inquiry contract progress -- #6

Okay, first I want to say that I have about the best sister ever. You would think being married, having two children, and owning a business would keep one busy, but obviously not. I just checked my email and my sister has yet again, sent me another article about Childhood Obesity. She is freaking amazing!

This article is titled "Contributing Factors". It talks about how children are usually overweight as a result of an imbalance between the calories they consume from food and drinks and the versus the calories a child uses to support normal growth and development, metabolism, and physical activity. Children being obese is a result of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. The Genetic Factors sections states, "Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual's susceptibility to overweight". The genetic factor, however, may not be in so much affect if there is not the help of high calorie foods and minimal physical activity. The Behavioral Factors were split into three different parts; energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Then lastly, the Environmental Factors; within the home, within child care, within schools, and within the community.

I believe that this article is very significant to my certain topic, being that if gave me information on why children are usually obese, rather it is from genetics, his/her behavior, or his/her environment. Even though I knew this information, this gives me some actually bulleted facts that I can cite in my writings.

inquiry contract progress -- #5

This is about the fifth progress and surprisingly I think I am getting some where with this course. Last night, my sister called me to tell me that she had read an article over childhood obesity. She then asked what my email address was so she could send it to me. I do not exactly remember how she got it, but the articles presented a lot of information. When I say a lot, I mean pages. It took me forever to read.

The article was of course titled around the childhood obesity topic. However, the specific title was Childhood Obesity – The Shape of Things to Come. While I was turning the pages in the article, the page that caught my eye was the second page. The second page consists of a table titled Complications of Childhood Obesity. Having obesity could cause the children to have problems with psychosocial, neurologic, endocrine, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal.

Even though I do know that obesity can cause problem for a child or anyone in general I never knew that it could affect so much.

inquiry contract progress -- #4

The article today is simply titled "Childhood Obesity". It is an article from an actual parent of an obese child from the guide to Parenting of K-6 Children. The parent is Kimberly L. Keith. She talks about how she knew her child had always been chubby, but in the last year he gained 38 pounds from eating too much fast food, too many sweets, and too many hours in front of the TV. Along with the “too much’s”, the lack of exercise caught up with the girl and her body mass index indicated she was obese. Keith quickly took action by joining a local fitness center and taking exercise classes. They often go to see a nutritionist for a well-planned diet. She also includes that having a busy life should not be an excuse for putting family meals low on the list of priorities.

In my reaction to this article, I conclude that Keith was of a parent that even though she did not know the depth of the situation while it was going on, she was quick to take stand on how to control the obesity and get her child’s weight down. There are not many parents would go join a fitness club or get their child on specific food plans to better their child. It does seem like Keith takes the blame for her child’s obesity and more exercise is included in the families’ schedule.

inquiry contract progress -- #3

In order to perform some type of progress that subdues my Inquiry Contract, I have looked online for Childhood Obesity articles. While searching for articles, I came across an article titled “Childhood Obesity Causes Diabetes and Other Health Problems”. The piece was provided by HealthLink from the medical college of Wisconsin.

The article states, “As defined by federal standards, approximately 30 percent of adults and 25 percent of children are considered obese today”. It is also said that in the last two decades, the obesity of adults and children have risen nearly 50 percent. The professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Ramin Alemzadeh MD, says that along with the concern for obesity, we have the parallel increase in diabetes, particularly non-insulin diabetes. Along with obesity, diabetes is a problem. The doctor also dictates from studying that adults who were obese children are less likely to earn as much as the people of ideal weight, they are also less likely to receive a higher education or marry. “Obese children may have great difficulty with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, orthopaedic problems, sleeping habits, as well as self-esteem and peer relationships”.

I was not aware of all the things that obesity can affect. It is my understanding that obesity affects the way of life including a child’s life. This is a disorder that can be controlled and should be controlled.

inquiry contract progress -- #2

I have made some major changes this weekend for my Inquiry Contract. I have completely changed the idea of researching abortion. The course I will be engaging in for the months required is Childhood Obesity. I do believe that children being obese is a problem and most of the time it is something that the parents of these children can control. There are many questions that I would like to answer in my studies and I would also want to come across more factual information, such as statistics, about the obese children. Question I would like to be able to encounter are like, why are the percentages of obese children rising?

I do believe that this is a topic that more people should worry about. Of course no one children should be singled out, but I want people to realize that obese and extremely fat children is indeed a problem.

[[ Okay , so I am like freaking out. The top part of this blog is exactly 150 words. Pretty nice. ]] !
=]]

inquiry contract progress -- #1

I think I am making a little bit of progress, but at the same time I do not think I am. I am still stuck on trying to figure out a topic for my contract. However, the one that has came to mind is abortion, which is a pretty hot topic now-a-days, especially with the excessive amount of teen pregnancies in this decade. I would be able to get an actual personal perspective of how the person felt mentally about the abortion procedure, which would make the contract a bit more interesting since I have a reason to ask them questions.

