Tuesday, June 10, 2014

TOW#30: Letter to a New APELC Student

Dear New APELC Student,

You've probably heard many things about this class, good and bad. But don't worry, you can do it! It's not as terrible as it seems.

Ok, so first, the best thing about this class is that the work load is pretty small. You may have a reading section due here and there. BUT, I warn you, do not neglect the assignments. For example, there may be an assignment where you have to read a section and then annotate it. This seems like nothing and you think that you can b-s it. Wrong. Make sure you really read it and understand the purpose. Sometimes you may need to read it a couple of times and this really helps! If you don't listen to this advice, you are going to cry during the assessments that we have once every end of the marking period.

Secondly, put effort into your TOWs. It may seem like a hassle and easy to write whatever since it isn't being graded, but it is really good practice for essays in the AP test and Timed/Take-Home Essays.

You are also going to do grammar with Ms. Pronko, which may not sound exciting but it is pretty fun because Ms. Pronko is awesome. In the end of the year, you may have a grammar final towards the end of the year, but "unfortunately" for us, we didn't have one.

In the AP exam, you not only have the essays but the multiple choice. The format looks like the SAT, but it is much harder. My advice, start working on it a little now. There is plenty of practice online. We didn't get to practice as much as we wanted to because of the crazy scheduling (snow days). This isn't urgent, but if you want to get a head start then go for it.

The essays are a bit tricky. You may be frustrated and panic at first because you may have been a straight A student who received a 3 (73%) on your summer essay. But don't worry! I nearly passed out too. But you'll learn. Set up meetings with Mr. Yost or Ms. Pronko for help.

And finally, relax! If I made it through this class, believe me, so can you. The class is really fun in general and Mr. Yost is really funny.

Good luck this year! You can do it! And even if times are hard, just keep going.
And remember, "It's just school."-Mr. Yost

Former APELC student,
Chaeyeon Lee

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

TOW#29: Documentary Rhetorical Analysis- Food Inc.

Food Is Not Real Anymore

Where do you think your burger came from? No not the restaurant, but where it actually came from. Food Inc. portrays the idea that the food we eat is not a "real" as people may assume. There are no farms but factories creating our food on assembly lines. Animals are being mistreated and chemicals are being spread all over the plants to create the "perfect" and best-tasting crop. People should stick to organic foods because it supports pesticide-free crops and goes against animal abuse.

How is it that fruits and vegetables are in season all year round? Chemicals. Crops are genetically engineered to taste good and look appealing. In the documentary, it shows footage of massive machines harvesting crops, which is fine. But it shows the chemicals sprayed onto fruits and vegetables to get rid of bugs and make it taste delicious. Putting chemicals in our food is wrong. It may have beneficial intentions but it actually has harmful effects such as food poisoning. This exemplifies the idea that grown food should not be chemically engineered.

So how are the animals treated? Animals are treated horrendously. Chickens, for example, are abused, thrown around, and kept in dark dens their entire lives. They live in tight spaces and barely have room to live in. They become so overweight that they can only move a few steps and then collapse back down. Chickens should not be handled this way. Similarly cows and pigs are treated worse. They live in tighter spaces and usually have to live in their own feces. They are fed corn to fatten them up. Cows are supposed to eat grass, so eating corn is bad for them. Animals should not be treated this way despite the fact that they are going to be eaten anyway.

Food Inc. showed a whole new world about where food really comes from. Farms are actually factories and animals are treated immorally. The way food is produced should be changed for not only the food, but for the people consuming it. Think about what you are eating.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

TOW#28: Documentary- Food Inc. 2008

Not Real Food


This documentary exploits the truth about where our food comes from. Eric Schlosser, the author of this film, wanted to show the world that they are being deceived by these massive food industries that call themselves "farms" when in reality, there is no source of farm life anywhere. One particularly interesting fact that I learned was the fact that most of what we eat contains corn, even in foods like soda that no one would expect corn to be in. It was even more shocking to hear about a boy who died from E. Coli. His mother only wanted an apology from the meat industry, but they were even reluctant to do that. As a result, she became an advocate and fought against those food industries.

The documentary definitely appealed to logos with its inclusion of video proof. There were videos of the treatment of chickens; It was petrifying. These poor chickens were living in dark, crammed spaces, and never being able to see sunlight. Their living conditions were so bad that the companies didn't allow cameramen to film the chickens. This appeal to logos brings fear into the audience because it shows how horrible these animals are being treated and how unnaturally they are cared for.

