based and needed contentious arguments. The main difference, however, was that we never practiced any rhetorical skills. I clearly remember my teacher lecturing us on the tools for a strong paper, but never making us practice them. While his tips were slightly helpful, it was  increasingly difficult for me to incorporate them in my paper since I never practiced them.  

 As I looked through the research paper, I noticed several flaws. For starters, my claim was not very contentious, in that not many people would disagree with what I was arguing. This made me question how relevant my paper actually was. Another thing that I noticed was that I never recognized the counter-argument. This made me paper rather one sided and practically irrelevant. These are just two of the many flaws I saw. In the end,  I never really had closure with my research paper in high school, and it suffered because of it.

 After comparing my two research papers, I have now come to appreciate Fight Club more than ever. In a classroom, it is important to practice the skills that are essential in larger projects or tests. For example, in math class students practice problems that will be on the test, and in sports athletes practice skills that will be used in games. As a result, it only makes sense to do the same for any class. This is why Fight Club is so essential. It refines our argumentative skills and our ability to create counter-arguments, which are the foundation to a strong research paper.  As I continue to write my research paper, I will insure that my points are contentious, concise, and powerful, as if I were in an actual argument. I will also continue to utilize the skills that I have learned in Fight Club because I truly understand how influential it can be. 

Disparity of Women in High Power Jobs

Pro- McNamee
Con- Michel
Mediator- Myers
Scribe- Noble

Pros-

• Women should be equally represented within CEO positions
• All companies, regardless of field, with the most women on their boards of directors significantly and consistently outperform those with no female representation
• It is good to have different points of view
• The real world has both men and women and in it and it functions perfectly, so why shouldn't a business

Cons-

• We should let this problem work itself work
• Hire based on who is better qualified for position
• Combating discrimination
• Illegal to not hire someone based on gender
• There may not be enough women candidates to fill "quota" of positions
• Orchestras conduction auditions use a curtain in order to recruit more women
• In past history, mostly men had high power jobs but that will soon change overtime so companies should not change how they hire

Short Story Blog Post

High School (Simple Sentence). I (Point of View) am having the time of my life.  Captain of the football team, Prom King, and Student Council President.  I have Division One Football offers overflowing my mailbox. I am living the dream. Things could not be better.

That was five years ago (Pace).  My life has changed now. After my football career collapsed due to my leg injury I decided to join the force and become a detective, following my father’s footsteps. Today is my first case in over two months. I took time off after my partner passed away (Euphemism) in a shooting during our last case. I was devastated. We had been partners for over three years. He was like a brother to me (Simile).  My boss wanted to start me off with an easier case, to get back into things. I am no longer the “Alpha” of the school, I am at the bottom of the food chain (Metaphor).   I am stationed at Westwood Prep in West County, Missouri (Setting), which is in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the state. 90% of their families make are in the upper-class (Data). Every student is pampered here. They are all snobs (Generalization).

There are leads about a Fake ID business here at Westwood which is what we are trying to look into. Our top suspect is Kyle Stevens, a senior at Westwood Prep. Stevens, son of mayor Tom Stevens (Periodic Sentence), has established himself as the leader of the school. I inferred this just by the way he holds himself: confident, classy, and a slightly egotistical. It’s (Contraction) going to be hard to fit in as I do not know anyone here. I have no connections. I'm an outsider. I figured that the easiest way to be close with Stevens would to be in all of his classes. Honors Biology, Honors Calculus, Honors English, Gym, Honors Psychology and Honors Spanish. Fantastic (Sarcasm). The academic rigor is going to be the least of my worries however. My main priority (Tautology) is to get close with Kyle, but to do that I need to fit in.

It’s amazing how different high schoolers are then when I was in school. They wear different clothes, say different things, and talk to different people. Who would have thought that jean shorts were back in style?