Even though I seem to have sort of a good plan, I can still picture myself bored, exhausted, overwhelmed, and frustrated while continuing the research from now to January. So, I am going to continue thinking about effective topics for my inquiry project while researching the abortion topic. I understand that our “why we chose the topic” two page paper is due Monday, therefore, I must have a topic by then.

potential ideas for inquiry contract

I have thought about a variety of topics for my inquiry contract, however, I can picture myself getting very frustrated and irritated while researching the specific topics for many months. The topics that I have thought about are the amount of homework given to high school students, customers always being right, fashion (the latest style of clothes, how the hot trend now-a-days is not really new, it was worn before, but just modified), and going to the NBA (must have at least one year of college to go to the NBA).

I think they all sound like pretty good ideas, but I think that I will get really bored and exhausted when it comes to making progress throughout the months and processing more pages for the final draft.

So basically, if you have not already noticed, I need help on trying to figure out what topic to research. I believe there are many things I am passionate about, but even though I am passionate about them, I can still get tired of the topic.

effectiveness of the proposal

The sample essay that I have chose to debate its effectiveness is the first reading, Laurel Wilson’s proposal. The purpose of the proposal is to address “the problem of an inequitable tipping policy for hosts in a national brewpub restaurant chain” (Writing Arguments 339). We are reminded that a host is a person who greets you when you come in the restaurant and escorts you to a table.

Wilson establishes her credibility in the single spaced letter of transmittal. In the third paragraph of the letter, she states that fact that she is a former host at the Stone’s End and Brewery restaurant. “… I often felt unappreciated by both servers and management” (Wilson 340). She lets the reader, the CEO of the restaurant, know how she felt while working hard as the host. She splits her letter up into four different sections, problem, proposal, justification, and conclusion.

Problem: The problem is that the hosts feel unnoticed and unappreciated. She then gives a lot of data about the amount of money that a server makes versus the amount of the hosts. She also makes it clear that being a host is as stress and active as being a server. Wilson says that host must organize the dining room, make sure the servers are not overwhelmed with the amount of tables that have, clear and wipe down tables for the busy waitress, etc. Proposal: Wilson proposed that serves give 1 percent of their tips to the host. Justification: “But perhaps the owner don’t currently recognize the disadvantages of this policy, which leads to disgruntled hosts and a high turnover” (Wilson 342).

Wilson talks a lot about how the hosts feel while writing her proposal. However, it is not easy to justify that all of the hosts of this specific restaurant feel unappreciated by the servers and management. She does not present feelings or opinions of the hosts other than herself. But, I am sure a lot of the hosts would agree with her because there are many people who are willing to turn down a little bit of extra money. Although I believe that she has set up her proposal neatly and has given a lot of data, I do not think that there is much of effectiveness of the proposal. It is said in her letter of transmittal that she left the host job for another job of better pay. If it was possible for her to do, I am sure that others would do it if they felt the same. I do not think that the restaurant would change their policy based on the one letter of opinion or proposal from Laurel Wilson. She should have more backup, people other than her self that support her opinion and it would make the CEO feel more sincere about the feelings of the employees.

terkel`s c.p. ellis

C.P. Ellis’s story offers a credible way of overcoming misunderstanding and hatred between races. He is allowed to do this because he has his own personal story to tell in his writing. In the beginning of his passage, he informs the reader that he is a low-income white man who believes that it is someone else’s fault for his low-income standpoint. The group of people that he suggested to hate were the black people, may as well hate someone and it had to be the blacks fault because they are doing too much of demonstrating. He believes that Ann Atwater is a perfect example of why he should hate black people because she does too much of demonstrating, he highly believes this until he actually meets her and has a conversation with her. When they talk, they are discussing how there children come home from school in tears because they child’s teacher is talking about them in front of other students. He joins the Klansmen, but in the end regrets joining with them.

I do not really think that such “solution” would be workable on a large scale. I do not believe that it would be as easy for the voters to change their mind and vote for example, a Klansman. Many people take what the person has did in their past against the actual person, therefore, he would not have got the three fourth votes.

yoshino && the mainstream

When Yoshino says “Civil rights must rise into a new, more inclusive register. That ascent makes use of the recognition that the mainstream is a myth” (Yoshino, 605). The normal people belong to this mainstream but who is to say they are “normal”. He is saying that the mainstream is a myth because there is really no normal. Who can define what normal is when it comes to people? I do not think that there is an actually definition to a “normal” person. When people say “that person is not normal”, I think they use the word normal in a sense that that person is not like the popular. That person does not do what most people do.

