TOW #30 - Letter to a New APELC Student

Dear New APELC student,

I am not going to lie to you: this course is difficult. It is unlike any other english class you’ve taken. My best tip for success would be from your first day to recognize the power in what you’re learning. You’ll be able to write a pretty decent essay on a topic that you may know nothing about, and complete it in a rather tight time constraint. For the rest of your life, regardless of your profession, you will need to know how to write, so why not know how to write effectively? We are surrounded by rhetoric all of the time: at school, at work, and even in our homes. So why not be able to recognize how and through what means someone is trying to convince you of something? 

If you are like I am and dread courses in school that leave you with little to no practically applicable knowledge, than you will love this course. Almost everything you will learn from the very first week can be applied outside of school and to your own benefit. That would be my single best tip: to understand and appreciate the power within the skills that you are learning.

In addition, make sure you do the readings. There’s simply no way around it if you plan to succeed in this course. 

Remember that you are in good hands. Any discussion led by Mr. Yost will leave you with new perspectives and insights, as well an deeper understanding of whatever is being discussed. Ms. Pronko is almost always available and more than happy to help. Even given that this is an AP course and deadlines are strict, if Mr. Yost noticed that many of us were having a difficult week, he had no problem making concessions and moving back dates when necessary. With these two in the classroom, you’ll never be without help.

All I have left to say is good luck! Whether or not you take this course seriously is up to you, but I can assure you that missing out on what’s being taught in this course would be an awful mistake. Complete the readings, ask for help when you need it, and take any extra-credit opportunities you can. Simply do your best and when its 1:30AM and you still don’t know the difference between a synecdoche and a metonymy, remember that it’s just school.

Best Wishes, 

Hassan Rashid

TOW #29 - Documentary Rhetorical Analysis of Food, Inc: Pt. 2

One of the major claims made in the film was that eating organic food is better than eating nonorganic food grown with pesticides, added hormones, or genetic modifications. While this claim may be true when looking at the health aspect, as there are numerous studies that demonstrate that health benefits of eating organic food rather than nonorganic food, there are many more factors that need to be considered. The most important being cost and affordability. 

For some families or individuals, eating organic food all the time simply may not be a financially viable option. In a perfect world, of course it would great if organic apples didn't cost nearly twice as much as nonorganic apples, but that simply is not the world we live in. And when it comes to caring for a family, priotitizing is a must. This means that money if first spent on the essentials: housing, transportation, clothing, utilities, and health insurance. Of course food is essential to life, but if a family is already struggling financially, why wouldn't they save money wherever they can? Unfortunately yet necessarily, food costs are often the first necessity that are cut or even minimized. While a one dollar hamburger may be terrible for one's health, it's hard to argue that there's a better option for one's wallet, in the short-term at least. Nonetheless, if a family is struggling to pay for the essentials yet decides to regularly pay for organic food, they will most likely find themselves coming up short when it comes to bill payments.

This dilemma of cost versus health demonstrates the greatest fault in current organic food production as well as the most prevalent reason that explains why eating organic food rather than nonorganic food may not be the best decision for everyone.

TOW #28 - Documentary Rhetorical Analysis of Food, Inc: Pt. 1

For my documentary TOW posts, I have decided to analyze Food, Inc. This 2008 documentary aims to expose the majorly unknown and inhumane policies that are widely practiced by America’s food industry. The doc also attempts to spotlight a few specific companies, and their practices, that are both ethically responsible and significantly healthier as well. Although containing some graphic footage from facilities such as slaughterhouses, the film was given a PG rating meaning almost anyone can watch it. However, simply due to the subject matter and its ethical complications, the primary intended audience is most likely adults. More specifically parents who are buying food for themselves and their family. Lastly, the loudest speaker of Food, Inc. is its director: Robert Kenner. Kenner has worked with National Geographic, for corporate producers, as well as on many other projects surrounding the American food industry.

The documentary’s ultimate purpose is to help create change within the American food industry, starting from how crops are grown and animals are raised, to how consumers make decisions about what food to buy. To accomplish this goal through increased awareness of the current popular practices, their negatives, and their alternatives, Kenner primarily relies on emotion-inducing footage and personal stories, statistics, and a problem-solution arrangement.

