Writing to Inform, Convince, and Persuade: Rhetoric 1101 Section 7

The topic that i have chosen for the next paper is about the use of cell phones while driving. All too aften you hear on the news stories about people who were driving and were injured or killed by another driver who was distracted, or maybe even themselves by the use of cell phones. I feel that even the small percentage that can be injured or killed evry year by this distraction while driving can and should be prevented. In my paper i want to show statistics of car accidents that involve this kind of distraction and if there are any possible ways to relieve this problem. Like i said, cell phone related accidents may be a small percentage of car accidents, but they are still a percentage and i feel that is one percentage that can be fixed.

Posted by Megan Korts at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are many people in the United States that are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD each year. No matter your age, race, or gender this disease could affect you. Even if you do not have ADD someone you know may have it, and this can affect your learning environment, social setting and even your home life. More and more people are being diagnosed each year, and some of these people that are being medicated have been misdiagnosed. Even though there are people who need medication there are also studies showing that it is getting easier and easier to have a doctor write out a prescription for Ritalin without a proper/thorough examination. Each situation may be different for the severity of the symptoms and the course of treatment.

Posted by Jordan Duncanson at 02:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

My research paper subject is Israel Birthright. It is program implimented by the Government of Israel and some Jewish communities that allows Jewish young adults from ages 18-26 to travel to Israel for 10 days, free of charge. I chose this topic because I am planning on going on Birthright either this or next year and I thought it would be interesting to see what people thought of it and such. Over 110,000 people have gone on the trip in the past 5 years, and it was supposed to be cut in 2006 but they kept it going because overwhelming positive response. My thesis is that the Jewish community should continue to support birthright Israel.

Posted by Rebecca Hammer at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The purpose of my final paper is going to be to convince California residents and polititians that implementing Two Way Spanish Immersion programs into their education system, although potentially costly to start, will overall create a more productive state. I've been looking at articles on the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) website arcives, and also the ERIC archive which involve bilingual education research. I've also found some statistics from the 2000 census on the number of California people who speak Spanish at home in comparison to the percentage nation wide and things like that. Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions for other useful information.

Posted by Elizabeth Peterson at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The visual I chose was a picture of a Smirnoff bottle sitting in front of a window. Outside the window was Santa and his riendeer. As the first two reindeer went through the view of the bottle, they cahnged into racehorses. I found this ad very interesting in the fact there was no dialouge in the ad. The viewer would have to look at it and make their own interpretation. One of my interpretations of the ad is if u bet on the best (that has to do with the horses), you should drink the best. What I liked about this ad is that in no way does it use any kind of refernce to sex, which is one of the first things that comes to my mind when i think of alcoholic beverages. I liked doing my paper on this visual, and actually this visual was kind of challenging. The fact that it had no word made me look into it and analyize it.

Posted by Megan Korts at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

i Chose the picture of three hearts for this assignment. It is a picture of three hearts that look alike. On the hearts there are words. The words say white,black, and then yellow. i think that it is trying to say that we are all the same on the inside despite what we look like on the outside. i think that this a good message because we need to stop hating each other over little differences because if you look deeper we are all the same.http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/25/content_419566.htm

Posted by Duy Hoang at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

my visual was a photograph of a girl carrying her little brother on her back in thailand, selling flowers and little embroidered toys. at first glance, it may look like a simple tourist photo. however, the story behind the photograph is what makes the viewer look at the photograph more closely. the little girl's job is to sell flowers to tourists, and it just so happens that she tried to sell a flower to the photographer. the photographer did not want it, therefore she gave it to him for free! it's hard to believe that in a under developed country like the one that she lives in, she instills kindness and innocence. i believe that the photographer wanted to show that there is still real humanity in this world. he was able to do that, through this photograph that he took of her. http://www.vassl.com/images3/hmong.jpg

Posted by Xong Lor at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I chose a cartoon for my visual. It shows a young boy eating ceral. On the box it shows a bseball player, and on the top it says steroids. I think the creator of this cartoon is trying to bring up the argument of steroids in baseball. I think he is trying to say that steroids are bad for the game of baseball. He has a kids in the picture because kids idolize proffesional baseball players who look like they are steroids and they are a horrible influence on young kids.