Walking around the halls, I felt like an outsider. People gave me odd looks, and veered away from me. Typical new kid feeling. My first class was Honors Biology. I spotted The Great Kyle Stevens (Epithet) out right away, sitting in the front of the room. He was with his friends and they were huddled up shoulder to shoulder (Imagery). I was curious as to what they were talking about so I sat behind them. Right as I sat down they turned around simulatneosuly as if they were programmed. “Who the hell are you?” Kyle said. Act natural (Oxymoron), I thought to myself. “Hey, my name is John Fisher, I just moved here from the great city of Chicago (Understatement). “Oh, well welcome to Westwood Prep," said Kyle.  After class, I saw Kyle and his friends walk into an empty class room. They closed the door behind them. A few moments later a few underclassman lined up outside the room. One by one they were let into the room and escorted out. Interesting. Curious, I approached one of the underclassman. “What are you in line for?” I asked. “None of your business” he replied abruptly.  Something was up. I may have a lead here.

To see where it took me, I stood in line, skipping calculus. This could be big for my career. After a few minutes, it was my turn to go in, my turn to catch the kids, and my turn to get break the case (Antanaclasis). The door opened, with Kyle’s body blocking the door and preventing me from seeing the room (Loose (paratactic) Sentence). “What are you doing here?” he said arrogantly. “Uhh, I, uh, was just wondering what this line was about,” I said nervously. “Don’t worry about,” he said as he slammed the door.

After school that day, I ran back to the station and told my boss about what happened. He was pleased. “Get in that room before school tomorrow and see what the layout is, investigate,” he said. I was ready to break the case.

The next morning I showed up to school half an hour early. I went to Room 220 (the place the incident occurred the day before) (Parentheses). The door was locked. There must be another way in. I walked around back to see if there was an open window. Nothing. At this point students were starting to arrive. Time was limited (Climbing the Ladder). I rushed back into school and walked by the classroom. I peeked in and saw Kyle and his friends scattered around the room, carrying boxes. I need to get in there. RIINNNGGGG!!! (Onomatopoeia), the bell sounded causing the halls to fill in franticly (Imagery). I could hear Kyle and his friends scurrying around the classroom. Before I knew it they were out in the hall, without even acknowledging me. I stuck my foot in the door before it closed. Once the halls cleared, I entered the room, fingers crossed. Bingo (Climax). Equipment everywhere. Plenty of evidence. Case over.

Within minutes the law enforcement had shown up, and detained Kyle and his friends. MAYOR’S SON KYLE STEVENS BUSTED FOR IDENTIFICATION FRAUD, the papers headlined the next morning. I was back in the game.

Fin

GMOS- FIGHT CLUB

Pro
- enhances desirable traits in food (makes them bigger)
- allows food to grow in places they normally could not grow
- Longer shelf life
- Lower risk of crop failure
- can contain vaccines
- Engineered to have more nutrition in foods (vitamins & minerals)
- Increase food supply
- Help underfed nations
- Assists farmers, allows them to skip steps in the production process
- Fewer pesticides are used so it is good for the enviroment

Con
- environmental risks- introducing things that are not natural
- People will have a higher tolerance to antibiotics if the food contains them.
- Severe allergic reactions can occur due to added chemicals
- Organisms in the ecosystem can be severely harmed
- Not long enough or big enough testing that has been done
- Making planets resistant to bacteria can make bacteria stronger and harder to kill
- Cases that animals have died after eating GMO food

The Benefits of Fight Club

As we have learned over the past two months, Fight Club really teaches us more than we realize.  Fight Club is more than a class activity, it strengthens our opinions as writers and people. The beauty of it is that it allows us to put our perspective on different topics. It reveals our character. Every week when I analyze the articles given to us, I automatically start coming up with arguments, even if they don’t fit my beliefs.. For example, it teaches us how to develop arguments from any given situation, and to stand by them even if it is difficult to do so. It also teaches us to accept counterarguments, comprehend them, and make a rebuttal, which reflects in our paper. Before coming to this class I refrained from doing this as I feared it would weaken my argument, but in reality it does the exact opposite. Recognizing the counter argument strengthens the paper as long as you write a rebuttal. This is similar to what we did when we wrote our in-class paper regarding the banning of automobiles. The purpose of that assignment was for us to practice developing arguments on any given topic. Fortunately, we were able to choose the topics for our research paper, since it is easier to develop arguments on topics that you are passionate about. As a result my claims are much stronger and credible than ever before.