His reasoning is somewhat persuasive, but in a way it is not. Yoshino uses the example, “With respect to any particular identity, the word ‘mainstream’ makes sense, as in the statement that straights are more mainstream than gays”. I totally agree with the example that he used to define with word mainstream. I just think the mainstream is the popular. There are more straight guys than there are gay guys. I believe when it comes to agreeing with Yoshino by his reasoning, it depends on who you are. I have already thought about this particular subject before, therefore, it was easy for me to agree with Yoshino and his thoughts about the mainstream. I`ve already thought this same thing before.

incidents in the life of a slave girl -- #3 [Linda && her freedom]

Many slaves granted the wish to become free and go to the north. Linda finally managed to become free after going to the north. However, she was not automatically freed as soon as she stepped in the north. Still there were some slave ownership in the north. Linda had to be bought by the second Mrs. Bruce and then set free. Mrs. Bruce was the lady whom Linda worked for who lived up north in New York.

Linda has mixed emotions about her freedom, being that she had to also be bought even though she was in the north. She did not quite understand that fact that she had to be brought then freed since she was already in a “free” state, New York. Linda was afraid that she would be brought by another person, a slave owner, while in the north because she thought slavery was just about a process of different slave owners buying slaves and then selling then buying other slaves then selling them.

incidents in the life of a slave girl -- #2 [Jacobs && credibility]

The passage that I`ve chose in which Jacobs is using her own honesty to establish her credibility is; “In such cases the infant is smothered, or sent where it is never seen by any who know its history. But if the white parent is the father, instead of the mother, the offspring are unblushingly reared for the market. If they are girls, I have indicated plainly enough what will be their inevitable destiny” (Harriet Jacobs, 52).

In the passage above, Jacobs is establishing the credibility by actually saying what would happen if the infants were girl. She knows for sure that their life would be somewhat like hers because she is a girl herself. She is doing this to allow the readers to know that what she says is really true by putting her own knowledge of being a girl and what happens to the girls into her writing.

I believe that many things in the writing establishes Jacob`s credibility because how can anyone really write the explicit things that she does when you have not even experienced what she has. Why would one want to write about something like this when they have no idea of the facts? How could one not actually believe in what Jacobs has to say about her slave life?

incidents in the life of a slave girl -- #1

I think that it is important that the book is truth, not fiction because it allows the readers to actually get a sense of what actually went on. It allows the reader to actually get a better understanding of what went on since they are reading it from the perspective of someone who actually has experience during slavery. As I read it, it was like reading someone`s life, like what went on during Jacob`s life. I liked how it was from the actual perspective of a slave, rather than it being something from the history books. This book also makes me believe in more of what happen during slavery because I know that this is a true story and a real person that is talking about the slavery and a person who was actually there to witness the time period.

My opinion about the editor cleaning up the writing is that I`m glad she didn`t. If she were to clean it up, I really wouldn`t want to read it because it would be just like the other history books about slavery. What I mean by just like any other history book is that it would be the boring, “making sure it`s appropriate for school”, usual type of reading. I`m also glad it wasn`t cleaned up because I don`t think the author wanted for it to be cleaned up. She wanted to let the readers know the facts of slavery and that what she was writing in the story was actually true and not written by someone who just studies history. After reading from an actual individual who experience the slavery, I find myself showing more sorrow. When reading a history book with research, I don`t find myself showing as much emotion towards slavery.

f. douglass - slaves && fourth of july

Douglass was asked to talk in front of a group of abolitionists about the fourth of July. He generally uses the "Declaration of Independence" as a back support when talking about how he feels about the fourth of July. Douglass was saying that although the "Declaration of Independence" was written by good men, it didn`t really support him and the people like him, meaning the black slaves. I know that he is saying that is it written by good men because he says “The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men…”. “This Fourth July is yours, not mine” (Douglass), I think he saying that the fourth of July really doesn`t share freedom with all the men because the slaves were still being slaves and having to do what the whites wanted them to do. Therefore, it really didn`t mean much to him since the “all men are created equal” part of the Declaration was just talking about the white men but was said in different words. It was said that all “men”, meaning that the actual “men” were just the whites and that the slaves weren`t real men, they were JUST slaves and nothing else. Douglass says that the slaves shouldn`t be accounted as men because they can do anything that any other man can do. Referring to what the whites believed, Douglass thought of the man and freedom situation like this: man = freedom, slave = man, then slave = freedom.

Douglass appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos in order to pull the audience to his side of the argument. When to comes to ethos, he appeals to ethos by have the credibility. He is able to express his side of the opinion with back up since he is a slave and a black man himself and is being fair by saying yes the writers of the Declaration are good men, but.... Appealing to logos is when Douglass supports his claims by examples. When he says that a slave can do what a man can do, he is saying that slaves are no different and he backs this up by being a black male slave himself and he is able to escape on his own and set up his own freedom. He can be strong and do things for himself like any other man. Douglass appeals to pathos. He does this by showing some sense of emotion. He has this type of “are you serious?” or “seriously?” type of thing going on, which allows you to know that he is sharing some type of tone that is serious and shocking to himself. He uses himself as an example of how slaves feel about having to be not considered “man”.

causes of prejudice -- parillo !