The Picture is at:
http://www.pritchettcartoons.com/cartoons/steroids.jpg

Posted by Nicholas Joelson at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My visual artifact is the photograph "Burial of the Dead at the Battle of Wounded Knee, S.D." It was taken three days after the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890, where the U.S. army killed about 180 men, women and children of a band of Lakota camped along Wounded Knee Creek. This was the last battle event between whites and Native Americans on the Great Plains, and throughout the country for that matter. Most of the photo's argument lies in the unaltered scene it is depicting, which has such a strong emotional reaction with people. Otherwise, I believe the argument being made is that there has been a huge, fundamental shift in power in the American west that will not be reversed.
Go look at the photo at:
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/BurialoftheDeadattheBattlefieldofWoundedKneeSD488.jpg

Posted by Robert Belden at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I found my visual argument on the Honolulu Advertiser's website, which is one of Hawaii’s newspapers. The picture shows the famous King Kamehameha the Great statue covered in leis with his hand outstretched holding a champagne glass. This image was digitally altered by a Miami cruise ship company who wanted to promote tours to Hawaii. The message it sends to people who see it is that Hawaii is a place to go to for good times and relaxation. However, the image has insulted the Hawaiian people, the Hawaiian culture and the significance of a great King.

Here's the picture
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2006/Oct/03/FPI610040344AR_b.jpg

Posted by Lianne Endo at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I found the visual I used for my paper in TIME magazine's best photographs of 2005. The picture is of a victim of an earthquake that took place around the border of Pakistan and India. The victim was in school when it collapsed within a mere thirty seconds. The boy is covered in dust and debris (what looks like parts of the wall... floor... ceiling..etc.. of the school) appears in the foreground. At first, it is difficult to see that there is a boy under a layer of dust, but after noticing his hands, you realize it is actually a person. It's disturbing in an almost calm and peaceful way..

http://www.time.com/time/yip/2005/
The photo I chose is the 7th in the series, but the other ones are really great as well (and worth looking at!)

Liz

Posted by Elizabeth Lund at 06:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I chose a photo from the 1950's of Lake Mead in Nevada. The picture portrays the harmful drought that occured there in 1955. There is a man standing in the dry lake bed, which is contrasted by a dark sky. I chose this photograph because I took a Field Study to the American Southwest in 2004 and we learned that Lake Mead and its basin are experiancing one of the worst droughts since the 60's. The photo stuck out to me immediatly because of the harsh contrast between the sky and the lake, because of that I read below to find out it was Lake Mead.

http://www.lakepowell.org/page_two/information/25_reasons/lake_mead_1_1951.jpg

Posted by Stephen Maturen at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My visual argument is an anti-war ad. It shows a lit bomb that is painted the colors of the American flag, and underneath it says, in all caps, "Democracy is best taught by example, not by war." I found this visual in a google search and chose to write about it because of all the debate that is currently going on in our country about whether or not we should be in Iraq. Personally, I don't believe we should be fighting this war, which is also why this drawing engaged me. Here is the link http://www.georgehernandez.com/h/aaBlog/2004/media/07-15_DemocracyIsBestTaughtByExample.jpg

Posted by Joe Campbell at 06:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I read an article about genetically mutated cats that are hypoallergenic, so people with cat allergies can now have pets. To get a kitty is seriously like adopting a baby, there is this long screening process to see if you are a suitable "parent" and then there is a 12-15 month waiting list. This cats cost approximately 4000 dollars and there is already a two year waiting list. As of right now it seems that these cats really are void of inducing allergy sympotoms, but there are still many tests to go to make sure that they are hypoallergenic.
I thought this was really interesting because it seems like there is nothing that science can't do anymore...plus my mom is allergic cats and I've always wanted one:)...except I would never pay 4000 dollars for it.