By far the most memorable scenes of the film are those in which young chicks, pigs, cattle, and other livestock are being abused, slaughtered, or otherwise handled in a way that would upset the average consumer. Scenes like those only make the repeated phrase, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian,” all the more true. Personal stories, such as the one that focused on the industrial chicken farmer, are also highly effective as they show that not only do the animals suffer, but the people involved at the lower levels of the industry (i.e. those who are raising/growing the actual food such as farmers) suffer as well. In that particular story about the industrial chicken farmer, farmer Carole Morison refused to change her already confined chicken housing structure to an even more constricted one, and was fired due to her decision. Morison stressed that when farmers like her sign contracts with food companies like Perdue, they are often trapped in their contracts as a refusal to expand or conform to the company’s demands will result in a lost job. This is a worst-case scenario for the farmer as, on average, they have already invested $500,000, much of which is usually borrowed from banks. Stories like these not only make the audience feel sympathetic for the farmers, but also helps point the finger at the corporate leaders rather than the actual farmers.

One of the most rhetorically crucial aspects of the entire film is its problem-solution arrangement. For about the first two thirds of the entire movie, the major focus is on what is wrong with America’s food industry. The unhealthy processed foods we consume, the damage being done to our environment, the animal cruelty, the monopolization of the industry, as well as the suffering of the workers and families involved. By the end of the first two thirds, the audience is left wanting to change their food-purchasing ways, but feel as if finding affordable, responsible, and healthy food is not possible. To save the day, the last third of the movie is mainly about companies and farms that are ethically responsible and produce healthy and affordable food. This classic arrangement is effective as it first changes the mindset of the audience by encouraging a need for change, and then presenting the change that the audience now seeks. Through this arrangement, the film’s audience is left feeling hopeful and satisfied knowing that there are viable options out there for the responsibly minded.

TOW #27 - TOW Reflection

For my TOW reflection post I’d like to start with the good, address the not-so-good, and then discuss my progression before finally addressing how I’ve benefitted from these TOW posts. At this point, I don’t believe that I’ve honestly “mastered” any particular skills due to the fact that writers are constantly improving the more they write. With that being said, I believe that what I do best is being able to accurately identify rhetorical devices as well as read for the overall purpose. At the beginning of the year, I literally had no idea what a rhetorical device was, much less how to identify one. On the other hand, I still feel that there is much room for self improvement relative to different forms of organization as well as finding better hooks. Throughout the year I have used the same basic structure for every TOW — intro, analysis, conclusion — and have become rather bored with it. In terms of progression from the beginning of the year until now, I would say I have made significant improvements across the board. From the skills I previously mentioned of accurately identify rhetorical devices and reading for purpose to more fundamental skills as well such as vocabulary, and certainly grammar usage, I feel that I have advanced significantly. Somewhat, thanks to these TOWS, which leads into answering the question of how I benefited or did not benefit from having these TOW assignments. I have benefited through reading articles and learning things that I otherwise probably would not have, as well as through the obvious practice of writing short analysis responses. Not only have TOWs improved my writing itself, but they have also made it much easier to identify rhetorical devices, in both visual and written texts. Although they may have been annoying and, at times, simply another assignment to complete, I would say the benefits gained outweigh the perceived inconvenience. 

Article: "Being a good mom can get you fired"

Given today’s occasion, I thought it would only be appropriate to discuss an article that deals with the same reason today is a holiday in the first place: our mothers. Ellen Bravo of CNN, who is also the executive director of the Family Values @ Work Consortium, argues that there needs to be assistive policy changes for pregnant women and those on leave within the workplace. Her nonpartisan, nonprofit network of 21 state and local coalitions aims to do just that by striving for benefits such as paid sick days and family leave insurance. In this specific article, Bravo uses exemplification paired with anecdotes and emotional diction to demonstrate how hard it is to be a good mom that works, as well as how badly work policies need to be changed.

Bravo begins the article with a generalization about mothers stating that they are typically “warm, loving, patient, generous, protecting, [and] wise,”(Bravo) therefore, why would anyone want to fire them? Here Bravo uses emotional diction to quickly and effectively create the image of what she wants her audience to imagine as a “good mom”. She then continues to give an example about when a good mom, Rhiannon Broschard of Chicago, was fired because she had to stay home in order to care for her special-needs child. Bravo continues to give another example in Brenda of Milwaukee who was fired after giving birth. These examples and anecdotes both appeal to pathos by making her audience feeling sympathetic for the mothers’ situations. The actual examples also strengthen her argument by making it more concrete and displays that this problem is legitimate.