According to Parillo, in the “socialization process”, “individuals acquire the values, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of their culture or subculture, including religion, nationality, and social class”. Parillo is saying that like children take up what they know about the world && the people in it from their parents. The children usually accept it because they don`t know anything other than what they are told from their parents. The child then starts to learn && intake their parents prejudices, discrimination, and beliefs. For example, you are brought up/ told by your parents ever since you were little that black people aren`t smart and they don`t know anything. You get “adapted” to the beliefs and you discriminate against them by not wanting to have anything to with them without even realizing that you are being prejudice.

Yes, I agree that prejudices or really any beliefs in general are instilled in this way with ANYONE. All of us are brought up being told that one thing is good and the other is bad and with what you are told when you are little, you don`t really know another view of it, so you just take it with you as you grow up. And once again, as you get older, you don`t notice that you aren`t doing this certain thing JUST because what your parents told you, you`ve already lived with believing a certain way that it`s hard for you to change your belief.

I believe that everyone may judge anyone person that would walk into our English class during the middle of one of our discussions. You would probably wonder, why do they have on that ugly sweater or something like that. You`re quick to judge anyone really, && it`s just something that just happens, I think. [This part probably doesn`t make sense, but as I was writing this blog I thought about it].

t . jefferson && the image

If you ask me, Thomas Jefferson is some different type of guy. By what I`ve known about Thomas Jefferson before reading this passage, I presumed that he was a “good” guy and that he thought that the citizens were actually important and should be equal. But from a discussion in class, I know that he actually meant “all MEN are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence, not really worrying much about women. He was definitely a slave owner in the west, but I didn`t know that he has SEX with his slaves, which I was informed by Brittney (which is really gross, by the way, because you are having sex with someone who is working for you && who you don`t even really have feelings for, but you`re just doing it because they are there && you can make them have sex with you since they are working for YOU).

After looking at the image on page 85, I can suspect that the people surrounding the stone are Jefferson`s descendants. I find the picture to be pretty unrealistic because I don`t think that the black people in the image wouldn’t want to go visit his stone do to the way they were treated. It`s kind of like why go visit someone when you know that you were treated badly by them? The passage also talked about how like Jefferson basically didn`t like the slaves, he thought they smelled bad && their skin was dark. But when referring back to what Brittney told me, it makes me wonder why would you even have sex with them when you didn`t really like them. Not many would have sex or want to around someone when you know that they “stink”.

Cora Tucker && Willy Loman

Comparing Cora Tucker to Willy Loman is not as easy as I thought it would be. However, I believe that comparing them to each other about the simple things is more of the way to go. Willy is more of the person that wants stuff to go his way but doesn`t want to work as hard, he would rather the good things just come to his while he isn`t trying. Cora actually is working for what she wants. For example, she is doing what ever she can for the black community to be basically equal as the whites and have the same chances as the whites. Cora isn`t depending on anyone, she stands up for herself in the government, while Willy depends more on connections, other people, being well-liked, his sons. Willy thinks that you don`t really have to work to be successful or do things that you are capable of doing like Cora. He believes that just by being well-liked you can be successful in business. More of since you know all of these people, you don`t have to work because you are well-liked by these people so you are depending on them to make things accessible to you. Cora would kind of do the things that she believes is right to protect herself and her race basically, while Willy was more focused on so much about well-liked without even thinking about how he can be successful by following up what he was capable of doing.

willy lo[W]man - success

Willy believes that ‘individual opportunity’ just comes naturally after being well-liked. His aspect of being successful is to simply be well-liked. He thinks that it is more important of who you than of what you`re capable of doing. With the case of Biff, who has trouble in math class, Willy doesn`t think that he has to worry about passing math since he is well-liked and he doesn`t have to worry about education so much since he is well-liked. Once again, well-liked meaning that Biff can still get a nice job or successful job even though he doesn`t pass math.

In my opinion, it doesn`t matter whether or not you are well-liked or not to become successful. There are many people who don`t even have many friends and are no where near being popular, but they still become doctors, lawyers, etc. Being well-liked shouldn`t determine would you can become, it`s just a matter of what you can do and how serious you are about your education to be successful in the long run. Also, it is important to have some kind of support, such as from your parents, when trying to be successful. In the case of Biff, he doesn`t really have a parent pushing him for successful because his own parent believes that he doesn`t have to pass a class to be successful and as long as he is well-liked classes don`t matter.

wednesday - second day of presentations [ my reaction ]

The presentation that I am going to react to is Nick Martin’s presentation about the Big Brother Big Sisters program. What I understood about the presentation is that the purpose is to provide support to those who don’t feel like they like worthy or that feel lonely. It allows them to receive support and tutoring services. I enjoyed the fact that Nick was an actual “little brother” in this organization and he had the credibility to tell us what exactly the organization does since he is a part of it. Two other things that I found interesting are that he quickly engaged the audience, well the class, by asking us two questions in the beginning of his presentation. The other is that he started with a quote.