There were several anecdotes that were very effective for the film. One story told of a woman who had a son who died from E. Coli. It shows the uneasiness that she feels about the fact that her son died from eating food. There was also another story about a family who was financially struggling. This showed that there were deliberate reasons why people chose the dollar menu from McDonalds over a head of broccoli which costs much more. These unhealthy foods cost more because they are easier to make, thus making the food more artificial. Therefore this unfortunate family can only amount to junk food because it is more affordable.

Overall, the documentary was very effective. It not only discussed key ideas about food that many of people do not know, but also it showed physical evidence of what they were trying to say. The documentary was for people in America who are unaware of the terrible things that are going on in food industries. Although this document may not change anything anytime soon, it is a great start to show awareness to what people are eating and paying for.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

TOW #27: TOW Reflection

In the beginning of the year, I felt that TOWs were pointless and just a waste of time. But as I did more throughout the year, I realized how much I've improved my writing. I realized that some of my first TOWs lacked understanding and analysis of the content. But I soon realized how to recognize the purpose of the content and appropriately analyze them.

I've definitely mastered understanding the purpose and being able to write the structure of the TOWs. I fully understand how to write them without making the writing look listed. However, I feel that I still struggle with finding good yet difficult content to analyze. I seem to lean towards easy topics because the purpose is easy to point out.

Overall, I feel that I benefited a lot from writing the TOWs. It not only gave me a broader perspective of different types of literature but also gave me lots of practice writing in certain formats.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

TOW#26 Audrey Hepburn Quote


Since today was Audrey Hepburn's 85th birthday, I decided to write about meaningful things she said when she was alive. 

She was the classiest, the best, the most amazing role model any woman could look up to. She was not only beautiful on the outside, but also beautiful on the inside. In this famous quote she talks about beauty. Her quote basically means that anyone can be beautiful. But it isn't to physically be beautiful, but to act beautifully. 

She believes that people choose beauty and those who choose to act like good people are beautiful. She shows that physical beauty is not just something that is born with, but it is developed over time. If one lives with love for others and optimism, they will be beautiful. She in this sense, appeals to ethos because she herself is a beautiful person. But saying such encouraging and meaningful words makes her more lovely. 

Audrey Hepburn never thought of herself as an icon. She was just the best Audrey she could be. She did not worry about what others thought. This shows toughness because as a woman, she has a lot of pressure to look her best, but she looks her best for her not for the people.

She is truly an inspirational person because she believes that each and every person can be beautiful. Beauty is a choice. Although being nice is not going to physically makes someone literally beautiful, she means that it is attractive to see someone kind and smiling rather than someone bitter and angry. She shows that all beauty takes is kindness, love, and confidence in yourself. 

Although she is no longer with us, she still remains in many hearts as a classy yet beautiful woman. She is not only a phenomenal actress, but also a wonderful being. Her beauty and kind words will last forever.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

TOW#25: Korean Ferry Accident Vice Principal Suicide Note

"Surviving alone is too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for. Please hold me responsible for all of this. I pushed for the school excursion. Cremate my body and spread my ashes over the ship sinking site. I may become a teacher again in the afterlife for the students whose bodies have yet to be found."
(http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/04/vice-principal-who-survived-ferry-accident-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide/360874/#disqus_thread)

Every year, a junior class from each school in South Korea goes to Jeju Island, the Hawaii of South Korea. After many years of rigorous and endless studying, students in the junior year go on this trip for one last fun before they take the dreadful college entrance exam. On April 16th, 2014, a Korean ferry sank in Jindo, South Korea with more than 400 passengers and crew members abroad. Of the few who survived, the Vice Principal, Kang Min-Gyu, hang himself on a tree. A suicide note was found in his wallet.

He felt guilty; he felt guilty for surviving while hundreds of other students did not. He proposed that he would teach in heaven to those who lost their lives. He could not bare to live and be happy while others lost their lives on his watch. Not only that, he took full responsibility because he suggested the trip. 