Posted by Rebecca Hammer at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I found my visual in a google search. It has a brown tree-like background and a circular design. Inside the circle is a collage of animals. A bear, a wolf, an eagle, a cougar, a mustang, an elk, a bison, and a snowy owl. Below that is the phrase "Extinction means forever" I chose this visual because I am interested in exotic animals and I know a bit about their need for protection. Anyone who wants to see the picture use the link. http://www.members.fortunecity.com/gwolf2/ourfuture.html

Posted by Brenda Blackhawk at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My visual argument is a picture of a dirty diaper with a caption that reads and you thought condoms. The arugment that this picture is trying to make is to say that many people feel that caondoms are something thats dirty and something that should be kept under wraps. Many people would rather cahnge a dirty than to discuss the subject of condoms or anything that has to do with sex. I think this makes a very effective argument that makes you think about using contraceptives and know that it is not nasty like people tend to believe.

Posted by Amber Washington at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I found this picture on http://www.bintjbeil.com/images/nowar/main.html. I chose to write about this picture because it moved me right away. I do not agree with many things that are happening in the middle east. Since this picture is open for interpretation, I thought that I could write a decent paper on this subject.

Posted by Tobias Grosskopf at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The visual artifact I chose to analyze is a billboard that is currently being displayed up north. My freshman seminar class took a trip up to White Earth Indian Resvervation and on the way back we stopped to look at this billboard. On The billboard was split into 4 sections. On the far left it was an older black and white picture of a woman harvesting wild rice and on the far left it was an older black and white picture of a an harvesting wild rice. In the Center section, on one side you have a more recent color picture of a man and woman together in canoe, surrounded by wild rice, harvesting the crop in the tradtional matter. In that same section in the lower right hand corner are the words "wild rice" written in white and the word "prophecy" writtn in yellow. On the other side of the center section is an overview of a section of a rice lake and the same man and woman in a canoe. In this section is the phrase "...keep it wild." The knowledge i gained from my trip to the reservation was that the wild rice was/is very important the the Ojibwe people. Not only is it a staple in their diet traditionally, but it holds so much history in their culture as a way to come together as a community. Currently there is an issue with the wild rice, the Ojibwe want to keep the wild rice "wild" and not taint it with chemicals, pesticides, and other crap. The other side is to cultivate the wild rice. There isn't a website link to view the billboard...but just take my word that it looks really cool...oh wait i did forget a small detail. On the far right side (not on the end but close to it) there is a vertical strip with the colors of the ojibwe flag, yellow, red, black, and white.

Posted by Myah Walker at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So Nasa was looking at the shuttle Atlantis that just came back from space not to lang ago and what they found was pretty stunning. They found a whole in it. It sounds like the shuttle hits some debris while up in space. The good news is that it did not hit the thermal panels, which protect the shutle. The debris hit the radiator panel and that goes back to the payload doors. These doors are open durring the mission to let out heat from the shuttle systems.
Nasa said that it was one of the worst pieces of particles that they had seen. IBut it also sounds like there was no danger to the crew so that is a very good thing. It doesnt sound like NASA is supprized by this find though, becuase they say that whenever a shuttle comes back, there is always some sort of damage.