I believe that is really important for students to be able to go to a place which they have someone to talk to and tell anything that they want to. With the program, they have “Big Brothers” and “Big Sisters” who support them. Overall, Good Job Nick, I found this organization interesting and I’m glad you enjoy being in the program !

tuesday - first day of presentations [ my reaction ]

Soooooo, I was pretty pissed that I was the first one picked out of the cup. But it’s okay, because once I got it over with I felt pretty good and it felt like those 10 pounds weights were off my shoulder. I was extremely nervous about the situation and was stressing out the night before. The presentation that I am going to react to is Eli's about the Dad's Inc. organization.

What I understood was that the purpose of the organization was to provide support and education for dads so they can be more involved in their children’s lives. I believe that this is important because there are so many dads out there that don’t really have a connection with their children. Yea, yea, there are also moms that are the same way. But it’s more with dads. These dads are usually called “dead beat dads”. It’s important for children, especially male children, to have the father figure so they can have two parents to look up to. I liked how Eli presented a story that actually touched him. Good Job Eli !

Also, people, show me some love. I need love.

self-reliance; emersonnn

What I got from Emerson’s writing was that he was trying to give us the idea that to become successful, you need to trust and follow your own thoughts and allow yourself to control whatever you are basically doing. Meaning, not to even consider others’ impressions of you and what has happen to you in your past. Emerson thinks that the way to have a better future is to just forget what all has happened in the past, not listen to others, and go about your own. I somewhat agree and I somewhat disagree. It is easy to say that you are going to forget about what has happened in the past because it shouldn’t affect you, and that you’re just going to go on about your own business without worrying about others and what mistakes you have made in your past. However, it is not so easy to actually do it. Also, in a sense, you want to remember your past so you don’t repeat a mistake you have made, and if you aren’t worrying about what others think and so into yourself, who are you going to rely on for help when you need it. To be successful, you also have to have some kind of communication, so you know how to be successful.

ragged dick vs. cruz

Due to the fact that I was on a field trip with my publication design class and not in attendance to see the "Roger & Me" film, I will not be comparing Ragged Dick and "Roger & Me". I will be comparing Ragged Dick and Stephen Cruz.

Both Ragged Dick and Stephen Cruz share their opinions in the readings. However, there are definetly some differences. Stephen Cruz talks about how their is selfishness within the American Dream, which he believes involves racial inequity. Cruz tells his own story of the racial inequity and how he was a minority and how it is harder for him to be successful versus those who are of the majority.

However, with the Ragged Dick reading, he believes that everyone has the opportunity to be succesful when hard work is put in. He tells his story of how he, in the beginning, had trouble getting a job and wanted to live the American Dream of being successful. Surprisingly, he had this "remarkable" story which explains how he became successful. Dick saves a business man`s son from drowning and is then offered a high paying job. Later, he recieved a high raise/ promotion within the company, therefore, he was now successful. Dick believes that with hard work everyone can be successful. Having no job to working hard and living the American Dream and be done, according to Dick.

I, personally, do not agree with Dick, but do enitrely agree with Cruz. I, being an African American, do think that us African Americans have to harder when it comes to success. A lot of the times I think about how if a white person was going to apply for the job and so was a minority, the white person would of course get the job. Minorities have to work so much harder to get what they want and have to work so much harder to not have the bad impression that is usually given off with any minority. Racial inequity happens everday, I think, and I have high doubt that it will ever stop.

organization -- presentation topic

The organization that I chose to argue for is “Childhelp”. Childhelp is an organization for abused children founded by Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson in 1959. It started in Tokyo, Japan when they promised to take care of 10 orphans, which later the number got up to 100 children. The mission statement is “Childhelp exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. We focus our efforts on advocacy, prevention, treatment, and community outreach”. Basically, this organization allows for children to receive all kind of help to prevent child abuse and to treat abused children. The program wants to be able to heal and develop self-esteem in every child and give the children unconditional love that they usually don’t receive
Facts are given when asked for you to donate to the organization about how many children each day die from child abuse and how often it’s (child abuse) reported. Every dollar that is donated to the organization, 90 cents of the dollar is used to support the children.
The reason I chose this organization is because I believe that children are a unique creation because they are all different in some way. Abusing children is like abusing little people that don’t really know what is going on and don’t know how to fight back. When I think about someone abusing a innocent human being it makes me want to do all I can do so there is no more abusing on this people who don’t even know what entirely is going on.

'extending the critical context' #9 page 284

“Dalton argues that the Alger myth should be buried, or, to use his word, ‘interred’.” When supposing for the moment that I am agreeing with the fact that Alger’s myth should be demolished, I believe that it can only be accomplished once people start to realize is an actual myth. I think that it is just like presenting an argument and having significant reasons for your argument. A way that having an argument with reasons refers to interring Alger’s myth is that one can’t really stop believing in what they already believe until there are reasons behind it. For example, some one is not just going stop believing in the fact that ragged can become rich because they don’t have reasons behind it. People won’t start realizing that this is a myth until facts support why and that they are told that it isn’t true from the “get go” or since they’re little. It’s basically like a mind set when believing that the more money equals the more power. It is our job (as Americans) to stop believing that with some kind knowledge that classes shouldn’t mean anything.

