Why kids need solitude

In Salon.com's article "Why kids need solitude", Diana Senechal expresses her opinion that students today need more time of solitude where we can think and create our own opinions and solutions. Honestly, the article was very intriguing in the question and answer question session with Alice Karekezi asking Diana Senechal the questions. She brings up so many valid points, in my opinion. For example, she discusses that group work and workshops are used too much by teachers and that many different approaches need to be used for different lessons. Senechal also says that an engaged class doesn't necessarily have students who can deal with questions that require reflection and thinking on the spot. Also, what I found interesting was that Senechal believes that curriculums have a higher priority over tests, but tests still have an important place. Tests can give a perspective when comparing different areas and provide a baseline of knowledge.  My favorite answer that Senechal gives is, "But if the emphasis is on the success and not on the thing being accomplished, the latter almost inevitably gets reduced," (Karekezi 1). She is right, just aiming for success is not enough, you have to aim for something to be accomplished and remember what it takes to get that thing accomplished.

The question and answer format of the article "Why kids need solitude" holds the audience's attention and gives them a direction for what is being talked about. The bolded questions allow the audience to know the next subject or topic going to be discussed, instead of getting lost in the flow of the article. When defining solitude, Senechal quotes both Epictetus (a Greek philosopher) and Quintilian to help her find her own definition of solitude. This technique proves to the audience that Senechal is a knowledgeable speaker on this subject and is able to reflect on past opinions to create her own. Another establishment of ethos for Diana Senechal is that Alice Karekezi provides the audience with background information on Senechal and how she is a teacher and author. With that knowledge, the audience can understand how Senechal is able to speak of such common situations in the classroom, with students, and in everyday life. Her use of scenarios really made me feel like Senechal understood those same situations. A technique that appealed not only to ethos, but pathos too. Overall, Karekezi's interview with Senechal is a very informative and relatable article with situations that many students can understand.

Source: Karekezi, Alice . "Why kids need solitude." Salon.com 28 Dec. 2011: n. pag. Salon.com. Web. 29 Dec. 2011

Bless Me, Ultima (Chpts 17-22)

Today I finished reading Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima and honestly, I thought it was a wonderful book, but the ending disappointed me. From Diecisiete to Diecinueve, Anaya formated those chapters as three important steps of Antonio's faith: catechism, Ash Wednesday which included his act of being a priest to the other children and his first confession, and Easter Sunday which included his first communion. These steps were important to Antonio attaining understanding with God and finally being able to have God within him, able to answer his numerous questions. However, just as God failed to fight evil from killing Lupito, helping his Uncle Lucas, and killing Narciso, God fails to answer Antonio's questions and remains silent. Even after Antonio has received his first holy communion, God is silent. When God doesn't answer Antonio, he begins to doubt his faith and if God is really everywhere. At the end of Diecisiete, Anaya writes I a really detailed comparison of eternity that Father Byrnes tells the children. The astonishment it gave the audience was overwhelming. The startling truth of what a day of eternity was made the comparison easy to understand, and gave the audience an image.

In the last couple of chapters, Anaya used a couple of rhetorical techniques to hint to his audience of a bad future coming. Anaya foreshadows Ultima's death through Antonio's dream. Another time myself personally could tell something bad was going to happen was when Antonio's uncle left him and Antonio was walking to his grandfather's house alone. You know when you begin reading a passage and just the way things are happening, you know something bad is going to happen? Well, I had that feeling as soon as Antonio's uncle sent him to walk alone.

Finally, one of the few things I disliked about Bless Me, Ultima was how Anaya ended it. After reading the end of Ultima's death, I was still left wondering about Antonio and his future. After his act of being the priest to the children, the audience can tell he won't be their priest along with his unanswered questions to God. Maybe that was Anaya's reason though. He makes his audience decide who Antonio will become.

The Seat Pleasant 59: Part Three

All I can say is wow. What a wonderful closing article to a great series by Paul Schwartzman. The final article of the series focuses on the 59 Dreamers today and who they have become. I really enjoyed how Schwartzman wrote about the influence the Dreamers program still had on each student mentioned, even if they didn't achieve their original goal or actually graduate from college. Some of the Dreamers didn't need a college degree to prove that they had achieved a state of ambition and purpose. Some want to ensure sending their children to college and make sure they don't regret missing out on the opportunity. The continued influence and help that Tracy Proctor continues to have on the Dreamers' lives as their mentor is amazing. With career advice to decision making, Proctor is still their "surrogate father". I think that even if only some of the students in the Dreamers programs succeeded in the initial role, the program still had a huge influence on the member's lives that continues today.

Schwartzman's technique throughout this series continues to be constant with the pathos appeal. However, this particular article was easier to follow with who was who since Schwartzman gave the accomplishment of each person and what they were like back in fifth grade. This technique allows the audience to make connections and revelations about the influence of the Dreamers program. The quotes from each Dreamer have a powerful affect on the audience and establish Schwartzman with ethos. He clearly did his research on this group of people and figured out where to contact them. Honestly, this series is probably some of the better articles I have read since I started this blog. Schwartzman's powerful message proves that the Dreamers can not be measured by their achievements, but how the program itself changed their life.

Source: Schwartzman, Paul. "The Legacy: For those promised college scholarships, the gift inspired pride and pain." The Washington Post 17 Dec. 2011, sec. Local: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 26 Dec. 2011.

The Haves' Children Are Healthier Than the Have Nots'

After reading this article, I realized that physical education and athletics are not a prominent issue in many communities that cannot afford them. With the lack of funds to barely cover food and if lucky, a home, physical activity is on the back burner. Therefore, children coming from those communities are not in physical shape and can be considered overweight. In this article, the author compares two different types of communities in California, Sycamore Valley and San Francisco's Mission district. The community in Sycamore Valley promote a high amount of physical activity with a physical education specialist to help prepare them for a state fitness test. They promote fun runs and fundraise to purchase new sports equipment, like basketball hoops. Children as young as six are learning push-ups and sit-ups from their physical education specialist. However, in San Francisco's Mission district, the exposure of poverty and violence takes its toll and the lack of funds doesn't provide the correct amount of physical activity for its students. It is a shame that such an important issue as children's physical activity can not take as much importance as it should in these areas.

Katharine Mieszkowski uses a comparison technique along with a logos appeal in her New York Times article "The Haves' Children Are Healthier Than the Have Nots'".  Mieszkowski's comparison is between the Sycamore Valley Elementary School and the Cesar Chavez Elementary School. She reports on the status of the physical education classes, who teaches them, the rate of success on the state fitness test, and the percentage of students able to receive a reduced price on school lunches. The topics she writes of were chosen wisely as they all contribute to the status of the school's fitness. With these topics, Mieszkowski also uses statistics and percentages to back up her point. Katharine Mieszkowski's purpose in writing this article is to compare the affluent with the non-affluent children's physical activity and prove that those children from affluent communities have a higher level of physical activity.

Source: Mieszkowski, Katharine . "The Haves' Children Are Healthier Than the Have Nots'." The New York Times 24 Dec. 2011, sec. United States: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 25 Dec. 2011.

The Seat Pleasant 59: Part Two

After reading the first article by Paul Schwartzman about the 59 fifth graders from Seat Pleasant Elementary, I couldn't resist. I had to keep reading. Schwartzman has me hooked on this story of a philanthropic movement to help kids from a community achieve the unexpected. This part two of the story's trilogy focuses on the fifth graders as they moved through middle school, who made it through high school, and those who achieved the original goal of graduating college. I enjoyed reading about Darone Robinson, who was definitely Schwartzman's main focus of this article and how he had to move on from the death of his cousin, struggle to overcome problems in high school, fights, make it to college, and then walk across the stage with a diploma. After reading through a couple of the student's stories, I see how college is not always the dream for every kid in America, whether there is too much violence or not enough money. I can definitely say I have taken my plans to go to college for granted because I am very lucky that I will have the opportunity to attend a university and further my education. Not going to college was something I couldn't really understand, but Schwartzman helped me see the other side.

Once again Schwartzman's main appeal is pathos with his audience. The audience can't resist reading about this opportunity these kids were given and want to know the outcome. We root for them, and want them to overcome all odds. The emotional tone keeps the audience intrigued, however once again, Schwartzman throws around a couple of the kids names without giving a description that can help the audience remember which student is which and what Schwartzman has previously wrote about them. I guess this calls for efferent reading and multiple read throughs. The author's honesty is another technique that appeals to the audience. For example, Schwartzman writes, "it was clear that not everyone was going to make it to college" (Schwartzman 2). Some authors could've tried to butter up the situation and make it seem like all of the students' success came from this investment in their college education. But, not Schwartzman. He makes it clear to the audience the truth of what happened to the 59 fifth graders, even if they did not make it to college.