Overall, I found the article to be effective, although there was one area in which Bravo could have improved. While she did offer real examples, they were both simply of someone being fired. If she had chosen a real example that displayed the implications of having been fired (i.e. having to selling a house, going bankrupt, etc) then her argument would have been stronger. Other than that, a solid article.

TOW #26 - Opinion: "We're Not No.1! We're Not No.1!"

While many, both young and old, take pride in America’s standing amongst the other leading countries in the world, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times argues that we may need to reconsider why we’re cheering, and whether or not we’re actually number one. Relying primarily on statistics and exemplification, Kristof argues that the United States, while remaining the top economic power in the world, is seriously lacking in other areas.

He begins by stating that although Norwegians are wealthier per capita and that the Japanese have a longer life expectancy, America can at least be proud that, “the world watches the N.B.A., melts at Katy Perry, uses iPhones to post on Facebook, trembles at our aircraft carriers, and blames the C.I.A. for everything.” (Kristof) Here he uses statistics to support his claims about Norway and Japan, while using exemplification to somewhat sarcastically support that claim that we’ve grounds for boasting as well. Kristof continues to state that “proposed Republican cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and public services” (Kristof) that are believed to increase America’s competitiveness, would actually do the opposite. In that instance, Kristof used exemplification of somewhat popular policy changes to illustrate the reasons for America’s 16th place out of 132 other countries according to the Social Progress Index.

As Kristof concludes his article, he includes the idea that, “All this goes to what kind of a nation we want to be, and whether we put too much faith in G.D.P. as a metric.” (Kristof) The inclusion of this makes the audience question something that they may not have previously considered: what exactly do they imagine the United States’ future to look like? Overall, I believe that the article was effective in encouraging Americans to rethink our national values, and wether we will place social factors over economic ones.

TOW #25 - Visual Text: Green Field Farms Logo

For most of this year, many of the visual texts that we’ve rhetorically analyzed have been individual advertisements, but I’ve decided to widen the horizon and look at a particular kind of visual rhetoric that we see far more often than the commercials brands produce: logos. Specifically the Green Field Farms logo, pictured above. In their logo, Green Field Farms uses eye-catching color, depth of field, and careful arrangement to advertise their brand.

Before honing in on any specific part or piece of content within the overall logo, the first thing one notices upon viewing it is the use of color. All of the colors used are very bright, recognizable, and relatively simple. The brightness creates the effect of making any food they sell with this logo seem fresher, as fresh foods tend to be brighter in color, which begins to dull and fade as the food rots. Additionally, the colors are familiar and simple such as blue, white, green, and red, which makes the logo easy to look at, rather than if it had colors like neon yellow or hot pink. The depth of field also allows the brand to display what it considers to be most important. All of the fruit and livestock are in the very front of the logo, while the farm buildings and silo appear tiny all the way in the background. This makes it seem as if the produce and livestock come first and are more important than any other part of their business. Lastly, the careful arrangement of elements within the logo helps its audience quickly take away the brand’s main selling point: the fact that it’s organic. Located in the dead center of the logo are the words “Certified Organic” which are in a font size as big as the company’s name. This allows the logo’s audience to immediately recognize the brand’s primary selling point before considering any other factors such as price, taste, etc. Overall, I would consider this logo to be extremely effective in representing and selling the Green Field Farms brand through its use of eye-catching color, depth of field, and careful arrangement.

MP4 IRB Intro Post

For the fourth and last marking period of this dreaded yet rewarding junior year, I have decided to ready Moneyball by Michael Lewis for many of the same reasons that I chose to read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell back in September. For example, in both cases, emotion and tradition are disregarded and replaced with facts and statistics, numbers and concrete evidence. Then follows the careful analysis of these numbers to discover trends and make conclusions in Outliers case, and take it one step further in Moneyball to create the best team possible with the lowest budget. Again, I am also personally fascinated with statistics and predictions, as they affect much of how we live our lives day-to-day, as well as big picture. University X has an acceptance rate of 9.67%. The odds of being struck by lightning are one in 3,000. Tomorrow there will be a 50% chance of rain (thanks). Statistics determine aspects of our lives as minor as whether or not to bring an umbrella to work based on a weather report, to deciding what college to go to based on a variety of factors. And as our society further develops and evolves, statistics and trends taken from said statistics will only become more and more important.