Stephen Cruz's American Dream

I believe that Stephen Cruz defines the American Dream as wanting to be higher up in an organization and to have power and control and to not lose. Cruz states, “The American Dream, I see now, is governed not by education, opportunity, and hard work, but by power and fear. The higher up in the organization you go, the more you have to lose. The dream is not losing”. This is the notion pervading American today: don’t lose”.

I totally agree with his definition of the American Dream. Yes, everyone wants to have the higher status and to be the one in control of things. Everyone one wants to have the higher status of having a lot of money and power and with the way our society is, the more money you have, the more power. Cruz also talks about the minorities in his piece. My interpretation of what he is saying is that it is harder for the minorities to “get by”. Get by meaning to succeed. To me, it seems like the minorities, being a black person myself, have to work harder to succeed. Also, my definition of succeed is to have a lot of money, a good job, nice things, such as a car and house. This is just my opinion, however. The world just seems like that to me. He talks about how the black secretary was verboten and that she was fired while he was away on vacation. Sadly, it seems to me that minorities, like the black secretary, can have this type of “good” businesslike personality and present themselves in a well manner, but just because of the stereotype of black people or minorities not being good, she’s isn’t easily well accepted.

But in a sense, there is also something about Cruz’s opinion about the dream being not to lose that bothers me. I don’t think that any in life should have to live their life worrying about what if I do this, what are people going to think of me or if I say this, what kind of person are they going to think I am. All people should aim for the positive things of course, but worry about too much that you do, or worrying about to not lose makes life so careful. I don’t think that a person should have to live their life so careful that they might not be able to succeed because they are worried about making a mistake in their path to success. Of course no one wants to be the bad guy.
[I am really struggling about putting my opinion about the “not to lose” into words, as you can see.]

'engaging the text' #2 - page 322

I believe that Mantsios spends more time in his text about the classes of America, rather than talking about whether or not the wealthy are exploiting the poor. My opinion about the wealth exploiting the poor is that many “poor” people or low wage people do the work that the wealthy don’t want to do. For example, a wealthy person would not want to be a janitor or a construction worker. Wealthy people would have the janitor or the construction worker just do the work for them without even thinking of them as a real human being and thanking them. I see this a lot, I see work being done, like cleaning out public restroom toilets and the ones that don’t have to clean it aren’t thinking about the people that have to deal with people’s waste or the risk of getting e. coli. The janitors are just trying to take care of themselves, while the wealthy are thinking nothing of these people.

Mantsios is arranging America into classes. These classes are lower class, middle class, and upper class. To me, lower class means low wage, middle class is middle wage, and upper class is high wage. However, Mantsios has his actually “household earnings” that classify the classes of the people in America. He talks about how the middle class in the United States holds a very small share of the nation’s wealth and that households earning from $25,000 to $75,000 are considered middle wage. This means that under $25,000 is considered lower class and upper class earns over $75,000.

My opinion about this text is that it is sad that America is divided up by classes. Our society is not classless. I think this is sad because of the stereotypes of all of the classes. Many people find it uncomfortable to talk about which class they are categorized in. I think this is so because it is one of those situations, which it is really no one else’s business. About the stereotypes, for example, you can be said to wear non-expensive, cheap, hand me down clothes in the lower class. As in the upper class, you would wear name brand clothes, or jeans that cost close to $100. I don’t like the idea of being divided up by class.

evaluating an argument

The argument I chose to evaluate is presented in Maybeth Hamilton’s “First Place: A Healing School for Homeless Children” essay. Hamilton is a student who believes that First Place should have more funding. The First Place program’s purpose is to prepare students for returning to mainstream public schools. In Hamilton’s essay, she not only explains much about her argument, but does a good job stating what her opponents would say and opposing their argument.

Hamilton is arguing that the First Place program is able to do so many things for children and it needs more funds to keep on doing so. First Place needs the tax money from the people of the city. She says that First Place can help the city by reducing the future costs of crime and welfare. The students at First Place are at risk for educational failure, drug and alcohol abuse, or many other long-term programs. The program not only helps the children but also the family to get out of poverty. With the help of the program, parents are able to search for jobs and have nice attire for their interviews.

She illustrates her opponents by them arguing that separating the children from the regular classrooms is not a good idea because it justifies their difference from the mainstream students. However, Hamilton would argue back that the children in First Place are actually all sympathetic to each other and they do not have to be so defensive because the children are all the same. They are all homeless, therefore, there is really no reason for the children to make fun of one another.