Source: Schwartzman, Paul . "The Reality: Daunting difficulties for the children promised college scholarships." The New York Times 17 Dec. 2011, sec. Local: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. 

Bless Me, Ultima (Chpts 13-16)

After the question left at the end of Doce, la Ultima's fate is less safe with the death of Narciso. The irony surrounding that particular event really troubled me. First, Narciso's fight with Tenorio, and how the people from inside the bar only intervened to stop the fight, but they did not think to warn the Marez family about the trouble Tenorio might bring. Then, when Narciso approaches Andrew at Rosie's house, Andrew does not want to even go to his family's aid! He tells Narciso, "Oh, is that all. You had me worried for a moment, amigo," (Anaya 165) in response to the news about Tenorio. When Andrew says that, I knew he didn't care to even go home to protect his family and his life in Guadalupe was not going to be permanent. Another aspect of this journey home from the play involves Antonio. Seeing Andrew at Rosie's with a girl is not something that Antonio intended to realize. This makes him question how he has sinned since Andrew made a promise not to enter until Antonio's innocence was lost. Another part of Narciso's death that impacted Antonio was that he gave Narciso confession before he died. This action really makes me believe that Antonio's fate is more towards the role of a priest or a similar leadership, make-a-difference role. Anaya also writes a lot of Antonio questioning his beliefs and religion in this section, with regards to an all-forgiving god. When Anaya writes of Antonio's questioning and dream about this issue, it becomes somewhat hypocritical when Antonio does not wish for Tenorio to be forgiven, but the god is all-forgiving. Anaya is not only trying to convey to his audience that there can be no exceptions with gods, but also that forgiveness can be given to everyone. It is not always easy to give it to those whom you don't think deserve it, but forgiveness can be given to everyone. Anaya definitely cues the theme of forgiveness in Bless Me, Ultima through Antonio's dream.

One rhetorical technique that was particularly effective in this selection was when Anaya wrote about the boys taking all of the roles in the school play. If slowly read and with efferent reading, the audience can understand every little humorous detail of the play. Since I managed to read slow and catch all of the  names of which boy was doing what, I found the scene quite humorous. However, with the numerous different names thrown around and the humor with each name was only fully understood with recall. Other than the predictions written above, I predict that Jason will witness a murder or has already witnessed a murder because Anaya writes, "I even lost touch with Jason, which was too bad because I learned later that he would have understood," (Anaya 186). I look forward to completing the final chapters of Bless Me, Ultima.

The Seat Pleasant 59 Dreamers

Ever read a book or an article where afterwards you just think, "Someone did the right thing"?  Well, this article was definitely one of them. Back in 1988, Abe Pollin and Melvin Cohen were two very wealthy businessmen that established a $325,000 fund for 59 fifth graders to go to college. They wanted to help in this philanthropic movement to help these kids have a chance to go to college. The money was the equivalent of an in-state tuition to University of Maryland. Seat Pleasant Elementary was chosen by the Prince George's superintendent because they were "in dire need of help," (Schwartzman). The stories of some of the Seat Pleasant students described how there parents had the ambitions of their children going to college, but weren't sure how they were going to pay for it. I believe that the opportunity Pollin and Cohen gave to the fifth graders at Seat Pleasant was a really wonderful thing to do because they had the money to accomplish it and they found the means to.

The pathos appeal is Paul Schwartzman's strongest technique in his Washington Post article "The Promise: Two wealthy men set out to transform the lives of 59 fifth graders". The philanthropic action that Pollin and Cohen took to help those students of Seat Pleasant Elementary is a story that just warms any audience's hearts as they root for the best outcome of these students. That technique alone is Schwartzman's strongest aspect of the article. The diction is hopeful for success, however there are a lot of names used that can be mixed together by the audience. Schwartzman could have used some more description when he writes of each of the students and their parents. After reading the first article in the series of the Seat Pleasant 59, I look forward to continue reading about their journey of a free college tuition.

Source: Schwartzman, Paul. "The Promise: Two wealthy men set out to transform the lives of 59 fifth graders." The Washington Post 17 Dec. 2011, sec. Local: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 18 Dec. 2011.

Think You Know Everything about Christmas?

                                                 
James Martin comically challenges every audience, no matter how religious, to see if they really know the Christmas story. Honestly not the very faithful religious person, I did not know most of the facts he wrote about in his Washington Post article, "Five myths about Christmas". Christmas is not the most important Christian holiday, Easter is. Martin says this because, "The overriding importance of Easter is simple: Anyone can be born, but not everyone can rise from the dead," (Martin 1). Jesus's birth is not found in all the stories of the Gospels, but it is only found in the the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Mark and John don't even mention Jesus's birth, but Matthew and Luke both agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Another interesting fact I learned was that Jesus was the "virgin birth", but he was not an only child. Jesus actually had step-brothers and step-sisters. The "diluting of Christmas meaning" however is something that most people today identify with for the Christmas television marathons, gift giving, and believing in Santa Claus. Many churches have changed their traditional midnight Christmas mass to earlier times of 4pm and 8pm to accomodate kids and elderly. Hence, those people  who go to the earlier masses can't say they are going to midnight mass, because lo and behold it's not midnight.

In the article "Five myths about Christmas", James Martin writes a challenging but witty article about what people believe to be true about Christmas. Martin supports many of his points with direct references to quotes from the Bible. This technique establishes logos and ethos with his intellectual ability to logically support his claims and credibility with his audience for knowing the references to the Bible. The author uses a lot of religious diction in this article, but it is not difficult for any audience to follow. Martin also includes some humor in this article. My particular favorite line was, "Whenever I see a Macy's ad imploring shoppers to "believe," I want to stab someone with a candy cane. What does Macy's want us to believe in, anyways? I doubt it's the incarnation," (Martin 2). Maritn identifies his audience as anyone when he says, "No matter your religious beliefs -- whether you're devout, doubtful or downright atheist," (Martin 1), and he assumes his audience is  familiar with the "Christmas story".

Source: Martin, James. "Five myths about Christmas." The Washington Post 16 Dec. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 18 Dec. 2011.

Bless Me, Ultima (Chpts 8-12)

When I look back on the first seven chapters and compare them, chapters ocho to doce were full of those interest-peaking adventures that actually kept me reading. Anaya really knew how to pull his audience in when he wrote these chapters. My prediction about the family unrest and the brothers not wanting to go to California came true, as Eugene and Leon leave Guadalupe. However, Andrew stays which kind of surprised me since I did not believe any one of the brothers were going to stay. Another one of my predictions came true about Antonio's progress with school because his teacher and the principal pass him straight from first to third grade. After Antonio receives this news, he doesn't go straight home, but rather he "realized that he could make decisions," (Anaya 77), and went fishing with Samuel.

While Antonio is fishing with Samuel, Rudolfo Anaya uses another cue in the structure of his words. Just as he previously italicized the word presence, he now italicizes the people, whom are the people that were turned into carps for eating them a long time ago. The presence and the people are definitely connected to the water surrounding Guadalupe and the effect that they have on Antonio. Samuel tells Antonio the story of the carps and begins to tell him of the golden carp, but leaves the remaining of the story for a later time. Cico does eventually find Antonio and shows him the golden carp and its beauty with the story behind it. One thing I noticed about when Cico approaches Antonio and questions him about the golden carp is that Antonio was completely honest in his responses with his knowledge of the commandments and his devout respect of them. From this experience, I predict that Antonio's future is narrowed away from the wild blood of the Marez's. His future holds for a priest of the Lunas or a future following la Ultima's footsteps. Another prediction also comes from the story of the golden carp. Cico says to Antonio, "The golden carp has warned us that the land cannot take the weight of the sins--the land will finally sink!" (Anaya 118). I predict sometime before the end of the book that the town of Guadalupe will have a massive flood or just an overflow of water onto the land.

One event in these chapters that confused  me a little was when Antonio and Ultima went to Las Pasturas to cure Uncle Lucas. La Ultima called Antonio "Juan", which is his middle name. I predict that Juan was the name of the last Luna to become either a priest or curandera. Another outcome of this trip to Las Pasturas was that Antonio gets to see the fact that religion and God have failed in curing his uncle, however Ultima had the power and capability to cure him. I think this fact makes Antonio question his belief in God and the power he holds over someone's fate, like his Uncle Lucas. La Ultima and Antonio manage to cure Uncle Lucas, but during those three days, Antonio "suffered the spasms of pain my uncle suffered," (Anaya 101). Was Antonio used as an outlet for his uncle's pain while Ultima was trying to fight the evil? Or did the evil simply attach itself to Antonio? Sometimes Anaya's diction is direct and leaves no questions. However, sometimes the diction lacks that direct statement that will clear all questions in an audience's head.