On the other hand, there are some things that I still find difficult when writing my paper. For example, I am having issues with the structure and organization with my paper. While I am very passionate about what I am writing and have several strong arguments, I am unsure about how to organize and present them. Clarity  is an essential factor to a good research paper as if the reader’s can’t follow what I am saying they won’t be able to take away from it. The other thing that I am still having trouble with is using my quotations effectively. As you know, ethos is an important part of a persuasive argument as it will reel in the audience. Other than that, my paper is coming along well and I am excited to refine it.

Although Fight Club does benefit my writing in several ways, there are certain things that are easier to accomplish in a verbal argument than in a written one. For example, tone and body language is incredibly effective as it strengthens your argument. Also, it is easier to rebuttal a counterargument when you are sitting with the person you are arguing with, as you can identify their tone and facial expressions. In the end, Fight Club truly reflects our character and has developed our papers immensely.

Flip the Switch?

Jack Hazzard- Don't flip the switch (Con)
Danny McNamee- Flip the switch(Pro)
Andrew Elston- Scribe/ Mediator

Fight Club

Pros- Less people would die, the inevitable will happen 

- why is it matter who is to blame in reality you're actually saving 4 people

-The train is coming any way so you cant blame the person who flips the switch either way

-It's the logical thing to do, save more lives 

-90 % of people would reverse the car to kill the one person rather than do nothing with the 5 

- If you do nothing you are responsible for the lives of the 5 people that you killed rather than just the 1 

-The mans organs in the hospital are worth the lives of 5 other people

-Overall if death is morally right its better to kill the one rather than the 5

Cons

-a culture that sacrifices its own don't last as long

-it breaks religious commandment of thall shall not kill

- if you pull the lever you yourself are solely responsible for killing that person, but in essence if you let the 5 people die you are just a bystander.

-in the same 90% article most people when faced with the actual circumstances chicken out in the end much like a solider in war

- instead of killing the fat man try and get the fat person to yell with you to get the workers to move than you can save all your lives.

-example with the movie the dark nigh and the boat scenario

-in the end people do the right thing

Pro

- it doesn't matter who kills a person, if you save more people than you're a hero

Con

- but if you pull the switch by definition you are committing man slaughter

Pro

-(no response and admits defeat)

Park Ridge Flag

A flag is a gateway to a city. It is a symbol of the uniqueness, and strengths that make you a proud citizen. I find that flags are incredibly important and should be taken seriously. Some flags are great(Chicago), some flags are bad(Milwaukee). Nevertheless, a good flag shows strength and importance of a city. As mentioned in TED Talk, “every great city deserves a great flag.” Now, there are five  rules or guidelines to flags,  according to the North American Vexillological Association.

1. Keep it Simple- the flag should be simple enough for a child to draw it. (Kids from Milwaukee have suffered long enough).
2. Use Meaningful Symbols- use symbols that relate to your city or town and signify its relevance or importance. Every detail should be taken into consideration.
3. Use Two to Three Basic Colors- Don’t get too fancy, choose basic colors that are relevant.
4. No Lettering or Seals-  This quote says it all: “Here’s the thing about municipal seals, they were designed to be on pieces of paper, where you can read them. Not on flags 100 feet away, flapping in the breeze.”
5. Be Distinctive- Nothing to detailed or confusing. Make your flag unique.

With these guidelines flags can reach their full potentials and represent their cities the best they can. Chicago’s flag does a great job with this as it follows these 5 guidelines and truly makes an impression. I even have it hanging up in my dorm not just because I am from there but because it is a great flag.

This is the flag of Park Ridge which is my home town and a suburb of Chicago.

Features of the Flag:

Golden Band: Symbolizes the ridge, which is a geographical and topographical characteristic captured in the name of the city. It also commemorates the Golden Anniversary year, 1960.

Deep Blue Field Bisected by a Torch: Symbolizes the highest standards of education at all levels and ages.

Three Stars: Symbolizes the three stages in the cities history:Pennyville, Brickton, and Park Ridge

Big Star: Stands for unity and strength of the present city.

Two Red Stripes: Complete the national colors and symbolize devotion to the United States and the State of Illinois.

I believe that this flag has some quality features, but still has room for improvement. This is what I put together.