I believe that Hamilton does a good job presenting her argument and presenting and answering opposing arguments of the First Place program. Her organization of the essay allows for readers, like myself, to follow what she is saying clearly. Although, I thought her argument would have been better if there were some actual facts or statistics shown the argument, Hamilton still persuaded me to think that the funding was worth it. I think it is worth it because there are many children and families in this world who would love to have extra help for the child and help for the parents to get jobs. With programs like First Place, children and parents do not have to fight their struggles alone.

visual argument

I personally believe that a visual argument is more persuasive. My reason for this is because when you are trying to prove your side of the argument is right and want to get your audience to take your side, you should have something for them to look at. For example, you want your audience to believe that most NBA basketball players are over 6’0. You would rather have them go to a NBA game to see that a lot of the players are over 6’0 than to just tell them what you believe is right. After going to an NBA game, I myself can prove that this argument is correct. If this argument were to not be proved by a visual element, it wouldn’t persuade many people that this is correct. Also, not having a visual element, would be part of people just going off of what others think and assuming that just because this person thinks that’s true then I should think its true also.

ethical responsibilities && expectations

When an author is using 'ethos' they have to be sure to create credibility. "Aristotle called the impact of the speaker's credibility the appeal from ethos" (Ramage, 140). There are three ways to create credibility. The first is to be knowledgeable about the issue, meaning to be able to argue from a strong point. The point which you are arguing from is usually personal experiences, statistics/ facts, and a strong base of knowledge. This would command your audience because you have your own stories of your argument to tell. Second is to be fair. Being fair consists of making sure you are looking at things from different views. The ethos is stronger when you can take the argument from opposing views. The last way to create credibility is to build a bridge to your audience. To do this you must have to share your values and assumptions with your audience. You also need to enhance your image so your side of the argument is comfortable with you if you were to be the audience.

The ethical responsibilities for an author to have 'pathos' is to use concrete language or use specific examples and illustrations and narratives. When using concrete language you want to have a high interest level and personality from the writer. The writer should give details by creating positive images. Specific examples and illustrations provide evidence for your argument and allow for the audience to know your emotional side your view and how valuable the argument is to you. Using narratives is when you are telling a story that supports your claim. The audience wouldn't really understand where you are coming from until you have examples and backup of your argument.

I believe that our media and our government lives up to the 'pathos' responsibilty, however, not the 'ethos' responsibility. My example for using 'pathos' is when we are told stories from the war on Iraq. When we are told the stories, we are usually shown the negative stuff such as how many have died or how we are going to take more over to replace the others that have died. The thing about this argument is that they don't use 'ethos'. They are not looking at the argument from the different side of view, meaning the media and government aren't thinking about any positive things that are going on and how us people looking at the news feel about the information. Another example is when people are taken to jail for something they have did that has cut into the law. Of course, who ever disobeys the law should be punished, however, we aren't given information about why the person decided they had to do what they did. The media usually gives off the negative energy other than the positive. With the media giving us the bad side of the situation, they are just influncing us to just believe that this person should go to the "bad" part of the book and that we should all think this person is "bad". We all would like to know the other side of things.

'pseudo-argument' encountered in the real world

Psuedo-arguments are arguments based on opinion and have an unmeasureable quality. I have encountered many pseudo-arguments upon many people in the real world. However, the one pseudo-argument that I usually think about is looking over something that is going to be on the test/quiz about 5-10 minutes before class versus studying the night before or long before, which is better? What I believe is that although it is good to study nights before the test, it is also important to look over what you have already studied.
My argument is that when I look over something that I have already studied right before a test/quiz, it refreshes my memory. I am able to remember what I have studied even though it is within a short period of time before the actually test or quiz. I, being a person that can remember more off visuals than being TOLD something, am able to look over a study sheet and usually remember what it says word for word. Being a visual learner, allows me to look over notecards or something 5-10 minutes before a test/quiz and it benefit me more than not doing it at all.
The opponent would vote that only studying days before or the night before is more beneficial. Their opinion for this is usually that looking over something 5-10 minutes before is like trying to cram everything into your mind and not having enough space for the information that you just forget everything.
This argument really doesn't serve a purpose because people are going to do what they want to do and have their own methods of studying. This serves as an opinion based situation.

appeal to 'pathos'

Appeal to 'pathos' is such a powerful rhetorical device because it is the 'corner of the triangle' which deals with the audience. The text says pathos is Greek for "suffering" and "experience" and often associated with emotional appeal. When thinking about 'pathos' in your writing, you usually want to tie some kind of experience that you've had in your writing, or even about a situation that was "suffering", meaning a situation that wasn't good, also known as a bad experience. You would want to write about an experience, or even a bad experience so the audience could have a picture in their mind of what was going on and how you (the writer) felt while they were going through the sitation. Appealing to 'pathos' allows you to get into your own emotion so the reader can also feel and see what you (the writer) is feeling and seeing. When writing to an audience, you think about how you can make the reader open to your message, how you can best appeal to the reader's values and interests, and how you can engage your reader emotionally and imaginatively.

feeling about the AP exam

After reading the overview of the AP English Language, and even before reading it, I am nervous about basically everything. However, the main part I am nervous about is the essay part. It is difficult for me to just be given a topic/ essay and told to write about it for 40 minutes. Usually with my papers, it takes my about 40 minutes to even think about how I'm going to write this paper. Yet again, I believe the hardest part of me is going to be the essay part of the exam. I am most comfortable with the multiple choice questions and being able to go back to where the questions would be referring to. With multiple choice questions, you are given a few answers to chose from which one is the correct answer. Just being able to have choices makes it simplier in any quiz, test, quest, or whatever it is. I am not looking forward to this exam at all. =[