Finally, Rudolfo Anaya seems to question la Ultima in this reading selection. With the test of her performing witchcraft by Tenorio, and the two nails on the ground from the cross on the door and the distraction she creates with her owl really makes not only the audience, but Antonio question Ultima. Is la Ultima a witch? She avoided detection this time, but I feel in the future she might not be so lucky.

Hazing Goes Too Far...

Charles M. Blow writes a direct and simply stated article not only about the loss of Florida A&M's Robert Champion to hazing, but about his own experience of hazing personally. Everyone knows that hazing happens in schools, more often than not high schools and colleges. But, sometimes, the hazing you see in movies is not as bad as some of the hazing stories in real life. Last year, I remember hearing about the Needham girls' soccer team putting their freshman on dog collars and leashes and running them around the field...appalled? So was I. Charles M. Blow's story is far worse than the Needham girls' soccer team, and so is Robert Champion's. What I don't get is that Florida A&M knew of the hazing and was warned of it, yet they did nothing. Now the result is a dead student. How could they ignore such a warning, turn a blind eye, and not do anything. If the school knew about the hazing, then Robert Champion's death could have easily been prevented. Maybe fifety years ago hazing could have a blind eye turned away from it, but when the result today is death, you can't just ignore it.

The rhetorical techniques used by Charles M. Blow in his New York Times article "The Brutal Side of Hazing" have a strong appeal to the pathos and ethos of the audience. The pathos appeal is of the entire issue of hazing and how tragic it is that a boy died at its hands. However, the main technique Blow uses is of his own personal experience of hazing when he was in college. The amount of physical abuse and detail with which Blow writes is riveting and heart-breaking at the same time, really appealing to the pathos of the audience. This technique also allows the audience to make connections, if any, to similar situations of hazing, like I did with the Needham girls' soccer team. The ethos appeal is that when he writes about his personal run in with hazing, he establishes his creditability with the issue because he has been there and gone through it. Overall, two truely sad stories, one of which could have been prevented in Charles M. Blow's "The Brutal Side of Hazing".

Source: Blow, Charles M.. "The Brutal Side of Hazing." The New York Times 9 Dec. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.

Bless Me, Ultima (Chpts 1-7)

Bless Me, Ultima is a book defined by the Mexican culture in the town of Guadalupe. In the Marez/Luna family, the two conflicting sides are immediately presented with the Marez life on the llano as vaqueros and the farmers from the Luna family. Not only do I see those two sides as Antonio's family or perhaps his destiny, but the diction shows one as highly religious and the other lacking a respect for religion. With the Luna side of the family, his mother Maria has a reverence for God with her consistent prayers, blessings, and proper manners. The constant need to pray, along with her dream of Antonio becoming a priest and thanking their "la Virgen de Guadalupe" shows her respect for God and the power he holds. However, with the Marez side of the family, Antonio's father Gabriel drinks, complains about going to mass, and longs for his days on the llano as a vaquero. One side holds Antonio's future, and only Ultima or la Grande knows it. When Ultima enters Antonio's life, not only at the beginning can he not give the standard greeting Maria told him to give, but Ultima says, "This was the last child I pulled from your womb, Maria. I knew there would be something between us," (Anaya 12). I predict that Antonio's connection to Ultima will have an influence on Antonio's future. I also predict that after Antonio witnesses his first death of a man, Lupito, that will come to help shape his future as well.

Rudolfo Anaya, the author of Bless Me, Ultima, writes of many cues and structures that hinted to me as I was reading the first seven chapters. One thing that I noticed was his inclusion of the Spanish language. At times, there would be an influx of Spanish, and then at others I could seem to forget about picking up the Spanish-English dictionary. But at those times where I didn't need to translate anything, just as I was about to forget about the inclusion of the Spanish language, Anaya would throw in a Spanish word that would remind me that it's not an entire English-speaking society and the culture does have an impact on this book. I especially saw the mix of English and Spanish when Antonio went to his first day of school. I think Antonio's experiences at school, including his excel at letters and the separation from the kids in his class, are also going to have an impact on his future, whatever path he chooses. Another cue from Anaya that I noticed was he always italicizes "presence" when talking about the river near the family's house. I know Anaya is trying to send his audience a message when he writes presence, and it may be the presence of the river is a religious reference or maybe a guide in Antonio's future. I find the book interesting, but sometimes I begin to lose interest. At those times though, Anaya seems to throw in an important event, like going to El Puerto de los Lunas, Antonio's first day of school, or the return of Antonio's brothers, which keep me reading. My final prediction from the end of Siete is that the brothers are not keen on returning to California, like their father wishes to, because Anaya writes,

                   "Well", my father shrugged, "I don't mean tonight, maybe in a month or two,

                   right boys?" My brothers glanced nervously at each other and nodded," (Anaya

                   63).

This could present a conflict within the family, since Gabriel's dream has been to journey west with his family. I enjoy the culture of the Spanish mixed with English and Antonio's journey to his destiny in Bless Me, Ultima.

Heading a Soccer Ball and Concussions

This particular New York Times article immediately peaked my interest as soon as I read the title. After playing soccer for twelve years and club soccer for eight years, you could say I've headed a soccer ball quite a few times, and in some cases a few too many. I have never actually been diagnosed with a concussion, but my mother is one parent who was all over me "protecting my head and my brain cells". She wanted to have me wear a concussion head band, but I immediately denied it, and settled for the mouthguard instead. At that time, mouth guards were said to help lessen the impact on your brain moreso than the headband. This article was interesting in how if a player had headed the ball over 1,100 times in a year, they showed a loss of white matter in their brain. But, in the researchers' opinions, any amount below that number considers heading to be safe. That news will be well received by my mom because she worries my sometimes excessive heading is going to be the end of my intelligence.
 

The author of "A New Worry for Soccer Parents: Heading the Ball", Gretchen Reynolds, uses multiple rhetorical techniques of logos, ethos, and scientific diction that will appeal to her audience of soccer parents and players. Reynolds establishes ethos with her audience and her creditability with multiple scientific research reports. Her purpose is more of reporting and informing. The logos appeal to her audience is the evidence and results presented in these scientific research studies, including Dr. Michael L. Lipton from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and Elizabeth Larson from Humboldt State University. The scientific diction Reynolds uses includes "diffusion tensor imaging", "white matter", "axons", "neurons", "frontal lobe", and "temporo-occipital region". She not only just uses this jargon, but explains each term so that the common reader will understand what she is talking about. This allows any audience, from doctor to worried soccer parent to understand Gretchen Reynolds's New York Times article.


Source: Reynolds, Gretchen . "A New Worry for Soccer Parents: Heading the Ball." The New York Times 7 Dec. 2011, sec. Health: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 7 Dec. 2011.

Females Can't Get a License in Saudi Arabia

Can you imagine what our society would be like if women weren't allowed to obtain a driver's license? Drive on the streets? Sometimes our freedoms in the United States are taken for granted, and after reading this article, I definitely take driving around town for granted. What if the cultures of the United States banned females from driving? Considered that we "lost our modesty" or "overcrowded the streets"? The claims that are reported in this article that go against women who drive are terrible. Those women in Saudi Arabia who drive will more easily rebel against their husbands, and increase in prostitution, divorce, pornography, and homosexuality. Articles like these make me really happy I am an American.

Andrew Rosenthal uses a couple of rhetorical techniques to appeal to his audience. He explains the de facto of women not being allowed to obtain drivers' licenses and the culture consequences surrounding the issue. Rosenthal then writes about King Abdullah considering removing the ban on women and allowing them to get their driver's licenses. This technique establishes his creditability as an author on the subject and appealing to the ethos of the audience. Another technique that Rosenthal uses is that he questions the Saudi Arabian men to his audience when he asks, "Are Saudi men so fragile that the mere sight of a female driver will lead them into a state of sinfulness? Is the line between upstanding citizen of Saudi Arabia and divorced-homosexual-pornographer so thin?" (Rosenthal 1). To his American audience, these are ironic questions that make us question their culture. Another technique that Andrew Rosenthal uses in his "Beware of Female Drivers" article is that he makes connections similar to the situation in Saudi Arabia with the Yale Skull and Bones club and his opinion on homosexual marriages. This technique allows the audience to connect with the author and make their own connections. Overall, Andrew Rosenthal writes a direct article that questions Saudi Arabia's need to have a de facto against women getting their driver's licenses.