He felt that he has no right to live. He felt that it is his duty to go with his students. He appeals to pathos in his note because it shows his selflessness, courage, and morality. He is selfless in a sense that he gave up his own life when he could have survived. Courage plays a role because he was not afraid to give up his life. He was willing to take his own life to teach in the "afterlife". He even asked to be cremated so he could be spread into the ocean. He wanted to be with the students who remained in the ocean.

This tragedy affects South Korea immensely since South Korea is such a small country. The country will continue to mourn and grief for a very long time. This issue will remain in South Korean people's hearts for the rest of their lives. Guilt is the biggest issue. People like the vice-president was so overwhelmed with guilt that he couldn't bare to live. How will the rest of the families and country live on?  





Wednesday, April 23, 2014

IRB Intro: "Dawn" by Elie Wiesel

"Dawn" is the next book in the series of "Night" by Elie Wiesel. This book is about Elie's perspective of what he experienced during the Holocaust. This second book "Dawn" continues this treacherous journey to escape this horrible life and find freedom.

I chose this book because when I was in the 10th grade I read the prequel "Night". I was really moved by the authors writing, especially since all the events really happened. I am looking forward to read this book because I can see more insight of the Holocaust and a first person's account.

TOW#24: Abraaj Water Ad.


Fish Knows Best

How does one know what type of water tastes best? Just ask the fish. Fishes know the best type of water since they live, breathe, and swim in water their entire lives. Abraaj is a water company that produces purified water for people to drink. They appeal to ethos and use emphasis to show that their water is the best and everyone should buy it.

Abraaj has the best water in the world because the fish in the advertisement prefers it. In the ad, the fish is jumping from its bowl of fresh water to Abraaj's water. This shows that a fish would leave its spacious bowl of fresh water and go to a constricted space full of Abraaj's water. This conveys that Abraaj's water is so fresh and great, it is worth the restricting space that the fish is going to. If a fish, which knows water more than any human being, going to Abraaj's water, that means that their water must be fresh and clean. 

Abraaj effectively uses emphasis to show that their water is irresistible. Realize how the advertisement only contains a fish bowl, a glass of water, and a fish. It allows the audience to focus on the fish especially because of its bright color. The glass of water and the fish bowl is not as emphasized because it wants the audience to see what the fish chose. The two containers of water look exactly the same, but the fish can tell the difference because it is an expert at knowing water quality, hence the words, "who knows water best?" 

Although there are so many different types of water ads and the fact that all water tastes the same, Abraaj is unique from most water ads because it uses something other than a person to show how great their water is. Instead of using a celebrity to say how great their water is, they use the most obvious "expert" of water: a fish. Abraaj appeals to ethos and uses emphasis to show that their water is the best quality. 









(http://adeation.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/abraj-water-ad.jpg)




Sunday, March 30, 2014

TOW#23: article "The Value of a Life, Though Toxic and Tiny" by Pamela Gwyn Kripke

Bunny Vs. Snake

Which one is cuter, a bunny or a snake? Many people would choose the bunny because it is soft and fluffy, whereas the snake is slimy and creepy. But does that change whether one life is more important than another? Pamela Gwyn Kripke writes about who receives a cute little frog as a pet. But when he realizes that it is poisonous, he does not find it as amusing anymore. 

At first the boy fed the frog and took care of the frog all the time. After he realized that it was dangerous, he was reluctant to take care of it. The frog began to suffer because it was not fed nor taken care of. Ultimately, the boy realized that he had done a horrible thing and that just because the creature is no longer a safe pet, it does not mean that the frog's life is worthless. 

Kripke appeals to pathos by talking about a pitiful animal. When the frog is describes as suffering and sad, it creates a guilty feeling towards the audience because people feel bad that an animal is suffering because of carelessness. Being indifferent toward an animal just because it is not appealing to one's eye is wrong. Every life is important equally; no life is more important than another because of its physical appearance.

Kripke sends out a broader message throughout this essay. Her reference to frogs could be a reference to people, that everyone is unique and important in their own way. No one is more important than another. Everyone and everything are equal. It is upsetting to see one or one thing being love more because of its physical appeal. It is not fair and judgmental.

Everything and everyone deserves love and care. Physical impairments should not determine that. The frog was poisonous, so what? Does that mean it deserves less love than anything else? It is an alive, breathing creature that was made to live. It should not be disregarded because it isn't appealing. 