"a case for torture"

"There are situations in which torture is not merely permissible but morally mandatory" (Levin, 1). I totally agree with Michael Levin's statement. There are situations that you can resist but to take of not only yourself but of your loved ones also. The very situation that stood out more than others is the one about the terrorist group kidnapping a newborn baby from a hospital. Levin "asked four mothers if they would approve of tortuting kidnappers if that were necessary to get their own newborns back" (Levin, 1). You kind of get the "heck yeah" reaction. This makes me think of the love of my little brother, who is nine, or even my two neices, one who is one years old and the other who isn't even born. I would kill for them. As weird as it may seem to some one else, it seems like I had this connection with my neice who isn't born. Me and her mother, my sister, being so close makes me feel like this; "I may not know exactly what she looks like but I still see her everyday".
I would argue with Levin, rather than against.

cartoon vs. ad

Both the cartoon and ad are visual arguments, also known as implicit arguments. “Although seldom appearing by themselves without some accompanying text, photographs, drawings, political cartoons, and graphics can have an intense rhetorical impact. Visuals make strong emotional appeals, often reducing complex issues to one powerful perspective” (Writing Arguments, 37). The ad and cartoon are portraying the fact that the food we eat are genetically engineered. Genetically engineered and genetically modified are along the same lines, meaning that the crop, fruit, and meat providers are being controlled by unnatural products, such as “fillers”, or so they can survive for a certain amount of time, even through cold weather.
The cartoon is displaying a hungry child, who is starving and would take any kind of food, even corn. The bigger man, with the corn, is letting the hungry boy know that he didn’t want the corn because it was genetically modified and drought resistant. The corn may have been given some type of “filler” so they wouldn’t have to have water added to them.
The ad has a more verbal argument, but it is still visual with the picture of the can of vegetables saying “None of Your Business”. “There is no label for genetically engineered foods, and no way for consumers to know whether the food they eat contains them” (Writing Arguments, 24). The ad states that up to 70% of our foods have genetically engineered add-ins. The ad is persuaving us, consumers, to join them when asking the Food and Drug Administration about regulating genetically engineered foods, also known as “GE foods”. They would like for us to get the Food and Drug Administration about requiring some mandatory labeling and safety testing of all of the foods we eat.

implicit vs. explicit arguments

“Argument requires justification of its claims, it is both a product and a process, and it combines elements of truth seeking and persuasion” (Writing Arguments, 3). However, there are two types of arguments, explicit and implicit. An explicit argument is directly for a debatable claim, which has its reasons and evidence to support it. Examples of explicit arguments are having a debate in class, or what you would find within a debate club. Explicit arguments have the ordered structure of a thesis, reasons, and evidence. While describing an implicit argument, the text says that in contrast they don’t actually look like arguments. Implicit arguments could be poems, such as the poem on pages 5-6 titled Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, which the poem is arguing against the belief that giving up your life for your country is heroic. It is stating that war is so horrifying that there is no good reason for war without getting high noble rankings and heroism. Short stories, photographs, cartoons, personal essays, and autobiographical narratives are also different types of implicit arguments. Implicit arguments portray images that the reader is able to picture in their head to understand what the writer is arguing. Both of the arguments, implicit and explicit, persuade the audience toward a certain point.

my memoir

It was like invisibly jump ropes, we were on a roll. We didn’t stop, this was definitely the best trampoline in my parents bedroom. All of a sudden a big pillow just came across my face, I of course, being so young and playful, thought it was the funniest thing ever. So, I remember us going back and forth, me and my little brother about the age of 4 having just about the best pillow fight ever. But then the bad dream started, this definitely wasn’t one of those times when you’re playing and you both stop then realize how funny it was because that person really wasn’t hurt. I’m assuming I raised the pillow too high and back too far with all my strength. My brother’s head hit the headboard and blood started gushing out the back of his head, it was like running water. But I knew for sure that I didn’t even hit him my hardest, I couldn’t understand how just a little hit would allow for all of this to happen. Not knowing what else to do, I yelled for my mom. I just knew that we were going to be on our way to the hospital in no time, but thank God for my mom being in the medical field she knew exactly what to. She assured me that this was only a superficial wound and we could easily treat it like a minor cut. There was no trip to the hospital but there was this white looking wrap around my brother’s head. When I saw the gauze, it reminded me of a mummy, that was the only funny part of the whole situation. Although I still continued to feel worried, my dad continued to reiterate how important it is that we don’t play so much and how serious this situation could have been. Still today, my dad continues to tell us not to play all the time and to be careful. But the playing we do now isn’t even a good comparison with the playful trampoline incident. My brother and I have never had a pillow fight since then.