Posted by Megan Korts at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The visual artifact I choose to write about is an advertisement for Chance perfume by Chanel. I got the image from a magazine, so there is no link for it, but I will briefly describe it. There is a large bottle of perfume with a woman behind, yet almost appearing as though she is inside the bottle. Her hands, then, are reaching up and around the top of the bottle and clasping it tightly. She is about 1/3 the size of the bottle. The words in the advertisement are few. The top days, "TAKE IT!" inside the bottle it says "CHANCE CHANEL" and the bottom of the page in the least bold and smallest font says, "THE UNEXPECTED NEW CHANEL FRAGRANCE." All the words are in san serif font. When looking at the advertisement for any length of time the real focus is drawn to the woman. In this image, I believe, they are really selling her femininity and her sexuality. She is dressed in a see through long gown patterned with the outlines of white roses; also one of her straps has come undone and is flying in the wind behind her. She is wearing black lacy gloves and red lipstick. The woman is also wearing gold, slightly healed shoes with diamonds across the ankle. These are just some of the factors why I think she is a main selling point for the product. The woman is beautiful and adorned with things of wealth, which really plays at the desires of many young women in this generation. I also really like the phrase on the bottom of the page. It is something that is definitely not the focus, but if the viewer does read it, they are left wondering, "What is so unexpected about this new fragrance." The advertiser could have used a multitude of words, but they choose unexpected. This phrase gives control to the consumer to make up their mind for themselves, "what do they thing is unexpected about it?" These are some of the highlighted points I'm going to make in my paper along with the use of color. If you have any other ideas or comments let me know!

Posted by Elizabeth Peterson at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I read an article about how some plants, such as the dodder, have the ability to smell and likes tomatoes over wheat. I had no idea what a dodder was, so after researching, I found that it was a parasite that has to attach to a host within a few days of germinating or they die. Typical hosts include alfalfa, potatoes, and flax, and the dodder is extremely hard to control and get rid of. Researchers have found that the plants produce chemicals that travel in the air, and this same technique is used by insects to allow them to locate food. They also found that wheat has a natural repellent that makes the dodder like the tomatoes more than wheat.

Posted by Michelle Murphy at 01:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

well i guess i never thoughtabout it. The idea that there could be other planets in our galaxy. Its intresting now that i think about it because they found planets that are similar to the ones in our solar system. I guess this gives new hope to finding a planet that can support us. Some of the planets that they found moved very fast around their star. The fastest one orbited the star everyday.

Posted by Duy Hoang at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I just read an article about the CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) and how they have a plan to finance stem cell research in California. They say most of the focus will be on new treatments. One of the company's goals is to have a treatment for at least one disease in 10 years. I think that this is great. We need to have new research on diseases that have been hurting Americans and people all over the word. We have many treatments but not enough cures. Diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have left many people and countless families and doctors feeling hopeless. This needs to change. Stem cell research will only be a benefit to man kind and give us a brighter healthier future.

Posted by Lianne Endo at 01:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

American scientists were awarded with a Nobel Prize this week for finding evidence in which proves the Big Bang theory. Well, I guess that solves that controversial issue. A satelite was launched in 1989. "Its mission was to study a haze of microwave radiation thought to be a remnant of the Big Bang that started the universe." What was found supports the Big Bang theory. It is crazy to think that scientists are able to find evidence within our universe, millions and millions of miles away, to discover how the universe began. Not only that, but by doing so, they went up against every religion's God and creator. Props.

Posted by Elizabeth Lund at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the New York Times science section, I read an article entitled "Out of Body Experience? Your Brain is to Blame." The article asserted that out of body experiences are not paranormal, but rather have a scientific explanation. It said that areas of the brain combine information from several senses and if these areas are stimlulated by an electric current, out of body experiences can occur. It cited two studies in which areas of the brain were given electric shock. One person said that she felt like she was hanging from the ceiling, looking at herself. I find it hard to imagine being able to see yourself, yet not having an out of body experience. It's like your brain is playing tricks on you. The other person studied said that she felt someone was behind her when the shock was applied to her brain. These were the only cases cited, however. To be more credible, I think that much more study is needed on the topic. Also, the article said that both of the women studied were already being treated because they were epileptic. They were no studies done on people without epilepsy, which could result in very different results. Overall, I think that much more research is needed to make this information more credible.