(http://m.cdn.blog.hu/co/colombiageodiversa/image/ranas%20venenosas_AutoCollage_12_Images.jpg)
The World's Most Poisonous Frogs

Sunday, March 23, 2014

TOW #22: GLAD Advertisement for Plastic Wrap

(http://webtoolfeed.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/creatiw41.jpg)
GLAD is a famous brand that is well-known for its sturdy food containers, trash bags, and plastic wraps. The advertisement for its plastic wraps consists of a quarter of a watermelon on a single white plate. But inside the watermelon is no watermelon, but raw meat. That is disgusting; but then what is the purpose of this picture?

In order to emphasize the effectiveness of GLAD's plastic wraps, it shows raw meat inside of a watermelon. This is to show that watermelons that sit out without GLAD's plastic wraps end up tasting like "meat" or something rotten. On the bottom right corner is says, "Let it taste the way it should...". This means that a watermelon should taste like a watermelon: sweet, juicy and delicious. It should not taste like "meat". But if one uses GLAD's plastic wraps, food will stay fresh and delicious. Otherwise, the food will rot and taste like something it is not supposed to.

This advertisement is very intriguing because it makes people think. It is not direct about what it is trying to say. Instead, one has to look at it closely and analyze its possible message. If the message was stated directly, would it be as effective? The indirect message makes the advertisement more interesting and mysterious, which is eye-catching to the audience.

This advertisement is believable because it is created by a credible source: the company GLAD itself. On the bottom right corner of the advertisement, it shows the plastic wrap product from GLAD. This shows that GLAD created this advertisement, and since GLAD created this, it makes their argument valid and supported.

Effective advertisements does not have to be convoluted pictures. A simple picture may be more effective, even if it is just a watermelon with meat in it. And this advertisement demonstrates that wonderfully. It uses an effective image and credibility to convince the audience to buy their products.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

TOW#21: article "Cruelty of the aquarium exposed in killer whale documentary 'Blackfish'"

Killer Whales are not Killers

On February 24th, 2010, an Orca named Tilikum killed its trainer, Dawn. There was no violence intended. It was merely out of play. However, there are some cases where these captivated animals go mentally insane and intentionally hurt people. But why? Places such as Sea World in Disney World and Aquariums around the world mistreat their animals.

How do are these animals obtained? They certainly aren't taken nicely. They are first captured in large nets into boats. Then they are kept in enclosed, dark sections for several days alone. Finally, they are taken to be trained. These animals are forced into do silly tricks for the purpose of amusing the public. These animals are tortured and neglected for the sake of entertainment. How is this justified?

Orcas, for example, are one of many animals that are trained. They are known to be very gregarious. So being trapped in a small enclosed space makes them go crazy. A documentary called "Blackfish" came out in 2010, which depicts what really happens behind the scenes of these "fun" amusement parks. The documentary shows that these Orcas have never attacked people in the wild. Thus, this proves that it is the imprisonments that make them go crazy.

There is definitely an appeal to pathos. People are grown to adore these Orcas because they are beautiful, lively creatures. Seeing documentaries such as these, people would feel guilty for ever going to an aquarium and stand against these places. The documentary brings a lot of sadness, regret, and pity. This could potentially cause people to boycott against these aquariums in order to save these animals. This reaches out to advocates of animal freedom.

Will Sea World ever close down, probably not. However, it is crucial that this truth was revealed to the public because then someone somewhere will be aware of this and possibly try to do something about it. This article was very informative of how manipulative these places are. These places try to make the public believe that these animals are treated with great care, which is a lie. When will animal cruelty end?

(http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/cruelty-of-the-aquarium-exposed-in-killer-whale-documentary-blackfish-8733758.html)

Sunday, March 2, 2014

TOW#20: Visual

Reading Goal- My reading goal is to pick an appropriate visual and find important rhetorical devices that explain the purpose of the visual. I also hope to analyze the rhetorical devices well and tie it back to the thesis.

