Blog Reflection

I thought the blog was a good place for me to brainstorm and to think of new ideas.  Often times I'd start writing with one thing in mind, but would redirect myself elsewhere and form new ideas.  I also liked the freedom of the blog posts and how we could write any ideas that we had.  I also liked the comments that I got from fellow students, when I did get them, because they either made me confident in my opinion, or helped me to reevaluate things that I may have said.  The blog posts normally reflected what we were doing in class and helped me to further expand on ideas that we discussed in class that I may not have mentioned or that I had just thought of.  Blogging is pretty easy and you can do it from your own computer, which is always good.  I also liked that we had an easy and informal way of commenting on our peers writing, because it gives you important feedback.  I continued to do basically what I had been doing after the midterm evaluations, but tried extra hard to remember that the blog posts are due before 8, and not before class time.

Brainstorming for Proposal Argument

For my proposal argument, I am thinking about writing about the importance of wildlife conservation.  The conservation of the planet's wildlife is important because we need clean air and water for our survival and health.  Without clean water, we will get sick and without clean air, we could potentially suffer from lung problems like asthma and other serious illnesses.  Wildlife conservation is also important to conserve the beauty of the naturally occurring landscape.  It will also help to keep the earth diverse, known as biodiversity.  This is important because everything in our world is connected by one way or another, for instance, some animals are important for the survival of others, and if a species dies out due to lack of clean air, water, or an adequate natural environment, it could disrupt the food chain and cause harm to another species as well.  It is also important to simply protect the plants and animals that occur naturally in the planet's ecosystems.  Lastly, conserving wildlife is in the best interest of everyone because it will strengthen the quality of life for humans, plants, and animals alike.

There are a lot of options for a person who wants to get involved in conserving wildlife to do.  For instance, you could donate to credible causes.  If you do not want to simply donate, there are organizations that donate a portion of their profits to help wildlife conservation.  Any company with a "1% for the planet" logo, like the clothing company Patagonia, is a good option.  Also, a person should be sure to follow all hunting laws, they are put in place for a reason!  If someone wanted to get really involved, they could lobby for change and try to help get environmentally friendly laws passed that help and conserve portions of the world and keep them as they are.  People can also help to prevent the destroying of wildlife, such as when a company is logging, drilling, or building upon wildlife lands.

Brainstorming

I was having some trouble trying to think of an issue that is of importance to me that I have not yet written about in another class.  I came up with the legalization/decriminalization of some illegal drugs.  I would say only marijuana, but i wanted to include some other, less common drugs that I also think should not be illegal, for example LSD, psychedelic mushrooms, and ecstasy.  The main reason for me thinking that these drugs should be legalized is because they do not have much potential for long term use.  Although there are exceptions, these substances are not physically addictive and will not cause the user to be dependent on them, unlike some other illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin.  I also feel like decriminalizing or legalizing these drugs would clear up badly needed space in prisons.  I think that our law enforcement should be focusing on issues that might cause harm to communities, and not have to waste their time getting users of these drugs off the street.  If the government would trust its citizens to use these substances responsibly, like they do with both alcohol and tobacco, then I think it would not be a problem.  Also, I think that if the government was regulating these drugs, they would be safer and there would be less risk of using something that the user did not intend to use.  For example, there are instances when a substance, such as marijuana is laced with another drug, like cocaine, which the user may or may not have been aware of.  

Persuasive Ads

I chose to analyze this American Red Cross Ad.  It appeals to the pathos of the audience because the girl in the ad is in obvious distress.  It looks like she truly needs help now, and it really speaks to the person who is observing it.  The ad also says that "help can't wait," and that they need you now, which appeals to the readers emotions because it makes them feel as if they need to contribute and that the need is desperate.  This ad appeals to the ethos of the reader because the American Red Cross is a very well known organization, and they have been known to do great things in the past, which adds to their credibility.  It also assures the reader that their money is all going going to a good cause.  The ad appeals to the logos of the reader because it is logical.  The girl is in distress, and there are many others like her, so they need your help now.  

classical arguments

Chapter 14's discussion of classical arguments tells us that arguments need to be thoroughly researched and backed up with specific evidence.  It tells us to research all possible sides of the argument with an open mind in order to make the most informed decision.  Once you have found the side of an argument that you agree with, it is necessary to persuade your audience to believe and agree with the claim you are making.  To do this your argument needs to be backed up with specific evidence.  This really relates to the strong response essay that we are working on right now because it is necessary for us to use as many specific details and examples as possible.  If we don't use enough examples, our readers will not be persuaded and will not be moved to your side of the argument.  Even though it feels like I am using way too many examples and explaining my position in too much depth, it is really necessary to get the point across.  If there are not sufficient claims to back up an argument, why should anyone believe what you are claiming? 

Freewrite

Edmundson provides some arguments about the typical college student that I agree with, but he also argues some that I disagree with completely.  I agree with him when he talks about the effects of consumerism on the university campus, but I think he is making this assumption without realizing that not everyone is like that.  Sure there are plenty of people on this campus that are influenced by entertainment and who are devoted to consumption, myself included, but I think there are more then just a few students who break away from this "norm".  He does mention that he has a couple extraordinary students, for example Joon Lee, but I feel like there would have to be more then just the few that he emphasizes because I for one can name plenty here.

He also says that my culture is on that is "committed to a laid back norm" (pg. 3 par. 3), and I can not see what is wrong with that.  Maybe I'm speaking from the point of view of my generation, and maybe I just can't see his side of the argument, but I can't see why having a laid back norm would be a bad thing, it seems like a better environment to live in personally.

I like what he says about how Colleges are marketing their campuses by the entertainment that they have as opposed to how great the professors are, like he says that did when he was going to school.  He mentions that students are receiving brochures to their houses that market these things to them.  I remember getting at least 5 letters from different colleges per day, so I could really relate to his point and it really made an impact on me.

My only other problem with this article was when he was talking about how students are too formal when they come to talk with him in his office.  I for one have many teachers that would be offended if I were to come in and talk with them about everyday life or if I were to come in without a question.  Also, when he mentions that he wishes his students would wear more interesting clothing, I must point out that teachers definitely don't like it when we wear what we want all the time.  There's a time for the outfits that are fashionable nowadays, but generally speaking, talking with teachers is not one of them.

reading response

I disagree with Edmondson's final statement where he says that Universities are an inefficient method of learning. I know that personally I am learning more here then I ever did in high school. Even though there are some very large classes in which there is very little or no interaction between the students and the professor, I still feel like I am learning actively in those classes. I can understand why it is difficult for some students to learn in such an environment, and maybe a traditional university just isn't for them. There are plenty of other alternatives, and other colleges that are small and only offer small classes. I think that he is arguing this on too broad a spectrum, and I think that only certain people feel this way.
I do agree with some of the points that he makes though, such as when he says that college age students are swayed easily by the media, like tv, the internet and radio. I also agree that we are in a consumerist society, and that money is essential to almost everything.