Posted by Joe Campbell at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The New York Times Scince section had an article about the largest aircraft ever launched recentyl. The U.S.S Macon was launched by the U.S Navy in 1935. It was the size of about three 747's acoording the article. It was a beautiful machine, but it crashed outside of California in Febuary 1935. The Macon soon sunk, and layed undiscovered for nearly sixty years. It was finally found in the 1990's, but in recent expidetioins to the crach site scientists could only find two-thirds of the ship. It is possible that sediment is covering up the last third of the Macon, but it still makes you wonder what could have happened to missing third.

Posted by Nicholas Joelson at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In New York Times' most recent edition of the Science section there was an article entitled, "Out of Body Experience? Your Brain Is to Blame." The article briefly highlighted present research being done on people who have out of body experiences, concluding that such experiences are not caused by the workings of celestial beings, but by defectiveness or interference with mulitsensory regions on the body. Through their testing with electrical currents, researchers think they have found the reason for out of body experiences.
To comment on the actual article, though, I think parts of it were very unscientific. For example, when one woman was hooked up to the current, she said she felt like there was someone (most like a man) lying beneath her, then lying beside her, then sitting next to her. Researchers used this information, then, to support their assumption that electrodes trigger out of body experiences, but they were only hypothesizing she was having an out of body experience, assuming she was simply unable to recognize herself. It seems to me like there needs to be much more double blind testing on this topic before any evidence can be used to claim a discovery.

Posted by Elizabeth Peterson at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NY Times posted an article today regarding a recent discovery of a plant scientists have been researching for a while, the dodder. The dodderis a weed that has been a big nusience to farmers and their good crops for some time now. The weed wraps itself around other plants (tomatos being it's favorite) and sucks the life out of it or at least all the nutrients it can. This is done because this particular weed does not undergo photosynthesis (the process most plantsuse to gain their nutrients). Scientists have found that the dodder has a sense of smell and is able to detect what plant it wold like to hook onto. It picks up on a chemical released by a plant and sniffs it out. Eventually the dodder begins to grow in the direction of it's desired victim; lol like a plant vampire.

Posted by Myah Walker at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NY Times article, "This Plant has the Sense of Smell", (Henry Fountain, 10-03) discusses the dodder, a parasitic vine. In a recent study, it was found that the dodder is attuned to airborne chemicals released by its favorite host plants. It is then actually able to grow toward these plants using such chemical cues. This new discovery has many biotech applications, which makes it very intriguing. The plant is being studied so that perhaps crops can be genetically engineered to release a repellent chemical. I am not totally sure how I feel about this process, but we need to approach it with caution. Even with exhaustive studies, it is possible that engineered plant pheromones could adversely affect other plants. Or, the new substances within the plants could be bad for human health. At the same time, increased crop productivity would be welcomed in areas where dodder is just one of several factors that contribute to low yields.

Posted by Robert Belden at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I read an article on how wind power is becoming a mainstay in power generation in Asia. It profiled the Suzlon Energy company which started in India and makes wind towers for all over the globe, including southwestern Minnesota. The author made some intersting points about how India didn't have a reliable power source, even in coal. This counteracts everything american power companies say about how coal is the only true reliable power source, quoting an Xcel official, "It's not always windy out." It makes me think that this reluctace to use renewable energy is just a bunch of bueracracy, trying to keep our energy production at the status quo. America needs to break free of the reigns of the oil and coal companies and switch things up a bit.

Posted by Stephen Maturen at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

We will use these in class today:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/nova/nova4.htm
Parallelism

http://dianahacker.com/writersref/flash/gm_menu.asp
Parallelism S1-1 and S1-2

Needed Words S2-1 and S2-2

Posted by Marnie Henderson at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I read this artcile from the new york times science section about hysteria being real. I most certaimly think that it is real the scientist in the article perfer to not believe it because they cant prove anythig about it like how people get it, are thry faking it or for real etc. They feel that if it is real then they should be able to find out about it or prove something about it though some sort of science. I feel just because you cant see it doesnt mean its not there these people know more about their bodies than anyone else could ever know so how can you tell them just cause you dont think its their its not. Its a real problem whether scientist choose to believe it or not.

Posted by Amber Washington at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)