People Are Not Robots

More than 40,000 people die from car crashes every year. The main cause is drunk driving. Many people disregard the fact that drunk driving is extremely dangerous. So how can they receive the message? BMW, a luxurious car brand known by many, creates an advertisement about drinking and driving. Car crashes have been more frequent than they used to be so BMW wanted to get its message out to the world.The advertisement encourages people not to drink and drive and to show how serious it is, and the advertisement makes use of many rhetorical devices, such as pathos, ethos and implications to show it.
For starters, the first thing that may jump out at the audience is the picture of two legs, one real and one not real. This appeals to pathos because it allows the audience to have pity for people with disabilities. The advertisement used this picture to show that human parts are not as easily replaceable as car parts. This picture shows that even though this person replaced his leg with another, it is not the same. Therefore drunk driving is dangerous because it causes loss of one’s limbs. BMW convinces people to not drink/drive by driving fear into the people of the loss of irreplaceable body parts.
There have been so many advertisements about drinking and driving. But why is this one the most effective than the others? BMW created it. BMW is a famous car brand that has a lot of credibility. Since this expensive car brand mentions a serious topic, people will pay attention. Thus, this advertisement appeals to ethos. If the advertisement were not sponsored by BMW, would it be as effective and credible? Since the car brand is admired, it is very influential. Hence, BMW exhibits that drinking and driving is a serious matter by showing that they are serious about it as well.
The advertisement does not go on explaining an entire paragraph about why not to drink and drive. Instead, it simply writes, “Spare parts for humans are not as original as those for cars. Don’t drink and Drive.” This implies that replacing a car part would be unnoticeable, however, replacing a human part will not be exactly as what it used to be. This also implies that people need to take care of their bodies, since they are not replaceable means. BMW emphasizes the value of human limbs by contrasting a replacement of a human body part and a car part.
Drinking and driving is not something to take lightly and BMW thinks that too. Since it is a well-known car brand, the brand is effective in creating this advertisement because people will pay attention to what they say. It appeals to pathos, ethos, and has strong implications to portray the message that human body parts are irreplaceable. Like BMW states, do not drink and drive at the cost of your limbs.




Sunday, February 23, 2014

TOW#19: IRB "The Nazi Officer's Wife" by Edith Hahn Beer

Safe Is Not So Safe

Elie Wiesel is a famous author known for his memoir, "Night". He wrote about his life during the Holocaust; He describes the torture and the devastation he went through with his father. However, a woman named Edith Hahn Beer, who was also Jewish, went through the exact opposite of what he went through. Yet, she was just as terrified. Beer writes her story in "The Nazi Officer's Wife", and shows that life was actually still terrifying even though she was "safe" by appealing to ethos and using descriptive diction.

Beer appeals to ethos by retelling a true story about herself in order to make herself more credible to the audience. This book is a true story in her perspective about the horrible things that she had to go through during the Holocaust. Because this story is true and in her perspective, she is more credible rather than a person writing about her. If another person had written about her, the readers would think that the author changed a few details here and there to make the story more interesting. But this story is told from the primary source. The readers are, therefore, able to believe Beer and be more engaged with the story. Thus, the readers are more fascinated that all these events in the story are true. 

Beer also uses descriptive diction in order to add detail into her writing to make it sound interesting. She talks about the terrible ride to Munich by saying, “I murdered the personality I was born with and transformed myself from a butterfly back in into a caterpillar. That night I learned to seek the shadows, to prefer silence”. This shows that she was a different person now. By stating "I murdered the personality" shows that she has gotten rid of who she used to be and became a different person; But not in a good way. She also says that she "transformed myself from a butterfly back in into a caterpillar", which also shows that she is now in hiding and in the process of becoming a different person. By using descriptive diction such as "murdered", "transformed", "butterfly" and "caterpillar", she is able to imply her feelings without being banal and too straight-forward, which would not sound as intriguing. 

Beer was able to avoid the torturous Holocaust that many people went through, by meeting a non-Jewish man who promised to keep her identity a secret. However, she lived in fear everyday, fear that she might be caught. Ultimately, she managed to stay hidden for the rest of the Holocaust. Yet, she writes a book about how terrified she was despite her luckiness by appealing to ethos and using descriptive diction. 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

TOW#18: A Boy Saw A Classmate Getting Horribly Bullied. It’s What Happened 4 Years Later That Made Me Cry

            Just Say "Hello"

          The hardest thing to do is the easiest thing to do. An inspiring but untrue story tells of a boy named Kyle who is bullied. He carries multiple books to and from school and a bully always knocks them down and calls him a nerd. One day, a classmate sees this and goes up to help him when no one else did. Many others may have avoided to help Kyle because they were afraid that they might look like a “loser”. Little did the classmate know that Kyle was on his way home to kill himself that night. But the classmate saved him. In this short anecdote, the author appeals to ethos and uses suspense to show that good deeds have greater outcomes than one would imagine.