As you can see, I still kept all of the symbolic features of the flag put just refined them a little. Instead of gold bands I made it into an actual ridge. This is more symbolic at it resembles a mountain and how our town is at the peak.  I centered the torch and made it the main symbol of the flag as it represent the city the best. I still kept the red, white and blue features as it  commemorates the state of Illinois and our nation. As for the stars I decided to have the three smaller stars circle around the larger one as it symbolizes how are history revolves around the point that the town is united and strong. Focusing on the five guidelines for the flag, I believe that this one follows those much better.

1. Simplicity- The flag is quite simple and easy to follow.
2. Use Meaningful Symbols- All of the meaningful symbols from the old flag were kept and even improved. The gold mountain represents that we the city is at the peak. The red, white, and blue honor our nation and the State of Illinois. The torch represents power. Lastly, the stars represent our morals and history.
3. Use Two to Three Basic Colors- While there are technically four colors in this flag, there are three colors that really stand out.
4. No Lettering or Seals: I removed the words City of Park Ridge, as it contradicts the symbolism.
5. Be Distinctive: There is a lot of uniqueness in the flag, and certainly symbolizes the City of Park Ridge, even without the name.

"Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philospophers" Response

Addictions are an illness. They are a physical and emotional dependency on a drug or substance. People with addictions don't just want to do drugs, they need to. Their bodies are physically dependent on a substance. Just as people are dependent on food and water, they are dependent on drugs. There are many consequences that coincide with addictions, such as physical and emotional harm to the body. The scary thing is that people with addictions are aware of this, but they continue to give in with their addiction. There are no boundaries. If they were to suddenly stop using their addiction their bodies would go through withdrawal which could potentially become fatal for them.

In the article Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philosophers, the author Alan Brody discusses addictions and his purpose is to increase awareness. As I mentioned previously, addictions aren’t to be taken lightly. Ultimately, they overpower a person’s will. Brody agrees when he writes, “Addiction busts up what matters: the condition is capable of creating urges and motivations which bring about highly significant losses to a person’s well-being in spite of the person’s standing preference not to live like that” (Brody) (Graff 136). Clearly, addictions have an immense effect on humans. Even though people don’t want to drink alcohol, or do drugs, they can resist the urge. It is beyond their control.

This leads me into my next point. Dropping an addiction is incredibly difficult. It isn’t like giving up soda for Lent..  To take a case in point, Brody discusses a specific case from a veteran, Thad,  who was an alcoholic. (Graff 136) Thad was a prisoner of war and was tortured in attempt to confess information. Day in day out, he endured physical pain and throughout his time and a prisoner he never gave in. After being discharged he was taken to a drug treatment center to receive help with his drinking problem. Thad, however, resisted. “ He told me that he didn’t need to go to Alcoholics Anonymous for support, explaining that if he could resist caving in from torture he could certainly resist whatever discomfort he would experience from not drinking" (Brody). In this scenario, Thad was unaware of how difficult it is to give up an addiction. He ended up coming back to the clinic a few days later as he was unable to quit drinking. This symbolizes that although it is incredibly difficult to resist pain, it is incomparable to the temptation caused by addictions. Even people as tough as Thad can’t handle addictions on their own. It takes a team effort.

In one section of the article titled “Addiction as a Disorder”, Brody elaborates on the seriousness of addictions.  The essence of Brody’s argument is that, addictions are more serious than people realize and have a detrimental effect on the body.(Graff 47) In Brody’s view, “Addiction is not just a condition made up of a bunch of weak-willed acts. Addiction undermines the person’s self-regulation, true. But it also undermines their ability to accurately assess their problem’s seriousness as it repetitively generates a willingness or motivation for acting in violation of their most important preferences, even knowingly." Adding to Brody’s argument, I would point out that Addictions cause people to become insane. (Graff 72) They really do affect people mentally as they become less aware than they were before. According to Graff, “Addicts often talk about how it took a lot of destructiveness, danger and ‘craziness’ before they could realize how ‘insane’ they had become” (Brody).