Source: Rosenthal, Andrew . "Beware of Female Drivers." The New York Times 5 Dec. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

Talking Face to Face, A Method of the Past

Outside of going to school everyday and talking face to face with your friends, how often do you talk to someone face to face? For me, it's usually a text message, Facebook message, Facebook chat, Skype, or a rare phone call. Most teenagers, if they want to talk to someone, they grab a cell phone or a laptop and start talking to them. Face to face conversation is not that common anymore unless you go to school  or work, where you have it everyday. These technological forms of communication allow people to multitask, pretend you are engaged in a conversation, or even just end the conversation for no obvious reason. Older people  who aren't as technologically savvy as  the younger generations haven't caught up on these new ways of communicating. Meanwhile, I find these forms  of technology convinent in situations where you are rushing around and just don't have the time to explain something or you don't have the time to make yourself physically presentable.

The author of "Talking Face to Face Is So...Yesterday" Dominique Browning does a nice job of appealing to the pathos of the audience, however her creditability is lacking. Browning writes of her own personal experiences with the decline in face to face conversations, which allows the audience to connect with Browning and relate their own personal experiences. However, there is no logos appeal of facts, statistics, scientific studies, or evidence to help back up her views. The only information the audience finds out about Browning is that she is the senior director of Moms Clean Air Force, which has little to do with the topic she writes about, nor gives the impression that she has significant knowledge on her topic. Overall though, an interesting piece that makes the audience realize an unspoken truth in the decline of face to face conversations.

Source: Browning, Dominique. "Talking Face to Face Is So...Yesterday." The New York Times 3 Dec. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.

Strong Willpower Needs a Strong Mindset

Willpower. As a high school student, sometimes my willpower is lacking when there are seemingly "better" things to do like go out with my friends, a favorite television show, or a sports game. I have definitely had times of complete motivation and strong willpower and times of bad procrastination. This article caught my interest because what if there was a scientific way of obtaining a strong willpower? I would want to know it especially in that week with three papers and two major tests so I could get them all done. Some of the factors people have proposed to control willpower include biology, amount of glucose, and just a strong mindset. Well in this article's case, only one of these factors is right and it's a strong mindset. If you believe willpower doesn't have a limit, then you will procrastinate less and cut down on excess spending. And those with this mindset would perform well with or without consuming sugar. Amazing!

Greg Walton and Carol Dweck write the informative article "Willpower: It's in Your Head" with a logos appeal to their audience. The authors write of multiple studies conducted on willpower including Linda Bacon's biology control, Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney's glucose proposal, and their own mindset proposal with Veronika Job. This technique appeals to the logos of an audience and proves both authors as credible reporters on the topic. One study that Walton and Dweck write about is on 153 college students and how their mindset affected their willpower which appeals to the audience of anyone who has been to college or is planning on going to college. The two authors' opinions are very obvious in this article when they write of taking the other theories into consideration. They write, "But are these theories correct? We don't think so," (Walton, Dweck, 1). In the New York Times article written by Greg Walton and Carol Dweck, the two authors discover the main controller of strong willpower is a strong mindset.

Source: Walton, Greg, and Carol Dweck. "Willpower: It's In Your Head." The New York Times 26 Nov. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 27 Nov. 2011.

Rapid Spread of Virtual Schools

Online school programs, like K12, are spreading quickly across the country. In the United States, there are 250,000 students attending virtual public school out of 50 million school-aged kids in the country. There are virtual public schools from Boise to one even in our very own state of Massachusetts. This article caught my eye because for the first time this year, I am taking Latin I, a Virtual High School course that I would not have otherwise been able to take. It has so far been a great experience because things are done differently online than in the classroom and there is a lot more of independent learning. However, this article writes about kindergardeners taking full time virtual school on a computer. To me, that just doesn't seem right because when you are in elementary school, you begin to learn the very basis of knowledge that needs to be learned correctly. Also, you learn how to make friends, which you can't really do on a computer. I can see that virtual public school would be a good approach for a couple scenarios. Maybe a victim of bullying, a kid who just can not learn from the approaches of their teachers, or an young athlete who has practice five hours a day. Another variable of this virtual public school is that the parents need to be "learning coaches" to their kids and have an important role in their schooling. If there is no learning coach, the student will fall behind and not succeed. I think the virtual school at a middle school and high school age is good because the school can offer courses that the public school doesn't have and it can also get students used to online resources.

Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown both utilize research specific rhetorical strategies that appeal to the logos and ethos of their audience. The organization of their article "Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value" is broken down into headings of "Seizing an opportunity", "No need for the bus stop", "Mixed performance", "Cost to taxpayers", and "Targeting rural counties". This organization helps the audience follow all of the aspects of the K12's virtual public school program. Layton and Brown write of the history of K12 and its political allies throughout the years. There are the differing costs of attending a K12 virtual public school from different counties in one state to different states, where it would cost $3,728 in Florida, $5,000 in Massachusetts, and $6,200 in D.C. This appeals to the audience's logos and how much money they would be willing to spend for their child's virtual public school. Another technique that Layton and Brown use is that they write about the Hirata family and how their two children are enrolled in the K12 program and why they enrolled. This appeals to the audience's ethos and allows them to compare their situation to the Hirata's. In The Washington Post's "Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value", Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown appeal to their audience well as they fully report their research on the K12 virtual school program.

Source: Layton, Lyndsey, and Emma Brown. "Virtual schools are multiplying, but some question their educational value." The Washington Post 26 Nov. 2011, sec. POST Local: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 27 Nov. 2011.

Talent Matters More Than Practice

When you were little and wanted to be able to spell a word, do a new soccer move, hit a baseball, or any other skill, what did your parents or coach or teacher say? Mine almost always said, "Practice makes perfect." Well that line just went right out the door after reading David Hambrick and Elizabeth Meinz's New York Times article "Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters". Hambrick and Meinz write an informative article based on many research accounts. They write of how a person's intellectual ability matters a lot in their success of fields. Personally, I agree because that intellectual ability already gives someone an advantage over someone else who has to practice to get to the same level as them. However, I also believe that practice can help those without that outstanding intellect to succeed. Some of the most hard working people are the most successful, while those with that above average intellect can be arrogant at times.

The rhetorical techniques that Hambrick and Meinz use to appeal to their audience are very effective. The write with a large appeal to the logos of the audience because Hambrick and Meinz write about three different scientific research studies: one conducted by Florida State University, one conducted by Vanderbilt University, and one they conducted. This technique establishes Hambrick and Meinz as creditable authors with the audience. The descriptions of the studies prove that they know what they are talking about and that they did their research before compiling it all into the article. This article really makes the audience think about practice and intellectual ability when it comes to talent. One particular line that showed the authors' opinions was "None of this is to deny the power of practice. Nor is it to say that it's impossible for a person with an average I.Q. to say, earn a Ph.D. in physics. It's just unlikely, relatively speaking. Sometimes the story that science tells us isn't the story we want to hear," (Hambrick, Meinz 1). David Hambrick and Elizabeth Meinz write a convincing informative article about the need for intellectual ability to have a specific talent.

Source: Hambrick, David Z. , and Elizabeth J. Meinz. "Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters." The New York Times 19 Nov. 2011, Sunday ed., sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

The congressional war on childhood nutrition

We all know America has a problem with obesity, specifically childhood obesity. How many different fast food restaurants can you find in our area? McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, and Taco Bell to name a few. They are cheap, no doubt about that, but they are anything but healthy. Sometimes there may be a salad or a menu item that seems like it would be healthy, but in the large scheme of things, it really isn't. The worse part about childhood obesity is that this past Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will block any future attempts to make food healthier at school lunches. What I don't get is why they would even consider blocking health improvement bills. I mean, does the House of Representatives like knowing that there are 12.5 obese American children? How about that one in five children are currently living in poverty? If I were a political leader in the United States, childhood obesity or childhood poverty would be one of my top priorities, not issues that I would be trying to block.

Mary Elizabeth Williams writes her article "The congressional war on childhood nutrition" with an appeal of pathos and logos to her audience. One of her techniques is that she recounts her own personal story about her daughter's school's loss of a Wellness in the School program. This allows the audience to emphathize with Williams and make connections to their own lifes in regards to cuts with nutrition. In my school, we no longer have a Wellness class, and while there was a lunch improvement last year and there are healthy options today, there are still those unhealthy options. Another technique that Williams uses is statistics that appeal to the audience's logic. The 12.5 million obese children, one in four children living in poverty, and one in four going hungry today were a few. These statistics help the audience get the big picture of how serious childhood nutrition is. Williams also writes about the counter point of view, of who is benefiting from the block of improving nutrition. She writes about the American Frozen Food Institute, ConAgra, and McDonald's and how all these fast food suppliers will benefit from the block. This technique gives the audience both points of view on the issue. Finally, she includes a few important political figures of today and the past that have been involved with childhood nutrition at the national level, including Ronald Regan, Michelle Obama, and George W. Bush. One particular line that really shows Williams' opinion and gets her point across is, "Our government was created to serve its people -- even those not of voting age. But while one in four American children will go hungry today, Congress seems more concerned about the companies that make fries for McDonald's," (Williams 1).

