Killing Futures One Budget Cut at a Time

     In “No, to Budget Cuts in Higher Education” is a persuasive research essay by Elizabeth Medina. In this persuasive essay Elizabeth’s purpose is to convince people that Georgia should not allow any budget cuts or tuition increase in higher education. The audience for this essay is the Georgia State Legislators specifically, but could also apply to any students, faculty, or community members located in Georgia. The arrangement of the essay starts by providing background information about the budget cuts. Medina then explains multiple examples of different parts of the community that would be affected by these budget cuts and tuition increase. She is very effective by showing the damage that the cuts would not only do to the students themselves, but also the staff and community members that the schools have. The sources she used were very valid and provided additional emphasis on her points. Medina’s conclusion was well written because not only did she wrap up her points effectively, but she also gave a solution to correct the unbalanced Georgia State budget by increasing the tax on tobacco. Also, she added that majority of Georgians were in favor of increasing that tax. The context behind this story is that Elizabeth Medina is obviously a college student that does not want to be negatively affected by this budget cut and tuition increase. She has a very formal and academic style throughout the essay.

     I completely agree with Medina on this entire essay. It would be ridiculous to cut the budget for higher education and increase the tuition prices. College is already expensive enough to where everyone student graduates with a significant amount of debt already. How does the government expect to have a successful future if the decrease the money spent on teaching people the skills they are going to use in their profession. I also agree with the solution that Medina has, things that are not important like tobacco and alcohol tax should be raised to pay for the deficit our State budget has.

Are you Insane?

     In "Why We Crave Horror Movies," Stephen King explores the reasoning behind our love of horror movies. He reveals that we all like movies that appeal to our insanity. He claims we have a "...potential lyncher in almost all of us," (159).
     King starts by stating that we are all mentally ill. He describes how we enjoy seeing people being killed. If you hurt people to curb your insanity, you will end up in jail. If you only talk to yourself, you are left alone. He describes our emotions as a muscle. It needs exercise to retain its shape. King declares that seeing horror movies keep the alligators downstairs fed, and keeps the sanity upstairs intact.
     I agree by King's definition of insanity that we all are insane. I have definitely talked to myself and smirked at cruel jokes. I enjoy horror movies because they allow me to figure out how I would act in certain situations. It also allows me to guess who will die first or last longest. It appeals to my addiction to adrenaline. I enjoy being on edge. I often say that if the world ended in 2012, it would be fun. It would be fun because everything would absolutely depend on ability and survival skills. I may be an adrenaline junkie or just a kid, but I am definitely insane.

A Modest Proposal?

     "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, seeks to solve the problem of poverty in Ireland. He estimates there are 120,000 children born into poverty every year. His proposal is to use the poor mothers as breeders and to use their children as food. The children will be sold to the rich as a way for the mother to make ends meet.
     Using this cannibalistic approach would reduce the number of children who will live through poverty, but will not end poverty. The women will not become rich from their children and the poverty will not be solved. The mothers would have a new job of selling their children as treats. The outrageous proposal would solve the problem of abortion and mothers killing their children, but allow others to kill their children. Swift suggests that the children can be used at weddings and christenings. He even states that women might compete to have the fattest child for sale.
     It is obvious that Swift does not really believe in what he has written. He is using this ignorant and beastly approach to gain attention. It is a very effective approach and it will hopefully call someone to action. It is astounding to me that he can write so many words about something he does not believe in. It is amazing how many problems this approach solves while being so unforgiving. Swift gains even more attention by describing his own proposal as innocent. The cycle of events he has proposed is brilliant, but brutal.