In conclusion, addictions are extremely serious and have a terrible effect on the body. Many people suffer with addictions and the problem is that society doesn't realize how drastic they are. As Alan Brody highlighted in the article, addictions are more than a want, they are a need. It is scary to think that people are physically dependent on a drug. They know that it will harm their body and most likely their lives, but they continue to give in because the urge is irresistible. It is good to see that Brody is trying to raise awareness for this aspect as people need to start seeing addictions for what they truly are. When people say they are addicted to coffee, this is not politically correct. They don't need coffee to survive. They won't go through a withdrawal if they stop drinking it. Once society realize the seriousness of addictions, the better off our nation will be.

Brody, Alan. "Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philosophers." Philosophy Now. Philosophy Now:     

           2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say. New York: W.W. Norton

           & Company, Inc., 2015. Print.

What is Original? Fight Club

Pro- There is no originality

Con- There is true originality


Pro Arguments- Matt Graham

• There will always be a source. For instance, the podcast raises many valid points.  
• Bob Dillon borrowed 2/3 of his melodies from other artists. This is called "sampling". 
• The "riff" from Free Bird came from the song Torus by Spirit. 
• Steve Jobs inventions with multi-touch weren't incredible. 
• In fashion, there are very few property rights. 
• The Big Bang was original but there is math that contradicts those theory. 
• These examples came about because these people's ideas were inspired from somewhere else, whether it was intentional or not. 
• Every choice that someone makes is influenced by someone else. 

Con Arguments- Matthew Gottsaker

• When you expand upon something, you are transforming something and building off of it. Even though it is originally from somewhere else people's inputs are original and so are the changes they created. 
• For example, when Bob Dillon sampled his songs, he created a new environment with the riff and thus created his own original work. His work is greatly appreciated today, even though people know it is unoriginal.  
• Ideas are meant to be expanded on, thus there is true originality. 
• As long as you credit the original creator, it gives you the right to expand of their ideas. 
• With the multi-touch technology, it may not have been original but he expanded on it in his own way and revolutionized the concept which has impacted society immensly. 
• Ben Franklin never patented anything because he wanted people to build off of his ideas and in the end improve them. It is never a bad idea to have multiple points of view. 

Pro Counter- Matt Graham

• Ultimately, there are two types of originality There is completely original work, where the creator or inventor inspired his work from his own thoughts, and there is influenced originality where the creator was inspired by others work to create something new. 
• For example, when homo-erectus started to use tools in new and innovative ways, this was original which shows that everything started somewhere which proves the theory of originality. 
• The definition of original is more cultural. 

Con Counter- Matthew Gottsaker

• People tend to see that the only things that original are things that have a large impact on society. 
• This is a misconception, as those developments aren't any different then sampling the words "Hit it". Even though it is unoriginal those people had a whole new creative intention, which is original. 

"The Coddling of the American Mind" Analysis

Society is a lot different than it used to be. Among many aspects, schools in particular, have changed immensely. Back in the day, parents gave their children independence and allowed them to grow on their own through relationships with other people. Sure, kids may have been bullied. Heck most kids were, but that helped them develop and persevere through those tough times. They overcame the obstacles that faced them and it shaped who they are. Unfortunately, many parents were against this process and were much more protective over their kids. Many people assume that bullying is negative and can only worsen someone’s childhood. (24) In fact, bullying is associated with a negative connotation.  As a result, parents took action with school administrators to protect their kids for them while they were at school. Over time, it developed into bully-free environments.  No longer can students discriminate or bully people in the slightest. People thought that the problem was solved, but in reality there was no problem at all.

In the article "Coddling of the American Mind", by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathon Haidt, they discuss these issues and the environment created by "protecting" college students from emotional discomfort. Lukianoff and Haidt themselves write, "After the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado, many schools cracked down on bullying, implementing “zero tolerance” policies. In a variety of ways, children born after 1980—the Millennials—got a consistent message from adults: life is dangerous, but adults will do everything in their power to protect you from harm, not just from strangers but from one another as well.”(46) In a sense, schools and parents are trying to protect students from emotional distress. In other words, anything that is slightly “offensive” in terms of any demographic, is forbidden in schools. While this may keep students happy, is this the best thing for students. They claim that students in today’s society are more sensitive to jokes and microaggressions. According to Lukianoff and Haidt, “microaggressions are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless.”(46) Most microaggressions have to do with race or nationality. In an example used in the article, if you ask someone of a different race where they were born, that could come off as offensive because you are implying that they aren’t American and an “outcast”. As a result, schools are eliminating this behavior amongst students. According to Lukianoff and Haidt,  “By imposing these restrictions, it can be potentially disastrous for students and their mental health.” I agree with this statement, as school administrators are over reacting. Why are schools trying to blend everyone to be the same. People should embrace who they are and where they are from. Different personalities and cultures is what makes our nation so diverse. Too many people are pessimistic and think of the worst possible outcome.  The essence of Lukianoff and Haidt’s argument is that, “Attempts to shield students from words, ideas, and people that might cause them emotional discomfort are bad for the students. They are bad for the workplace, which will be mired in unending litigation if student expectations of safety are carried forward.” (46)