Source: Williams, Mary Elizabeth. "The congressional war on childhood nutrition." Salon.com 18 Nov. 2011: n. pag. Salon.com. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.

"Billions Wasted on Billing"

Every time you go to the hospital  for whatever reason, do you see your parents filling out multiple forms and signing papers? I know I have. I have watched my mother tediously fill out form after form about my medical history, insurance information, and signing off permission on other forms. Ever think about how much paper gets wasted for the multiple times you have to fill out the same forms over and over again? Well, Ezekiel J. Emanuel does his research in his New York Times article "Billions Wasted on Billing". The United States could be saving $32 billion dollars a year if we could just transform the physical labor of filling out medical forms to an electronic system. Not only that, it could provide patient history guidelines. The example that Emanuel uses is that if a doctor sees a patient with frequent back pain, the doctor could just prescribe physical therapy instead of ordering an MRI. Sometimes its the little things that we never really notice that if changed could make a huge difference. I believe that the United States could be using that $32 billion for better reasons than medical forms. Besides, we are in the Information Age...why not continue to use the amazing technology we have?

Ezekiel J. Emanuel uses a large amount of statistics with logos and some pathos in his opinion article "Billions Wasted on Billing". The statistics appeal to the logos of the audience and some of them are quite shocking. In all the costs of health care, fourteen percent is spent on administration or in the grand scheme of things, $360 billion per year. Ezekiel also breaks down the percentages of where the money is going and uses research from a Harvard economist, David Cutler. The statistics and percentages both establish Emanuel's creditability on the topic and show that he did his research. The pathos technique that Emanuel uses is that he describes his personal situation with filling out medical forms four times in three days with his frustration. This technique allows the audience to emphasize with Emanuel and make connections to their own experiences of filling out multiple medical forms. The author also proposes suggestions and problems that would be solved with a universal technology system that kept all these medical administration records. The "Billions Wasted on Billing" article discusses the waste of health care money on administration and how it could change with the switch to a technology system.

Source: Emanuel, Ezekiel J.. "Billions Wasted on Billing." The New York Times 13 Nov. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 13 Nov. 2011.

Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gately

Today I finished Roberta Gately's first novel, a work of fiction called Lipstick in Afghanistan. It tells a story that neither begins nor ends in that completely happy way. Elsa Murphy lives a harsh childhood in Dorchester, MA, becomes an emergency room nurse, and has a desire to help refugees anywhere that needs help. She gets that call for duty, after 9/11, to report to the Bamiyan village in Afghanistan. While there, Elsa finds herself in the middle of a war-zone with a completely different culture and the Taliban fighting against any foreigners or resistance. Elsa charms the strong-willed people of Bamiyan as a worker in the clinic and makes many friends along the way in a life that is much worse than her life in Dorchester.

After finishing this novel, I had to know if any of the characters, plot, or culture aspects of it were true. Roberta Gately establishes herself as a creditable author in her Author's Note. Gately has been a nurse and humanitarian aid worker in many war zones, including Afghanistan. She worked in the village of Bamiyan and her first work of fiction is based on the people she met in Afghanistan and the stories she was told, both the good and the bad. With that, the cultural aspects of this book are really what made it stand out to me. In a male dominated society, where males arrange marriages, rely on wives to produce sons, physically beat their wives if no sons are produced, and  hold the power over the family. Women are expected to hid their hair under their veils and keep to themselves. Gately even writes about the society rules for single men and single women. There are disturbing stories about the actions of the Taliban and the lengths they will go to in order to uphold their views, from murdering twenty Bamiyan men to beating and burning an eight year old girl. The stories Gately was told and how she incorporates them into the novel provide the adventure and tragedy. She combines the tragedy and adventure with forbidden romance and the strong bond of friendship that all kept me reading. The tragedy and adventure of this antithesis society appeal to the pathos of the audience as the Taliban perform formidable acts of murder and abuse. The forgetfulness of Elsa that Bamiyan is a dangerous place and the lengths that the Taliban will go to are what make the ending incompletely happy. The diction of Roberta Gately is direct and plainly to the point as it should be. There is nothing extensive or complicated about a war or murder and its consequences. The story of Elsa Murphy, though it was fiction, and the village of Bamiyan has given me a new perspective on how much I have in my American life and made me realize that I don't even begin to understand what real tragedy is.

"Girls Just Want to Go to School"

I think most high school students can agree at one point or another, we have had a strong dislike for attending school, taking a test, or doing homework. Or maybe its just my high school. A teacher you don't like, homework that takes to long, over-protective parents scheduling extra conferences, or parents who don't attend conferences at all. Well, one fourteen year old Vietnamese girl named Dao Ngoc Phung has a very strong dedication to her school work. One that our country sometimes lacks. This article from The New York Times by Nicholas D. Kristof tells of the perseverance and love of education as Dao fills the mother role to her two younger siblings, takes care of a household, and works hard at her schoolwork. Her day begins at three in the morning and ends sometimes as late as eleven at night. For only a fourteen year old, that is absolutely incredible. Her love for school consumes her when she is not preparing a meal or performing a chore and that strong willed attitude in such a poor family will take her so far. After reading this article, I admire Dao so much for her optimistic attitude on life and how she uses that in her education.  Nicholas D. Kristof uses a variety of rhetorical techniques in this pathos article. To begin with, there is already the emotional appeal when he writes about the loss of Dao's mother to cancer. His diction just overall speaks the truth behind the story and audiences can sometimes really love to read these true, heartbreaking stories and how the people they are about have such strength. Kristof's overall approach to writing the article, in the sense of a daily schedule for Dao was very effective. It described all the aspects of how she went about her day. He also explains the culture in Vietnam and the values of Confucianism to help inform the audience of Dao's culture. Kristof quotes Dao and her father about their approach to education, which proves effective. He also includes some statistics that bring in the United States. One statistic is that the United States is 23 out 27 in high school graduation rates. One quote that shows Kristof's opinion is, "I wish we Americans, especially our politicians, could learn from Phung that our long-term strength will depend less on our aircraft carriers than on the robustness of our kindergartens, less on financing spy satellites than on financing Pell grants," (Kristof). Nicholas D. Kristof writes an emotional article about how high the value of education should be in "Girls Just Want to Go to School." Source: Kristof, Nicholas D. . "Girls Just Want to Go to School." The New York Times10 Nov. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag.The New York Times. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.

The Unchanging Bystander Nature of Humans

Remember when we read the Patterns story about Kitty Genovese and the thirty six people who watched murder and didn't say anything? Well, things haven't changed because the same thing happened to Jayna Murray recently in Lululemon while two Apple Store workers listened against the wall joining the two stores. They heard her cry for help and did nothing. After 331 wounds, Murray was dead. And those two employees heard it and did nothing. The security guard was too busy listening to his iPod to take notice. This act of human nature now has a name. The "bystander effect". I just don't get how those two employees could simply stand there, listening, and not act on a cry for help. Maybe alert the security guard they have or just pick up one of the many iPhones sitting in the Apple Store and call 911. What caused them not to call? One thought it was just drama and the other heard Murray say, "Talk to me. Don't do this. God help me. Please help me." They did nothing! How hard is it to pick up the phone and dial three numbers just for safety even if you don't know the situation?

Jenna Johnson writes her article "The bystander effect: Why those who heard the Lululemon murder didn't help," for the Washington Post with an appeal to pathos and ethos. One effective technique she uses is her own account of being attacked by three boys and not receiving any help. She was a lucky surviver, but also a victim of the bystander effect. Her story, although differing in outcomes, was similar to Jayna Murray's in the lack of human response. This technique really pulled the audience in and also established Johnson with some creditability on the subject. Another technique that Johnson uses is that she makes the common connections of Jayna Murray's case to those of Kitty Genovese and Yeardley Love, which allows her audience to make references of common knowledge. The ethos behind the article is just the logic. One ethos line is when Johnson says, "The sounds coming from Lululemon that night in March alarmed an Apple employee enough for her to listen at the wall, to sense that something might be wrong, to reach out to another employee for his opinion," (Johnson 2). That line really appeals to the audience in a logical sense. Jenna Johnson writes a powerful article on the bystander effect and the murder of Jayna Murray.