TOW #24 - IRB: Section Two of Into the Wild

Christopher McCandless' Final Picture

Although Into The Wild is also a biography like my last independent reading book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, I have a vastly different set of takeaways. Firstly, to address what is very similar between the two, both biographies showed me that non-fiction stories can be just as interesting and compelling as fictional ones, if not even more fascinating due to their factuality. In terms of what is different, Malcolm X’s story spoke on an important and well-documented era in relatively-recent American and African American history, whereas McCandless’ story is about survival, self-reliance, and the concept of starting fresh. Much of his desire to start a new life under new name came from his discovery of a long-hidden family secret that caused him to distrust and detest his parents, ultimately resulting in him cut off communication with them. This in itself speaks to the importance that honesty held for McCandless, who was often regarded as a strictly moral person. Additionally, due to the fact that wilderness survival and self-reliance are both things I have always been interested in and valued, I now have knowledge about a true story that doesn’t quite end as happily as some other books I’ve read regarding those two topics. Even though he had prepared himself well and survived adequately for several months, his story simply goes to show you that so much is still controlled by mother nature, regardless of how ready you believe you are to survive alone. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in survival, self-reliance, or even just looking for a (true) gripping story to read about as Krakauer’s Into The Wild has got it all.

TOW #23 - Article: "Is American Democracy Headed to Extinction?"

As we were studying Plato in class a few weeks ago, many of the questions posed surrounding Crito were about the laws and governance of Athens. Not too long after Plato’s time, the democratic system in place soon fell apart and was replaced by a new system of government. This is what Stein Ringen, retired Oxford University professor and author, believes lies ahead in America’s not-so-distant future. Through historical comparison and citing other experts’ opinions, Ringen argues that because economic inequality has followed through to political inequality, democratic government will quickly become deprived of power and capacity.

He begins by noting that in Athens, democracy only lasted 250 years before being replaced, and here in America we are quickly approaching that same amount of time (currently 238 years of democratic governance). He argues that democracy is not the default, and therefore must be actively nurtured and cared for rather than forgotten once achieved. Ringen claims that, “It’s not enough for governments to simply be democratic; they must deliver or decay.” He then quotes constitutional scholar Anthony King when he describes the decline of effectual governance in Britain’s democracy as going from “order” to “mess” in less than 30 years. Going back to the US, Ringen states that, “The three branches of government are designed to deliver through checks and balances. But balance has become gridlock.” He continues by referring to the conflict between democrats and republicans, specifically in congress how one side essentially blocks anything that the other side attempts to pass. His last point is about the influence of economics on politics. Ringen states, “When money is allowed to transgress from markets, where it belongs, to politics, where it has no business, those who control it gain power to decide who the successful candidates will be — those they wish to fund — and what they can decide once they are in office.” He claims that this leads to corruption and a disconnect between what the people under the government want, and what the endorsing corporations believe will lead to their largest profits. To support this, he quotes Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis when he stated, “We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”

By quoting fellow experts, Ringen appeals very effectively to ethos through enhancing the credibility of his argument. Additionally, by relating our current situation to that of Athens, the idea that democracy is not everlasting becomes a much more feasible idea to understand for his audience who may otherwise doubt the practicality of a country such as the US having a governmental collapse. Ultimately, I found the article to be very effective through the use of historical comparison and support from experts in the subject.

TOW #22 - Opinion: "What I'd Say to My Fat Son"

Illustration by Michael Kuo

Although I have never struggled with the issue myself, being overweight is something that I have seen others been made fun of first-hand. When I was around ten and my younger brother was around seven or eight, I myself would every now and again even tease him about his weight when he used to be a little chubby. He is currently fourteen, actively participates in basketball and track, and has a physicality similar to my own. In his New York Times opinion article titled “What I’d Say to My Fat Son”, freelance writer and musician Joshua Max details his experience as a youth struggling with being overweight, and how he would confront the issue if it were to arise in a son of his.