In the end, parents need to give children some space and allow them to interact with other people. Whether this interaction is positive or negative it will nonetheless be productive. Children who encounter tough times as kids are better prepared for college and the workplace in their futures. Lukianoff and Haidt’s theory of the emotional well-being of students is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of bullying and microaggressions. (62) In other words, this article shows that microaggressions are over emphasized and in a sense people are looking for an excuse to make things negative.

 Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say / I Say. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2015. Print.

 Lukianoff, Greg, and Jonathan Haidt. "The Coddling of the American Mind." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, Sept. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

           

Bad Blood Rhetorical Analysis

After watching both versions of Bad Blood I truly understood the significance of the speaker's tone. In both songs, they are singing about a relationship that they just got out of.  This was just by the looking at the lyrics however. The odd thing was that they came off as completely different songs for me, which was due to the tone, which is the author’s attitude towards the subject.  Even though the words are the same, the singers attitudes were much different causing me to perceive their message differently. Furthermore, the artists use their music videos to reinforce their lyrics and help people understand what they are trying to portray. This is the whole point of songs, as they are just words in harmony.

In the cover song by Taylor Swift, she comes off aggressive and forward, which was due to her anger with Katy Perry. This caused her song to come off as more resentful, which changed my perspective as a member of the audience. On the other hand, in the cover song by Ryan Adams, he comes off as much more humble and reserved. Due to his calm tone, it seems that he is not angry at anyone, just informative and honest. This is odd however as they are both singing the exact same lyrics. On paper, these two songs are the same but in the end, lyrics don’t make up the entire song. Once again, emphasizing the point of tone.

This leads me into my next point. What is the point of the cover song? Cover songs give people a new perspective. The whole purpose of putting others people's work amongst your own is not to imitate it but to utilize it, which can be done by creating a new environment. This reminds me of chapter 3 “The Art of Quoting” from They Say, I Say, when Graff talked about the importance of putting new quotes into paragraphs. “In a way, quotations are orphans:words that have been taken from their original contexts and that need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings” (Graff, 43).  This connects to Bad Blood as Taylor Swift and Ryan Adams created a new “textual surrounding” for the lyrics which made their songs unique and inventive.

In the end, Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift portrayed their songs in entirely new ways. Through the use of textual surroundings and tone they portrayed entirely new works of art, even though the lyrics are practically identical. This shows the significance of tone, as I wouldn’t even put them in the same category.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/ I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Martin, Max. “Bad Blood.” Lyrics. 1989. Big Machine, 2014.

Adams, Ryan. “Bad Blood.” Lyrics. Ryan Adams. PAX AM, 2014.

Fight Club. Should Everyone Attend College?

Pro Arguments:

• College can be expensive, and some people cannot afford it. 
• The return on investment may not be positive, making it useless. 
• Some people will end up in the work force anyways, so going to college is just wasting their time and money. 
• There are numerous well-paying jobs that do not require a degree. 

Con Arguments:

• You obtain a degree which strengthens your resume and chance of getting a job. 
• It has been proven that people who have a degree earn more money then who don't.
• There is a variety of majors that allow people to customize their educational experience. 
• College prepares you for the real world, besides educational purposes. For example, it gives you connections and shows you what it is like to live on your own. 

Pro Counter:

• Some people don't have the necessary skills to make it through college even if they are in a major that interests them. 
• Some people don't have time for college, especially if they have a job or potentially a family. Also, some people may not know what they want to do with their future, so waiting would be beneficial.  
• Even though they may potentially earn more money with a degree, the return on investment may not be worth their while. 