Source: Johnson, Jenna . "The bystander effect: Why those who heard the Lululemon murder didn't help." The Washington Post 4 Nov. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.

Teen Drug and HIV Screening at Doctor's Appointments

A trip to the doctor's office can always be so fun for some people...Screaming kids, little babies, shots, colds, flu, pneumonia, and swine flu are your everyday encounters at a pediatrician's office. But, it gets even better (not really). Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics is suggesting that doctors ask teenagers sixteen and older for HIV tests and questions about drug use. How much more awkward can a trip to the doctor's office get? Any community with over 0.1 percent HIV is being asked to test teens for the virus. This suggestion of these tests being performed at routine check-ups is not an original idea, but the support for it is inevitable. Drugs can affect the developing brains of teenagers, permanently damage them, and cause teens to acquire tolerances and addictions. So is this new approach that Mary Elizabeth Williams reports on a good idea? I personally think it is, especially for parents who are unable or unwilling to confront their kids on the issue. Having a doctor face the problem is an intermediate for facing these problems not from a parenting view, but a health view.

Mary Elizabeth Williams establishes her creditablitiy to both types of audiences of parents and teenagers in the Salon.com article "Should teens be screened for drug use?". She writes of her parent status and her fears for her own children establishing a pathos with the parent audience. However, she also writes of her past teen years and how these tests are what she calls "massive adolescent eye rolling" (Williams 5). In that sense, Williams is right, but she is also writing about a hard topic to reach teenagers on. The author writes about reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics and their proposals for this new policy along with Dr. Sharon Levy who is an author on a statement from this topic. The policy for asking about drug use and HIV testing at doctors is going to cause annoyance from teens everywhere.

Source: Williams, Mary Elizabeth. "Should teens be screened for drug use?." Salon.com 1 Nov. 2011: n. pag. Salon.com. Web. 3 Nov. 2011.

Doctors Overusing MRIs

Ever wonder if you go to see a doctor and they take a scan that they don't need? End up misdiagnosing you? Well, many doctors today are overusing the MRI and then even worse, inaccurately diagnosing their patients. This gives the doctor and facility where the scan was done an unneeded payment of over a thousand dollars. The article by Gina Kolata in the New York Times this past Saturday uses Mr. Steve Ganobcik as an example of unnecessary MRI, who was given the scan and diagnosed twice as a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) from a skiing accident. However, after the accident, Mr. Ganobcik got right back up and kept skiing for the rest of his vacation before seeing a doctor. IRONIC? I think so, because I have seen a few people tear their ACL's and they usually aren't getting up from the ground anytime soon without help. Though I have never had an injury serious enough to need an MRI, I plan to go into the orthopedics field. Gina Kolata's article "Sports Medicine Said to Overuse A Popular Scan" questions multiple orthopedic specialists on unnecessary use of MRIs.

Gina Kolata's techniques in this article were effective in appealing to the audience's pathos and logos. She cites numerous orthopedic specialists and their universities of work, including Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Bruce Sangeorzan, Dr. Christopher DiGiovanni, Dr. Sigvard T. Hansen, Dr. Freddie H. Fu, and Dr. Andrew Green, which establishes credibility with the audience for these numerous expert professionals. Another technique that Kolata uses was the example of Mr. Ganobcik and his skiing accident. This example appealed to the audience's logos with the irony of Mr. Ganobcik being diagnosed with a torn ACL, but yet he was able to get back up and continue to ski for the next couple days of his vacation. Kolata also writes about Dr. Green's research on 101 patient cases of shoulder pain. Of those 101, forty three arrived with MRIs. However, Dr. Green was able to diagnose all of those cases based on a physical exam, patient history, and an X-ray. Kolata writes about similar research done by Dr. DiGiovanni and 221 foot and ankle patients, and found similar results with the patients not needing the MRIs. Those two research studies convince the audience that MRI scans are not as necessary as they think. The New York Times' "Sports Medicine Said to Overuse A Popular Scan" by Gina Kolata compilies research and professional opinions to prove that MRIs are used too much.
Source: Kolata, Gina. "Sports Medicine Said to Overuse A Popular Scan." The New York Times 29 Oct. 2011, New England ed., sec. Front Page: A1, A14. Print.

Outside Read: Lipstick in Afghanistan

Finding the Meaning of Happiness

Everyone is always saying to us nowadays, you are the future. You can make a difference. Well, those thoughts along with the need to get money to go to college, our parents pushing the good grades, and the unending amount of work, are not the best way to prepare. Timothy Egan writes of the typical student, going to college, succeeding with high marks, and then in this time and economy, having a remarkable degree with no employment. We are used to the good performance and the rewards from it in school, sports, and other activities. Out there in the real world, that's not going to happen. We could possibly face a mounting amount of rejection. That rejection is something we aren't used to and is going to make us feel hopeless. Today, everything amounts to a measurement; a test score, a grade, or a midterm and we place high value on those measurements. But, what about the happiness when those measurements fail to give us a direction in life? Egan's main point is that parents shouldn't worry as much about a letter on a report card, compared to teaching us the feeling of failure and the meaning of true happiness.

In Timothy Egan's New York Times Opinionator article "Boomer Parent's Lament", Egan writes about how the high value of a grade or a number will not prepare our generation for entering the troubled economy. From his opening paragraph, the audience knows Egan is aiming to reach an audience of parents with kids who are struggling after college to find good employment. Egan's key point is made when he says, "For all the efforts to raise hyperachievers, we didn't teach enough of a basic survival skill -- to find joy in simple things not connected to a grade, a trophy, or a job," (Egan). He uses the technique of logos by using facts and statistics to show the amount of qualified graduates working in underqualified jobs. Egan sites Steve Jobs's commencement speech and a New Yorker article that both support his point of view. The article also uses Timothy Egan's own personal story of the true happiness his father would find even though he had lived during the Great Depression, which appeals to the audience's pathos. The opinion article "Boomer Parent's Lament" by Timothy Egan has definitely given me a new perspective on what really matters in life.

Source: Egan, Timothy . "Boomer Parent's Lament." The New York Times 27 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinionator: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.

"Humming to Higher Ed"

College. For some of us, that word means nothing since some don't intend to further their education with that venue. For others, that word causes a high amount of stress for the next two years of high school with finding the right school, taking road trips, filling out applications, taking admissions tests, and anticipating the acceptance letter. All that stress and anticipation packed into two years and it turns out our educations really aren't being "furthered". This article by Gail Collins informs the audience of scientific research being done that proves a percentage of students who go to college don't actually gain any important learning. I was shocked to read this because college has been seen to me as an opportunity to figure out who I want to be in life and learn how to fufill a role in my career path. How can I do that if I am not learning something new? Gail Collins writes an informative, contradicting opinion piece in her New York Times article "Humming to Higher Ed".

Collins's differing techniques of writing and rhetoric appeal to the audience in different ways. In the beginning of the article, Gail Collins opens with an analogy to college searches and hummingbirds flying south for the winter. However, the language used after the comparison seemed kind of lame and lack of belief in the similarity. She then writes of her own story of choosing a college and how if she had the resources that we have today, her college that was destined for her was not the one she attended. This technique appeals to the audience as the common man or woman who went through the same experience, or a similar one. Gail Collins's also provides statistics and a scientific study done by Richard Arum called "Academically Adrift". The statistics, including a poll of three thousand students from almost thirty colleges have a forty five percentage who have not gained any new knowledge, provide a solid history of truth for the audience to go on, appealing to their logistical side. Collins's also constantly uses bias and her opinion. This is shown when Collins says, "I would rather not think that many of the most expensively educated brains in the country are already formed by their seventeenth birthday," (Collins). In the article "Humming to Higher Ed", Gail Collins uses different facts and statistics to show that students who head off to college will probably not learn too many new concepts.

Source:  Collins, Gail. "Humming to Higher Ed." The New York Times 21 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 22 Oct. 2011.

The Lasting Influence of Coaching on Children Today

                           
Can't almost all of us say we were playing some kind of sport as six year olds? Whether we were kicking a soccer ball, swinging a bat, or dribbling a basketball, we were exposed to the world of sports at young ages. Have you ever noticed how many possible mistakes can be made in a game? Ever notice your coach or parent's reactions? Well I certainly have, and sometimes they were not the best responses, filled with harsh criticism. Some of them still stick with me today, like the time I thought I was the goalie when I was six and picked up the ball on defense. "You can't use your hands! You're not the goalie!" I was six however, and got over it. But, go to a town soccer field on a Saturday morning and I can guarantee you will see some screaming parents yelling at their kids to be better, coaches who really want to win, and more parents screaming at the referee. David Bornstein writes about all of these aspects of sports and today's modern day coaches. I agree with Bornstein that some of these aspects and many others have the ability to turn kids away from playing sports at a young age. Playing sports should be about having fun and becoming better people. Bornstein highlights those values along with a program called Positive Coaching Alliance in his New York Times article "The Power of Positive Coaching".

