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.