Con Counter:

• The workforce is adapting, where it is highly suggested to have a degree. 
• Since the economy is in a recession, some people are working in jobs that they are over-qualified for, where they take the jobs of the less educated people, even though the job doesn't require a degree.
• Even though their is a lot of variability for return on investment, people will usually be able to judge where they will compare with other people.  

Defining Yourself- Argument Blog 9.25.15

Arguments are part of everyday life. They occur when several people disagree, and are trying to show that their opinion is superior. When people argue it is usually about a topic that is relevant to both of them. If it wasn’t relevant to them, the argument would have no purpose. When arguing, people care about defending their beliefs so much that they disregard how they are viewed by other people. The beauty of this is that it reveals people’s true identities and beliefs. In a conversation, people shy away from their own beliefs to avoid confrontation. People hide their true beliefs and agree with people for the sake of agreeing with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it is important to stand by it.

As usual, it is important to identify the purpose and what it accomplishes. In terms of arguing, there are several purposes. It reveals the truth. While it may seem like people are working against each other in argument, in a sense, they are working together. When people throw their beliefs at one another it allows others to learn from it. It is important to have several points of view because it gains perspective and allows people to see the opposite side of the spectrum. The outcome of an argument can change people’s views and build self confidence in people. Thus, arguments are more beneficial than not. Some people frown upon arguments. They associate it with a negative connotation, due to the tone of voice. This is a misconception. The tone of voice only identifies the attitude of the speaker. The true judgement comes from the context.

In a class environment, arguments are encouraged but with limitations. Teachers want their students to express their beliefs but they also want to ensure that nobody gets offended. In a sense, arguing is an art. Their is a fine line between expressing yourself and offending somebody and it is important to find a good balance. In our class, we practice our arguing skills regularly in fight club. We do this because it is important to discuss controversial topics. In some cases, I am not sure of which side I support at the beginning of the argument, but after I listen to people’s arguments I always find my way. This is the true purpose of arguments. To learn and grow. To validate your beliefs or change them. The way professors respond to arguments is rather interesting. In most cases, professors let the argument run its course for those very reasons. For a change, they want to see the students learn from each other rather than their teacher. While it is important for  teachers to control the aggression, it is essential that they don’t control the passion.

Arguments define me. It’s important to defend the things you care about and not just blend into the crowd. For example, I am a huge supporter of high school sports, which is evident in my upcoming research paper. I know from experience that they give you invaluable life lessons which lead to a successful future. People who think that sports are just a waste of time are ignorant and it hits a nerve in me because they have no frame of reference. The topic is irrelevant to them! Thus, I will stand up for my values and argue until my point is across. Hopefully, it shines some light on them but that’s always the case. All in all, what a person argues about defines what they believe in.

Vegetarian Diet Argument

McNamee: Moderator
Halter: Against him eating the dish
Lyles: For him eating the dish
Loftus: Scribe

Prompt: Was it a good decision that he stopped eating his Grandmother's dish?

What significance did his Gram Have on him?

Halter: Food was from WWII and food was important to her because she was always struggling to find it and she wanted him to grow.  If Vegetarianism was that important to him and really cared about being a vegetarian then he wouldn't have eaten it.

Lyles:  The significance in chicken and carrots was the family ideal and spending time together.  It wasn't what was in the meal, rather the quality of time together.  He should have continued to eat it, "terror, dignity, [...] history, [...] and most importantly love".  He contradicted himself when he went to the vegetarianism path in college because he did it to be different and as soon as it became mainstream he went back to an "identity of his own" by eating meat.  

Why was the Grandma always concerned about his weight?

H: She was constantly focused on finding food due to constant threat of concentration camps.

Do we think he should have forced his kids to be vegetarians too?

L: You can't force your ideals upon your kids especially if you have the will power to not eat it.  Some of his radical statements about how he hates meat but he isn't a full vegetarian so why can he say that.  Would he ever fully convert himself to veggies? He was all over the place with the global warming and domestic vs farm animals.  If we are all against GMO would have also been a good argument too.