Almost entirely through personal anecdotes and reflection upon his past, Max talks about how he was teased and bullied by not just his classmates at school, but his own family as well, everyone except for his dad. He claims that while his father preached the idea that it is not one’s body that is important but rather their mind, with all of the negative feedback he received about his weight, this message was one that was very difficult for Max to believe in. He talks about how he went from temporarily losing weight at a “fat camp” only to slowly gain it back later, to his damaging addiction of purging, and ultimately to his embracement of peace. Although he is currently at an average weight, whenever he looks in the mirror now and doesn’t necessarily love what he sees, he doesn’t purge or become dissatisfied, he helps others. Feeds a homeless person or helps shovel snow off of his neighbors’ cars. Relative to if he had a son with a weight issue, he says that he would, “[…] intervene, not conspire to humiliate and torture him.” (Max) He would help teach him the basics of portion control and exercise while simultaneously telling his son to keep his head held high despite the opinions of others.

I suppose a large part of Max’s purpose in writing this article was to deter others from making fun of those who may be overweight, as it can cause serious damage emotionally, mentally, and even worsen their physical issues. Ultimately, I thought that Max was successful by using his own personal story, sharing what worked for him, and what only made things worse.

TOW #21 - Visual Text: Snickers "Godzilla" You're Not You When You're Hungry Ad

As you are most likely already aware, the people over at Snickers have had their hilariously popular “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” advertising campaign going for quite some time now. They’ve created both magazine advertisements and commercials that have employed famous individuals from high-profile celebrities such as Betty White, to historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln. The most recent commercial they’ve released as part of this campaign stars none-other-than Godzilla himself. Through ridiculous humor and stark juxtaposition, this advertisement effectively achieves its purpose of selling Snickers candy bars within the “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” advertising campaign.

The commercial begins with a bunch of friends and Godzilla simply enjoying themselves on a sunny lakeside beach while happy feel-good type music playing in the background, when an attractive woman walks by and waves hello to Godzilla exclusively. His friends around him then take turns giving him high-fives and congratulating him for gaining the attention of the attractive young lady. Aside from the obvious humor of a woman being attracted to Godzilla, the purpose of this scene was to paint him as someone that everyone admires, which is also the theme throughout this commercial. Godzilla is then playing ping pong against one of his friends with the rest watching, and when he beats him, everyone begins cheering. Following that we find Godzilla dancing at a party while two guests comment on him saying that, “Godzilla’s actually pretty cool,” to which his friend responds, “Except when he’s hungry.” The feel-good music is then replaced with screams as commercial then cuts to a classic Godzilla scene with him destroying a city at night when one of his friends manages to throw a Snickers bar into Godzilla’s mouth. Finally, feel-good music begins to play again and the commercial cuts back to another scene of Godzilla and his friends at the lake water skiing and having a great time. 

This commercial was successful by utilizing humor throughout and first painting Godzilla as the cool guy that everyone admires and wants to be friends with. Then it cuts to a dark scene depicting how different Godzilla acts when he’s hungry, and then after eating a Snickers bar, how he instantly becomes fun and cool again. This not only makes us want to eat Snickers because the commercial was funny and Snickers satisfies enough to even tame Godzilla, but eating Snickers will also make us likable and fun to be around.

TOW #20 - IRB: Section One of Into the Wild

I imagine that for the author of a biography, one of the greatest difficulties must be in keeping his or her own personal bias, opinions, and feelings from skewing or distorting the factual story and portrayal of the biography’s subject. Luckily for anyone planning to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, he addresses this issue head-on in an author’s note at the beginning of the book by stating, “I won't claim to be an impartial biographer. McCandless's strange tale struck a personal note that made a dispassionate rendering of the tragedy impossible. Through most of the book, I have tried—and largely succeeded, I think—to minimize my authorial presence.” Krakauer continues by warning the reader that parts of McCandless’s narrative will be briefly interrupted by pieces of a story from Krakauer’s own childhood. 

In that way, Krakauer has made this biography different from any other I have ever read, especially the one I recently completed about Malcolm X. In this biography, the author actually talks about similar personal experiences and emotions relative to the main story being told. I find this technique particularly effective in this biography due to the fact that it helps make McCandless’s strange behavior a little more understandable. Additionally, while they are both told in narrative styles, Into the Wild takes it to the next level, as compared to Malcolm X, by incorporating direct quotes from McCandless, as well as those who helped him along his journey. Additionally, the biography includes documents created by McCandless, several of which can be found in every chapter thus far. Other than that, in terms of style, Krakauer sticks to a third-person point of view acting as a narrator which merely contributes to the general vibe I have from the book so far, in terms of it coming off as a story that was somehow simply made up. I often find it necessary to remind myself that the story I am reading is that of someone who actually lived through such experiences. 