Too Busy to Learn

In “Why Schools Don’t Educate” John Gatto uses this persuasive article to communicate his thesis of how television and the American school system has caused multiple pathologies to our youth. The context behind this story is that John Gatto was a very profound teacher, that won teacher of the year three times, that wrote multiple articles addressing similar issues about education. The arrangement of this article begins very straight forward by explaining the amount of free time along with the average amount of hours a kid spends watching television. He then explains how television and other types of entertainment eliminate the amount of free time children have. He then moves to his purpose, which is that this has caused many pathologies and characteristics in children like materialistic, no curiosity, lack of compassion, dependent, and have no sense of the past relating to the future. Gatto has a very bold and academic style throughout this article. He has a distinct opinion about that is comes across like he has no doubt that this is what causes these issues in children. The vocabulary that is used is a prime example of why this is an academic article. The audience that Gatto was trying to inform is everyone about this conflict. Everyone is applied to this weather you are in school, have children, in the television industry, or in the school system.
I believe that Gatto raises a valid point in this article. It is undeniable that television has caused children to have shortened attention spans, are more likely to imitate the things that they see on television. However, I am not convinced that all of these problems have resulted from kids spend their time on abstractions. There are activities that increase important skills that kids need like socialization, team work, musical activities, etc. The only point that I outright agree with Gatto on is that kids should not watch as much television.

Smokers vs Non-Smokers

In the persuasive research essay “A Deadly Education” T. Leigh Maxwell argues that smoking should be banned from the campus of Clayton State University. The essay was written for the Clayton State University community. The purpose of this essay was to communicate the extreme health problems that can arise from second hand smoke to persuade the audience that it needs to be banned on the Clayton State Campus. The arrangement of the essay was very effective in relaying his argument. He began by giving a brief background of second hand smoke then stated how in most public areas smoking is banned. He then gave multiple examples of the harm that second hand smoke causes from multiple reliable sources. Maxwell had an extremely academic style and used formal language throughout the entire essay.
The most effect tool Maxwell used was his context. He included a lot of information about the danger of second hand smoke that I have not ever heard of before which is rare because second hand smoke is such a popular health issue. When I first began reading the paper I did not see a major problem with smoking on campus because when you do encounter someone smoking, it is typically only for a couple of seconds. After reading the entire essay and never being a fan of cigarette smoke, the context of the essay actually changed my opinion on the subject. This was a very well written persuasive research essay.

Ellen Goodman is Not a Mean Girl

In Ellen Goodman's essay "Girls Will Be Girls. Unfortunately," she explores the popular topic mean girl uprising. She explains that people's attention went from bad school boys to bad school girls in recent years.
She introduces her essay with a fictional story of a girl who is constantly joining and leaving groups of RMGs or really mean girls. Then then states that this pandemic of really mean girls is apparent to any girl "past the fourth grade," (179). Goodman then equates the bad boys and the bad girls as being "...equally awful," (179). Tannen introduces an idea by Marie Wilson that states if a girl's mother is not in power, then the child take the power and projects it downward.
I agree with that idea and It is readily apparent that boys and girls join groups that exclude others. These groups in high school, are called cliques. They're vicious and you can only be invited to them. I know better than to want to be someone I'm not, but kids in those groups just don't have anything better to do. Tannen talks about how the woman from the story gives her life to the RMGs, and how it is too bad for her and her daughter. It is a tragedy, but a tragedy kids choose. They buy into rap stars like Nicki Minaj who market themselves by being bad girls. They eat this stuff up. It's always been cool to be a rebel, but in the real world, it's a waste of time.

Indirectness is Not as Productive

In Deborah Tannen's excerpt "Indirectness Is Not Insecurity," she analyzes the different ways a man and woman requests for thing to be completed. Tannen explores the indirect and direct ways of doing things and explains the reasons for trying an indirect approach.
Tannen introduces her excerpt by explaining the two ways to request something from employees. Tannen then informs the reader that she has taped two managers named Mark and Kristin. Mark made the direct approach and requested 25 things in five hours of meetings. Kristin on the other hand, took the indirect approach. Kristin's language was choppy, but softened with laughter and "yeahs". The reason Kristin's speech was choppy is because she would stray away from what Mark thinks "...you oughtta say," and used what he thinks "...will confuse people," (166). Charles, the subordinate Kristin was speaking with, was missing the point the whole time. After about twelve lines of dialogue, he finally says "Okay." (167).
I agree with what Mark says. I'm a very direct person and I get to the point. It is a way of staying on track and a way of keeping everyone on the same page. It also saves time. Tannen says that some people might find Mark's directness abrasive, but business is very straightforward and if you can't follow direct requests, then the job isn't right for you. It saves time being straightforward also. Kristin took about three minutes convincing Charles that putting the U.S. value of the local currency in parenthesis is neccessary. Mark could have requested this directly in a minute and gotten his point across efficiently without confusion. I agree with the suggestion that indirect requests can irritate some people. It definitely irritates me. I like understanding. If it takes you four sentences for me to understand what you might be suggesting, your'e wasting time.