In his opinion article, David Bornstein appeals to his audience with a variety of techniques. Bornstein opens his article with questioning the audience in various coaching situations and what your reaction would be if you were the coach. This technique helps the audience understand some of the difficult situations coaches are put in, and how their reactions are crucial. David Bornstein also provides statistics that over 2.5 million adults volunteer to coach in America, and less than ten percent have formal training. This shows that the people who influence younger children in critical moments of their childhood don't actual have a formal way of responding to the situations presented. Another statistic Bornstein presents is that because sports continue to become more competitive and selective, seventy to eighty percent of kids drop out of sports. Bornstein's most effective technique in his opinion article is when he writes about the Positive Coaching Alliance. He writes about the total people influenced by the program, sports associations that use it, and well known coaches that support the program. Some of the coaches include Doc Rivers and Phil Jackson. These examples help the audience make a reference to parts of their lives. Bornstein goes on to write about the history of the program and what kinds of techniques the program uses. My particular favorite was the criticism sandwich, with a piece of criticism between two compliments. Overall, David Bornstein writes a great article about the modern types of coaching and how they can change to be more positive influential experiences for kids in "The Power of Positive Coaching".

Source: Bornstein, David. "The Power of Positive Coaching." The New York Times 20 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.

Five Myths About Healthy Eating

                                           
Ever heard of some of the excuses given as to why people don't eat healthy today? People living in poor vicinities don't have places to purchase fresh produce, modern advertising, high prices, need of nutrition information, and the large amount of fast food restaurants are the excuses about why people eat unhealthy. Katherine Mangu-Ward proves all of these beliefs false in her Washington Post opinion article "Five myths about healthy eating". In the United States, we see constantly the consequences of unhealthy eating and how many more health problems arise because of it. This article caught my eye because in this modern day, the government and powerful figures are trying various ways to find solutions to the problem of unhealthy eating. Katherine Mangu-Ward writes with numerous puns, providing some comedy for her audience, which I also enjoyed. Her approach to this topic had an obvious view of her opinion on the subject and I have to agree with Mangu-Ward. People can't make excuses for not eating healthy because what you eat is a decision you make every time you go to the refrigerator or go out to a restaurant. It's a decision and what you chose impacts your health.

Katherine Mangu-Ward's style of comic and certainty appeals to the audience in her article "Five myths about healthy eating". She throws in a couple of puns every so often with my favorite being "obesity remains a political hot potato, or maybe a tater tot," (Mangu-Ward 1). It adds some comic relief to the sometimes judgemental topic she covers. In the article, Mangu-Ward uses a wide variety of statistics and scientific studies to support her views. For the lack of fresh produce in poor vicinities, Mangu-Ward uses the facts that ninety three percent of people in these areas have a car, and farmers markets have tripled. For the advertisement belief, she quotes a study from the Institute of Medicine. Both of these techniques help appeal to the audience's logic. Katherine Mangu-Ward also compares herself as a common person with the audience when she caves in to having a chocolate milkshake. This article overall was funny, informative, and contradicts the common beliefs about healthy eating today.

Source: Mangu-Ward, Katherine. "Five myths about healthy eating." The Washington Post 14 Oct. 2011, sec. Post Opinions: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

Psychology and Religion

                                          
The study of psychology gives up on the belief that possession of demons cause illnesses, and other religious beliefs and uses the basis of science. Gareth Cook once again writes another great opinion article for the Boston Globe, "Modern psychology's God problem". He questions the lack of religion in the work done by psychologists, and how utilizing religion could help those patients that are deeply religious. I have to agree with Cook because if someone is not in a good mental state, yet religion is part of their life, having the professional person they talk to could really help them. Though I would probably not be one of those deeply religious people, I do believe in a higher power. I also think that as their profession is defined, psychologists help patients through therapy, and if their patient believes in a higher power or is devoutly religious, then the psychologist should be giving their patient therapy that involves religion. The fact that professionals in psychology are avoiding religion in their work seems to defy the message of their profession.

Gareth Cook continues to utilize many writing techniques in "Modern psychology's God problem". In his opening, he questions the audience about a specific ability and states that God gave it to them. Cook writes of a contradiction between modern psychology and America's involvement in religion. He gives statistics about America and religion, including that over fifty percent categorize religion as very important and ninety percent belief in a higher power. Those statistics prove how important religion is in America therefore gaining the audience's point of  view. He also quotes David Rosmarin about psychology's issue with religion. Another technique that Gareth Cook uses is that he discusses a research study performed with a thirty minute video that uses the language of religion to express concepts of psychology. Cook writes of the effective results, which also appeals to the audience's logic. The last line of the article had a huge influence on the audience, when Gareth Cook writes, "It's about the field of psychology shedding its prejudices and preconceptions and returning to the first principle of therapy: meeting patients where they are," (Cook) That line convinces the audience of the basics of psychology and how their avoidance of religion needs to go. The opinion article "Modern psychology's God problem" by Gareth Cook convinces the audience of psychology's need to include religion in its work.

Source: Cook, Gareth. "Modern psychology's God problem." The Boston Globe 15 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The Boston Globe. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

Children's books overstep evil

The children's books of today have taken on a new name for evil within the story. As kids, we feared Captain Hook from Peter Pan, the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the evil stepmother in Snow White, and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. However, a particular favorite children's book from my childhood was Madeline, which did not have any representations of evil-doers. This article lured me in through its analysis of how the modern day children's books have become drastically darker than my happy stories of Madeline. In the article, Maria Tatar uses Harry Potter and The Hunger Games as her prime examples, where both characters are constantly running away from death, fighting for their lives against wizards or children of their own age. I disagree that those two series should be considered on the same level of children's books with Peter Pan and the others, but children do know the plot lines of those modern day classics for kids. In the New York Times opinion piece "No More Adventures in Wonderland", Maria Tatar discusses the modern day change in the plots of children's books.

Maria Tatar gives examples that use logos to appeal to the audience in her opinion article. One example that really won me over was her use of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which won the Newbury Medal award. The book is about a hand in the dark with a knife that kills three members of the main character's family. Sounds pretty violent to me for a children's book. Though I did not read that book, Tatar's other main example was a series I have read, The Hunger Games. A great series in my opinion, but looking back now, I realize the enormity of the violence in the plot. Children are sent to fight other children like savages in Panem. Tatar's use of examples win the audience over to the understanding that the plots are growing more violent. However, Tatar is not trying to stop this trend. She proves this when she says, "No one is about to slam the brakes on these new engines of storytelling, nor should they," (Tatar). Maria Tatar does mourn for the loss of plots similar to those of the past and how those authors would write with dedication for the audience of the kids in her article "No More Adventures in Wonderland".

Source: Tatar, Maria. "No More Adventures in Wonderland." The New York Times 9 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

Starting life again with no memories

What if an accident caused you to lose all of your memories of the past? For Jane Rosett, that was exactly what happened after she was in a car accident and her head crashed into the car windshield, and resulted in a traumatic brain injury. How would you react if someone from college came up and starting talking to you and you couldn't remember who they were? A client? A friend? Even your sibling? This article explores the aftermath of Jane's accident. The article itself was honest and someone's story, which are what caused me to read it. I really thought about what it would be like if I couldn't recognize people or everyday items, and had to be introduced to everything all over again. I wouldn't have the same personality or hobbies. In the recovery process, the people who would stand by me and would be willing to help would have to be extremely patient and understanding of the new experiences. Jane is a survivor compared to many other traumatic brain injury patients who survive their accidents because the recovery path alone causes patients to struggle with their sense of the current time and moment, let alone remember the past.

In Jane Rosett's New York Times opinion piece "Brain Injury and Building a New Life Afterwards", Jane tells the personal account of her own life and the struggles she goes through in her new life. She takes on a pathos appeal to her audience by just telling her story. The fact that she had to learn to live her life all over again at the age of forty five touches the audience. She writes of her inability to recognize people who come up to her and she has no clue who she is talking to and provides examples of those awkward experiences for her when she can't remember the people who know her. Rosett writes how the memories come back to her and what causes her pain. In the article, Rosett gives statistics of traumatic brain injuries received in past years and how the normal care is not enough. She gives the connections that she makes in her current life to her life before the accident, and she gives advice to her audience on how to converse with people who have had a traumatic brain injury and make them feel included. Jane Rosett uses ethos and her recovery story to appeal to her audience in her New York Times opinion piece.