I have genuinely enjoyed what I have read so far and am excited to soon finish the book. By incorporating direct quotes, primary documents, and pieces of his own personal anecdote, Krakauer has thus far made an already intriguing yet mysterious story understandable and interesting.

TOW #19 - Article: "5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Work Too Hard"

Writing Goal: Quote specific examples from the article to support my statements.

Reading Goal: Successfully identify at least three rhetorical devices/strategies.

“It’s just school.” For a student at the onset of his or her junior in high school, the message behind this simple piece of advice may be about as shocking as the fact that it was given by a teacher. Not only was this surprising to hear, but it was actually the opposite of what many students expected. But why? Why was the idea of making sure that we live a healthy and balanced life so astonishing? Brigid Schulte, Washington post contributor and author of the article titled “5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Work Too Hard”, would argue that it is due to the “vicious cycle of ‘work and spend’” (Schulte) that is so evident in American culture. Through the use of extensive exemplification, powerful statistics, and explicit organization, Schulte attempts to convince her audience that the American attitude towards work should be reconsidered.

She first uses the new Cadillac commercial in which a “boxy, middle-aged white guy in a fancy house” (Schulte) questions European work traditions, such as stopping at a cafe on the way home from work and taking the month of August off, to ultimately point out that working hard and long is what ultimately allowed himself to live the affluent life displayed in the commercial. This example clearly shows the American work attitude that Schulte says contributes to the “work and spend” cycle. Schulte continues to provide examples of work-related policies in other countries, such as child “nurture days” in Denmark and year-long paid parental leaves for mothers and fathers in Iceland, that ultimately allow their countries’ workers to live a more balanced life. She then states statics that point out how much we really devote ourselves to working, such as the fact that the average American now works about an entire month more than he or she would have in 1976 and that Americans didn’t even use an estimated 577 million vacation days at all in 2013. 

These examples and statistics act almost as the rising action of her article as we finally reach the climax that explains their negative effects: Schulte’s five listed reasons as to why we shouldn’t work too hard. She explicitly states in bolded words and numbers that Americans spend more time sick and more money paying for healthcare, that we are far more stressed, that the increased stress levels lead to decreased brain function, that we are ranked near the bottom of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s work-life balance scale, and finally that while we are working 70% of us are disengaged. These five reasons directly display the cost of working so much and leaves us to answer the question of whether or not all the work is worth it or not. She offers her final examples of leisure leading to innovation by using Bill Gates and the Wright Brothers before stating that “rather than working so hard to have stuff, better to work to have leisure, the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, upon which happiness depends.” Ultimately, I found the article to be extremely effective through its use of extensive exemplification, powerful statistics, and explicit organization. The only question left lingering in my mind after reading it was how long it is going to take for our country to rethink its work-related policies so that we may begin to shirk the serious detriments and enjoy the numerous benefits Schulte referenced.

MP3 IRB Intro Post

Wilderness survival has always been an interest of mine. From reading books such as the My Side of the Mountain series by Jean Craighead-George and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, to actually having been an active boy scout and having gone camping and hiking very often with family and friends. That is why for the third marking period I plan to read the 1996 wilderness survival biography Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. It’s about the journey of a man named Christopher McCandless who, almost immediately after graduating college, hitch-hiked to Alaska where he attempted to survive on his own and with minimal supplies, forcing him to rely on what he could salvage from the wilderness around him. By reading this book I hope to gain more practical knowledge about what to and what not to do when trying to survive, as well as insight into what would actually cause someone to almost out of nowhere leave the life they know, and attempt to live on their own in the wild.