            The author appeals to ethos by speaking in first-person to show his credibility towards the story and show a more emotional insight to the character. It says, “As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him.” This shows how the character felt and the reasons for him going up and helping him. By speaking in first-person, the reader is able to understand the character’s feelings better and have empathy, rather than if it said, “He felt this, so he did this.” Speaking in first-person also makes the story more believable and touching. Thus, the author's first-person perspective gives the story more of a personal feel and credible. 

            The author uses suspense in order to lure in the reader’s attention to make the story more exciting. During graduation, as it states in the story, the character, Kyle, says,  “‘I am going to tell you a story’.” By saying this, the audience can predict that he is going to talk about how he was bullied and his encounter of his first friend. But since he says “story”, the reader is able to predict that there is more to the story than the first time they met, which is true. Kyle goes on and talks about how he was on his way home to kill himself, but one person helped him from the bullies, which ultimately saved his life. This shows that by using suspense, the author is able to grab the reader’s attention and give more to the reader than they were expecting.

            This was not a true story. But then why would the author write it? Bullying has become a serious issue and many people have been ignoring this fact. Therefore the author decides to write a story with a moral, which is that good deeds have greater outcomes than one would expect. He shows this by appealing to ethos and using suspense. A simple “hello” can save someone’s life.  

Picture used for the story 
(http://avmediastudio.com/blog/a-boy-saw-a-classmate-getting-horribly-bullied-its-what-happened-10-years-later-that-made-me-cry/)







Sunday, February 2, 2014

TOW#17: Teen Pregnancy Advertisement

(http://aapci.org/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/teen-pregnancy-ad.jpg)
Teen Pregnancy is Not Cool

"16 and Pregnant" and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" are television shows that depict the possible lives of being a teenager with a child. However, these shows tend to show that being a pregnant teenager is manageable. This causes people to forget the consequences of having a child at such a young age. Also, it is not only the teenagers that suffer from the pregnancy but it is also the child who suffers as well. This advertisement (shown above) describes how children with teen parents are not likely to graduate high school. The advertisement appeals to pathos and uses bolded words in order to show that teen pregnancy is ruinous to the future of a teenager's child.

The advertisement appeals to pathos by its use of a picture of a crying baby. The crying baby brings a sad emotion to the audience. If the advertisement did not include the picture, people would most likely walk past the advertisement without even taking a glance at it. The first thing people would see as they walk past this advertisement is this crying child. This would cause them to wonder why the child is crying. Then they would read the text on the advertisement to see what it is about, allowing them to see the facts of teen-pregnancy. The crying child catches a person's eye and cause the audience to sympathize for the child. The picture of the advertisement also may influence possible teenagers who decide to make poor choices in the future. This picture on the advertisement brings out guilt, thus making the picture effective for the advertisement. 

The advertisement also uses bolded words in order to emphasize the key words in the advertisement. The bolding of the words, "not", "high school", and "teen" makes it simple for the audiences to understand the main point of this picture. If the words were not bolded, people would probably be too lazy to read the entire text. The bolded words summarize the main idea and cause others to want to read it more since the words are bolded, showing a sign of importance. The bolded words stand out; it is the first person the audience would see right after the picture of the sad baby. Also, the use of bold words are found in the bottom of the advertisement where it says, "KIDS OF TEEN MOMS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY NOT TO GRADUATE THAN KIDS WHOSE MOMS WERE OVER AGE 22." This was also to emphasize that it is teenager mothers that risk a child's chance of graduating high school, not adult mothers. This shows that being a teenage mother is very risky and immoral to the child being born. Ultimately, the bolded words emphasize the important texts of the advertisement so that the audience reads the key elements of the text. 

Was this advertisement necessary? Do people not know that teenage pregnancy is wrong? People are beginning to forget the negative outcomes of teenage pregnancy. This advertisement was a reminder and a "heads-up" about how teenage pregnancy affects more than one person. The advertisement brilliantly conveys this idea by appealing to pathos and using bolded words. 