H:  "Taste is the crudest of the senses" and consider justification to factory farms would you still make the conscious decision to eat the meat? It's miserable for the animals, biodiversity, global warming.  Not all labels are true- be conscious and careful.  He doesn't have the right to call himself a vegetarian.      

Steve Jobs Trailor- Rhetorical Analysis

Movie trailers are what make the film industry go round. Not only are they a key part of the marketing industry in film, they are part of the cinematic experience. Without the trailer people wouldn’t want to see the movie. Relying on summaries and critic reviews wouldn’t help because they aren’t relevant to them. In order for movie makers to reach out to the public they need trailers. It allows for people to see if that particular film is relevant to them and their interests. Through the use of rhetoric, movie makers persuade people to see their film, while at the same time dissuade others.

In order to properly understand how trailers work the best thing to do is watch them. See the techniques filmmakers use to persuade people. According to Compose, Design, Advocate, “The idea behind analyzing communication is to figure out how it works: How do the pieces fit together and work with each other to affect a reader or viewer in a particular way?” (316).  Thus, I watched the new Steve Jobs movie trailer in order to see the rhetorical techniques. The trailer portrayed Apple icon Steve Jobs in both good and bad lighting and showed how he overcame many obstacles in order to succeed while going through personal character flaws . The question at hand, however, is who is the audience the filmmakers are aiming this trailer for? One could argue that the trailer is aimed for Mac users, or even simpler fans of Steve Jobs. Although the film is about Steve Jobs and his journey with Apple, the intended audience for this film are supporters of Steve Jobs.

Although the filmmakers are trying to appeal this movie to as many people as possible, they are simultaneously dissuading people. This trailer provides insight on that subject as it shows how Steve Jobs was selfish and disregarded his coworkers. “You’re issuing contradictory instructions. You’re insubordinate. You make people miserable. The board believes you are no longer necessary to this company” (1:05). On top of this, the trailer also portrays Steve Jobs as a poor father. At time (0:36), Steve’s ex-partner (with whom they share a daughter with) says, “Your Apple Stock is worth 441 million dollars and your daughter and her mother are on welfare.” The reason filmmakers used these quotes was to depict Steve Jobs as heroic, considering  he juggled his personal life with his career with his vision to revolutionize technology. While this is undoubtedly appealing for some viewers, the examples above certainly verify the claims of those who dislike Jobs, thus dissuading them from liking the film.

People who support Steve Jobs would  find relevancy in the trailer is shows how he overcame constant criticism to revolutionize the technological world. There are examples of the filmmaker using the pathos appeal to persuade his audience. According to Texas A&M Writing Center, “ In a pathetic appeal, rhetoricians tap a reader’s sympathy and compassion, anger and disappointment, desire for love, or sadness to convince the audience of their argument.”  In the beginning of the trailer, Steve Jobs talks about his vision with the computer. “What if the computer was a beautiful object. Something you want to look at and have in your home. And what if, instead of it being in the right hands, it was in everyone’s hands” (0:10). This clip is a clear example of the author using the pathos appeal as it shows his innovation and creativity, which would appeal to supporters of Steve Jobs.  At time (1:56), the trailer depicts the significance of what Steve Jobs had created. These examples would appeal to supporters of Steve Jobs as they portray him and his contributions to the technological world.

This is an example of how trailers intend to do one thing but could intentionally do something else. For the filmmakers, the goal of this trailer was to attract as many viewers as possible by depicting Steve Jobs as heroic. Juggling hes personal life with his career with his vision to revolutionize technology is undoubtedly inspirational, and through use of rhetoric highlighted this.  However, even though the intention by filmmakers was to persuade people to see their film, they dissuaded others simultaneously. While there was a significant effort to persuade people through the use of rhetoric it was a bit counterproductive as I suggested.

"Steve Jobs." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.

"University Writing Center - Rhetorical Analysis." University Writing Center –

Rhetorical Analysis. Texas A&M University, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

<http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/Handouts-Guides/Guides-(What-Are-

You-Writing-)/Academic-Writing/Analysis/Rhetorical-Analysis>.

Wysocki, Anne Frances, and Dennis A. Lynch. Compose, Design, Advocate: A Rhetoric

for Integrating Written, Visual, and Oral Communication. New York: Longman,