TOW #18 - Editorial: "The beauty, the art, and the good of snow" . . . Ehhh

In this editorial by Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor Tom Foreman of CNN, Foreman discusses the positive effects of all the snow we have seen so far this winter, nationwide. The first positive he mentions was about how all of the precipitation has helped to alleviate the effects of the drought experienced in the west such as damaged farming, decreased tourism, and even reduced city water supplies. To do this, Foreman introduces us to Brian Fuchs who works with the National Drought Mitigation Center. The editorial appeals to logos when Fuchs provides a statistic that states now only 37.5% of the country is considered in drought, as compared to last year’s over 50%. Foreman then says we should consider ourselves lucky in today’s modern society with advanced weather-predicting technology due to the fact that in 1888, there was an unexpected blizzard that swept across the Great Plains and killed over 200 citizens, many of which were children. By pointing out that the majority of lives lost were those of children, Foreman most likely wanted to elicit an emotional response, appealing to pathos. He continues stating positive effects of snow by saying that at the same time as that horrible blizzard in the United States, across the pond in Europe artists such as Monet, Renoir, Gaugin, Pissarro, and Sisley were at work capturing the beauty of all the snow and ice. Foreman brings the conversation back to modern day by noting how badly Russia would currently like to see more snow, as unusually high temperatures in Sochi are beginning to, “turn ski slopes into mudslides.” Finally, he comes to the conclusion that it is ultimately up to one’s own perspective to determine whether all of this snow is a positive, a negative, or both. 

Personally, I found the article ineffective due to a lack of relevant positives related to the snow. Perhaps because I am a 16 year old, providing more positive examples that countered negatives ones, such as the fact that many schools will have to extend the school year due to a high number of closures, would better persuade me to look at the snow as an overall positive. I don’t particularly care that all of this snow once helped European artists paint pretty pictures centuries ago. Nor does it phase me very much that the country has gone form over 50% in drought to only about 38%, which I would still argue is quite a bit. Overall, while this editorial may have been effective to those who more highly value the two examples I previously mentioned, it failed to convince me by unsuccessfully providing positive examples of snow that I find personally relevant. 

TOW #17 - Visual Text: Squarespace Super Bowl Ad

In honor of the event that everyone’s talking about tonight, I’ve decided to analyze one of the advertisements I most enjoyed watching during this year’s Super Bowl XLVIII. The ad is for a website creation company called Squarespace that is known for its clean, sleek, and modern designs. It essentially puts the audience in the place of a man who is being surrounded and bombarded with popular internet memes, ads, icons, and trends that become increasingly aggressive towards him. The main idea of the advertisement is stated at the end in a voiceover that states, “We can’t change what the web has become, but we can change what it will be. A better web starts with your website.” Just like almost all Super Bowl ads, this one mainly relies on humor generated by cultural memory and hyperbole.

The ad first effectively connects to its audience by referencing commonly hated internet pop-up ads, like those that state “Your computer may have a virus!” and “Meet sexy singles!”, through their human manifestations. The ad then connects to its audience by referencing other parts of internet culture in an exaggerated fashion. For example, the ad depicts a stay-at-home mom desperately asking for the commercial’s main character to “like” a picture of her baby, obviously referencing those pesky Facebook “friends” that message others with the intent of gaining likes. Additionally, the ad also depicts three college-aged girls with heavy makeup and party dresses on whose oversized lips are puckered up while simply staring into the camera without saying anything at all. This is a reference to the rise of “selfies” and/or the common face that girls will make in internet photos known as the “duck face”. These characters, as well as many other familiar internet icons, form a mob that is slowly closing in on the main character until the scene cuts to him sitting at a clean glass desk on his laptop in an all white room, which is when the voiceover starts. 

I found this advertisement to be extremely effective as it was made genuinely funny by referencing internet pop-culture that relied on hyperbole and cultural memory, and it also accurately captured the often overwhelming feeling one may have simply by surfing the web. By contrasting that feeling to the simple and sleek feeling created when the commercial cuts to the man in the all-white room, Squarespace effectively demonstrated the values of its brand and how it would make your website stand out from the rest of the internet.