IRB Intro: "The Nazi Officer's Wife" by Edith Hahn Beer

This is a memoir about a woman named Edith who is a Jew living during the Holocaust. She lies about her identity to keep herself from getting persecuted. She meets a man named Werner, a member in the Nazi party, who falls in love with her and promises to keep her identity hidden. Will Edith survive?

I chose this book because I wanted to read about other perspectives of the Holocaust than from Elie Wiesel. I think this book will be really interesting because this woman is not living a horrible life, since she lies about her identity. But will she be living peacefully even after that?

I hope to gain more insight into the troubling days of the Holocaust. Because of this book, I get to see a whole other side of this time period. I can't wait to read it!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

TOW#16: (Article) Smoking Is Worse Than You Imagined By The Editorial Board

Smoking is Bad You Say?


Remember when smoking was "in" and you could see 12 year olds with cigarettes? That's because they didn't know how bad it was back then. However, as may people looked into what cigarettes were composed of, they became aware of the negative effects it has on people's lives. Therefore, many people began to quit cigarettes and began to refrain from them. Today, however, people haven't been as cautious as they used to be. Little did they know that cigarettes are much worse for them than they learned in elementary school. The author appeals to ethos and logos to show that smoking is much worse for one's health than one may perceive.

The author appeals to logos by using factual information from professional health researchers. These days smoking a fewer cigarettes has higher risk of cancer than smoking more cigarettes back in the 1960s. The reason for that is because the ingredients are different than they used to be. The author reports that, "... the risk of developing adenocarcinoma of the lung, the most common type of lung cancer, has increased substantially over the past several decades because of changes in the design and composition of cigarettes. These include ventilated filters that lead to more puffing of noxious materials and blended tobaccos that contain carcinogenic nitrosamines." 

The author appeals to ethos by where the author posted the article. It was posted on the New York Times. New York Times is very credible and known throughout the entire world. Because of its status and reputation, many people are going to see this article and take it seriously. The author, being aware of new trends, wanted to inform people that smoking is still bad and just because medicines have improved, it doesn't mean that the harmful effects of smoking is any less.

The author's purpose was to show that smoking is serious and people are forgetting that, since these days all the famous rappers smoke and it seems cool again. By appealing to ethos and logos, the author is able to convey his stand on the detrimental effects of smoking and that people should take caution.



What's in a cigarette?
http://www.nysmokefree.com/Subpage.aspx?P=0&P1=40

Sunday, January 5, 2014

TOW#14: Text "Potato Chips: Are You Eating This All-Time Favorite "Cancer-in-a-Can" Snack?"

"Potato" Chips

Many people are familiar with potato chips, the delicious and crunchy snack that can be found in any average American home. What most people do not know is, is that these "potato" chips may not even contain a lot of "potato". Rather it is more of flakes of potato.

Dr. Mercola writes an article about how these chips are not only healthy, but also hazardous. They contain an ingredient called Acrylamide, which can cause cancer. This ingredient is not intentionally put into the chips but created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures. She wants to show these facts about these chips in order to warn people about what they are consuming and feeding to their own children by appealing to logos and ethos.

Dr. Mercola appeals to logos by quoting the Food and Drug Administration. She says, "For instance, according to the FDA's data, Ore Ida Golden Fries contained 107 ppb of acrylamide in the regular fried version and 1,098 when baked." This was to show that baked chips are not any better than fried chips. In fact, she states this fact to convey that these baked chips are much worse for a person than regular chips. She most likely refers to the baked chips because she knows that people who read this article may think that they can switch to baked chips, since they are "better" than regular chips. Dr. Mercola is aware that this is incorrect. So she explains that these chips, in general, are not good for people. 

Dr. Mercola appeals to ethos by her name "Dr.". Because she is "Dr." Mercola rather than "Mrs./Ms." Mercola, she establishes ethos. Her name shows that she has the right to criticize different types of food for health purposes. Also, because of her name, she shows that she has knowledge of this subject and that she is not stating her opinion based on other websites and combining the information into her own. 

Who knew that chips were so disgusting? Many people were familiar with the fact that these chips were unhealthy for the way they were cooked, not for what was actually in them. Dr. Mercola discusses her position on these potato chips and states that they are much worse for people's health than many may presume. She appeals to logos and ethos because of her use of facts and her status. 

Pringles- one of many types of chips
(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/07/the-shocking-true-story-of-how-pringles-are-made.aspx)