Source: Rosett, Jane. "Brain Injury and Building a New Life Afterwards." The New York Times 8 Oct. 2011, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 9 Oct. 2011.

My Younger Brother

In my family, having a younger fifteen year old brother explains a lot of who I am today. I was and still am the older sibling, so I am the responsible one, walking into the unknowns of different schools, pressures of parents, and always looking out for him. We keep each others secrets from bad school grades, to getting into trouble, or when we younger, in summer camps, and just having someone to tell secrets to other than your parents or your friends. We fight all the time, from stealing iPod headphones, money, or just trying to get to school on time. I have always admired him for being a little more carefree in life and always having fun. In the past couple of years, he has shown me true hard work and dedication to achieve his goal. Being the older sibling and having only one younger brother, has made me the responsible, smart, and hard-working person I am today.

                            

Twitter has a position in science

The rapid movement of technology taking its place in the scientific world is amazing to me. Twitter is now taking a role in the world of science. Though I do not have a Twitter, I still find it very interesting that a networking site with "tweets" only 140 characters can have an impact in science. This article peaked my interest because science is the career path that I hope to follow. Also, Gareth Cook has been a great author that I followed this past summer in a school project. In the article I found it interesting that Cornell students were able to pull together a scientific study of the world's changing mood. By sorting through tweets from three years ago up until early last year, they were able to rate the positivity of the tweets and come to some observations from their research. In Gareth Cook's opinion piece "Science and Twitter #mixwell," Cook supports the emerging aid that Twitter has become to science with evidence.

Gareth Cook's main source of evidence in his opinion piece that wins over his audience is the example of Cornell students Scott Golder and Michael Macy. In the article, Cook writes about how Golder and Macy used over 509 million tweets and analyzed their positive levels of the words. With those analyses that were used as research, these sociologists were able to find the world's mood timeline, the day's emotional arc, and a reason for why depression is so common in the winter. Pretty interesting how those tweets provided answers to sociology questions and scientific data. Gareth Cook also writes about the Library of Congress's decision to make Twitter part of its enormous collection. To some people, this addition is outrageous, however Cook thinks it is a good move to include details about the generation's daily life. Cook's opinion about this is expressed when he says, "You cannot understand a time or a place if you do not understand how people actually experienced it," (Cook). That line shows Gareth Cook's agreement to add tweets to the Library of Congress. The Boston Globe's opinion piece "Science and Twitter #mixwell" by Gareth Cook proves that today's science is being improved on with the aid of Twitter.

Source: Cook, Gareth . "Science and Twitter #mixwell." The Boston Globe 1 Oct. 2011: n. pag. The Boston Globe. Web. 2 Oct. 2011.

Scientifically in love with iPhones

In today's modern world, about how many times a day do you spend checking your phone for texts, emails, or calls? It's an interesting question considering most of us know that we check our phones even when they didn't vibrate or ring, thinking we got a text or a call. In his New York Times opinion piece "You Love Your iPhone. Literally," author Martin Lindstrom writes about the "love" this generation has for their iPhone. This piece sparked my interest because even though I don't have an iPhone (but I really want one!), I have many friends and family members who do. The variety of connections to apps and the Internet is addicting. But, scientifically speaking, Lindstrom under covers that your addiction to your iPhone is actually love. It was very interesting to find out that in Lindstrom's experiments, the activity levels in a part of the brain that are related with love and compassion were equal in response to an iPhone and the presence of a loved one. With the many actions that can be performed on an iPhone, it is not surprising that our closeness to our phones is more than an addiction.

In Martin Lindstrom's New York Times opinion piece "You Love Your iPhone. Literally," Lindstrom proves to his audience that he is valid and creditable on his subject. He is a branding consultant who is very knowledgeable on the history of Apple as a company and its products. Not only is Lindstrom's knowledge on Apple valid, but he also writes of his numerous experiments that prove the love for iPhones. Lindstrom has performed many experiments that support his claim. One was a brain activity test between famous brands and famous symbols of religion, that showed very similar results. Another was giving babies Blackberries and watching them try to slide their fingers across the screen as you would for an iPhone. Lindstrom found that the vibration sound of a phone was the third most affecting sound in the world. A final experiment that Lindstrom performed was the brain activity level in the insular cortex. The levels were the same between an iPhone's sounds and the presence of a loved one. All this evidence mounts to Lindstrom's claim that we are in love with our iPhones. However, Lindstrom does not agree with the "love" to check our iPhones constantly, but expresses his opinion to try life with your iPhone off. Martin Lindstrom proves that our generation is in love with our iPhones in his opinion piece "Your Love Your iPhone. Literally."

Source: Lindstrom, Martin. "Your Love Your iPhone. Literally.." The New York Times 30 Sept. 2011: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 2 Oct. 2011.

Have we passed by the need for standarized tests?

Ever actually wonder where the fill-in-the bubble tests came from? We take them on many occasions. SAT, PSAT, final exams, midterms, and AP Exams are a few. Well the concept of filling in the bubbles was originated back in 1914! Almost a hundred years later and we still use Frederick Kelly's invention. This Washington Post article by Cathy N. Davidson posed an interesting question to the current day's Information Age. I agree with Davidson that we have the ability to change how we measure students' success today. The standardized test only addresses a few kinds of knowledge that students learn in school. I found it extremely interesting that many teachers are leaving their professions because of the mandate of standardized tests. We have all this digital technology available and it only continues to grow. Why shouldn't students be able to utilize it and learn about the ways to navigate it instead of sitting in on timed exams, racing to bubble in as many answers as we can?


Cathy N. Davidson convinces the audience with a widespread use of techniques. She establishes the history of origin of standardized tests and the inventor, Frederick J. Kelly. The background information on Frederick J. Kelly helps to establish a common knowledge for the audience. Davidson also discusses the issues that low-income families and foreign students face in these multiple choice tests, giving them disadvantages. An example that Davidson uses to support her opinion is the company IBM, who have almost half of their employees working through an online program, that does not need nor benefit from an education with standardized testing. Davidson's strongest line that defined her opinion was, "Multiple-choice exams do not equip kids for either the information avalanche or the fine print that they encounter online every day," (Davidson). In her Washington Post article, Davidson challenges the need for multiple choice tests in the modern day, where students should be learning about how to use the digital technology of the age.


Source: Davidson, Cathy N.. "Standardized tests for everyone? In the Internet age, that’s the wrong answer.." The Washington Post 23 Sept. 2011, sec. Opinions: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.

Mass. government not giving up on high school drop-outs

This article by Adrian Walker in the Boston Globe brought up the issue of raising the age for high school dropouts. Did you know that 37% of the high school students in Boston do not graduate from high school? In the past, drop-outs would work on farms or small pay production jobs. But, we are living in the twenty-first century, where dropping out of high school isn't that simple. Dropping out means giving up on most chances of a decent jobs, and higher chances of poverty,  jail time, and unemployment. I agree with Walker, and the two men proposing the petition, John Connolly and Tito Jackson, that if teenagers aren't allowed to vote, drink, or smoke at the age of sixteen, we should certainly not be allowed to drop out of high school and give up on our lives. Teenagers should be required to finish high school and receive the diploma that will open up so many more opportunites in life.

Adrian Walker supports his article with forms of evidence and appealing to the legislative people behind the proposal. There are numerous quotes from Tito Jackson and John Connolly, who are the Boston City Councilors behind the petition. They have done their research by visiting numerous schools and taking note of what causes children as young as twelve to want to drop out, giving them credibility. Walker also uses the statistic of a high school dropout's income from Northeastern's Center for Labor Market studies that gives the audience a view of what the financial life of a drop-out is like. Martha Walz, a Democratic Representative, is another person behind the legislation that Adrian Walker includes for evidence. One line in the article that shows Walker's opinion is when he says,
"Lawmakers deserve credit for forgetting the casino debate long enough to focus on this complex issue. Figuring out how to support kids who are ready to give up on school would be a huge achievement," (Walker). This shows that Walker thinks the legislation is taking the right steps to help drop-outs, but that he also believes it to be a daunting task. Adrian Walker's "Don't quit on dropouts" writes about the government change to keep kids in school until they turn eighteen.

Source: Walker, Adrian . "Don't quit on dropouts." The Boston Globe 24 Sept. 2011, sec. Metro: n. pag. Boston.com. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.