TOW #16 - IRB: Section Two of The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Having completed The Autobiography of Malcolm X today, which is coincidentally also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I have both a newfound knowledge and appreciation towards the leaders and participants of the Civil Rights Movement. Although I did have some basic knowledge about Malcolm X’s life before I read his autobiography, given that I come from two African-American Muslim parents who at one time were themselves members of the Nation of Islam, I am now far more aware of the personal struggles and sacrifices that he went through to leave the mark he did. I am, however, curious as to why MLK is discussed and taught about in school so much, but when it comes to Malcolm X, he is rarely talked about, if even mentioned at all. I understand that MLK had a greater influence than did Malcolm X, but I still believe Malcolm made more than a big enough impact during the Civil Rights era to at least be referenced in history textbooks and school lessons. Perhaps it is because, unlike MLK, Malcolm did not preach that one should be peaceful while being violently attacked. In fact, Malcolm encouraged blacks to fight back if they were unjustly attacked by anyone, including police. Regardless, he was a great man and I refuse to allow his legacy to be ignored and looked over, intentionally or not.

Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

Aside from attaining more knowledge on his life, after reading his autobiography, the greatest takeaway I personally gained was knowing the amount and degree of sacrifice one must undergo before improving oneself or becoming successful at almost anything. Additionally, it reinforced the importance of networking and the idea that it isn’t necessarily all about what it is you know, but rather who it is you know. Overall, I’m very pleased I decided to read this book and would recommend it to anyone capable of both appreciating what Malcolm X went through as well as the circumstances he was under. 

TOW #15 - Article: "The Cold Makes Us Smarter" . . . does it?

In following the trend set by what may possibly have been the number one topic of conversation this past week -- I’ve decided to do my TOW based on an article that argues, and is appropriately titled, “How the Cold Makes Us Smarter” by Time’s Allison Levine. The primary rhetorical strategies and devices used are statistics and logic, thus heavily appealing to the audience’s logos. The author also attempts to appeal to both the audience’s pathos and ethos by referring to specific situations in his own life through personal anecdotes. In fact, the very first sentence of the article attempts to establish Levine’s credibility while also functioning as an effective hook, as the sentence itself is short, sweet, and forces the reader to continue reading. “I know cold...I have climbed the highest peak on each continent (the famed Seven Summits) and have skied to both the North and South Poles -- a feat known as the Adventure Grand Slam.” In the following paragraph, she goes into detail on one particular trip that she called her favorite, which also happened to take place in the coldest place on earth. Finally, in her last paragraph after her audience is fully convinced of her expertise on the cold, Levine finally gives up the one piece of information that she based her entire statement on. She states that because glucose is needed for the brain’s mental processes, and because cooling off when it is hot uses more glucose than warming up when it’s cold, that the cold is better for the brain because there is more glucose available for it to use than when its warm. Logically, her statement makes sense. A car will run longer if it has more fuel. However, I believe her article was ineffective because it fails to establish the specific importance of glucose and actually how much more is used when it’s warm than when it’s cold. If she had provided these two pieces of information, I would have found her article far more convincing.

TOW #14 - Editorial: Journalism in China

For this week’s TOW, I decided to read and analyze a Washington Post opinion article titled “China’s Wrongheaded Crackdown on the Media” which was written by the Washington Post’s Editorial Board. “Wrongheaded”, while its meaning may be more or less obvious, means to be misguided or to have bad judgement, which is essentially the argument that the editorial attempts to make about China’s leaders with regards to the freedoms is allows its journalists. The authors first attempt to do this by juxtaposing two different quotes about journalism: one from the Soviet Union in 1976, and the other from a study guide for Chinese news reporters and editors. Contrary to its more common use in which juxtaposition is used to point out differences, this editorial uses the rhetorical device to highlight some scary similarities. Both quotes stress the importance of being loyal to the governing political party and its leaders. The editorial’s authors continue to state that the Chinese president, “Has been championing slogans and ideology from Mao’s day and the pursuit of a Marxist Utopia, a pursuit that led to great suffering for hundreds of millions of people.” After making these two comparisons, it is apparent that the editorial suggests that because China is currently using old tactics similar to those that led to the Soviet Union’s demise, and strategies that originally led to “great suffering for hundreds of millions of people”, that China will see the same results due to using the same “outdated” plan. At the end of the editorial, its authors suggest a change in policy for Chinese President Xi which is that he should, “Let China’s journalists prepare themselves for tomorrow -- to get in sync with the globalized information revolution -- than to retreat behind the red banners of yesteryear.” All in all, I found the editorial to be effective in arguing against the current policy for Chinese journalists by mainly relying on the similarities between China now and the era of the Soviet Union/Mao Zedong.

A protester holds aloft a banner calling for freedom of speech near the headquarters of Southern Weekly newspaper in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Monday.