The Power of Free Speech

In “Should This Student Have Been Expelled?” Nat Hentoff addresses a controversial situation of when a student was permanently expelled from Brown University. This article is directed to everyone free speech is a very controversial subject that is usually biased dependent on an individual’s opinions. Hentoff’s purpose for writing this article was to argue that even though hate words are not appropriate, it is still considered free speech. He feels that the student, Doug Hann, was unfairly punished by being permanently expelled from Brown University because he did not actually do any physical harm or illegal actions. Although Hann’s words were hurtful, no violent actions occurred. Hentoff’s style seemed almost sarcastic because he mocked the way that Gregorian twisted the description of Offense 111. The context is non-academic because the vocabulary is at an eighth grade level. Also, the context of the paper is very obvious because the very beginning of the paper you know that Hentoff is opposed against this punishment and thinks it is unfair. This is present in the arrangement of the article because Hentoff brings up examples from the argument and then provides evidence from multiple sources of why it is wrong to support his views. Hentoff was very effective in his argument through the combination of the arrangement along with the context he used to support his ideas. Especially when he used third party references. In my opinion, the student deserved to be punished for his actions but this punishment was too extreme for the violation. Although, I do see where Gregorian was coming from because eventually these actions were going to lead to some type of physical altercation. Overall, I agree with Hentoff that the student should not have been expelled for his speech.

In Praise of the "F" Word

Mary Sherry's "In Praise of the 'F' Word" explores the theory that states if a teacher uses the power to fail as a motivator, kids will be focused on school. She explains that in order to do well in school, school itself should be the student's priority. As a teacher of remedial and creative writing, Sherry has the experience and wisdom to thoroughly analyze the passing along of students.
Sherry begins her article by explaining how meaningless a high school diploma has become. She explains that some of the graduates are semiliterate because of the no child left behind mentality. She discusses her fault in blaming lack of focus on divorce and drugs prior to teaching. Sherry proposes a solution to the lack of focus. She tells a short story about a teacher who threatened to fail her child. The child finished the class with an a and the example proved that if teachers threaten children with the possibility of failure, then the children will be more focused on school.
I also believe students are not focused. This is a great technique that will serve as a motivator for the children. Deep down in a teenager's racing mind, failure is not an option. So when they are hit with the reality of becoming a flunk, they quickly catch on to whatever material is given to them. The parents support is another key component in making things work. Sherry's use of personal examples and sheer experience provides her solution with a solid base for analysis.

Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain

In Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain, Jessica Mitford explains the ins and outs of the embalming procedure. She makes up an imaginary Mr. Jones as the person that is getting embalmed. She describes the very complicated procedure of embalming by describing the types of fillers instruments that are used.
She describes how people used to stay by the embalmer’s side to watch the procedure and how today we are persuaded to avoid witnessing this procedure. She first explains the dermasurgeon’s tools. He or she will use scalpels, scissors, clamps, augers, bowls, basins, needles, pumps, tubes, and forceps. He or she then uses their large array of pastes, oils, powders, creams, fluids, and sprays to soften tissue and to restore moisture. For the less fortunate Mr. Jones subjects, plaster will be used to replace any missing limbs. A slight incision is made to remove the blood. Once that step is done, the embalming fluid is chosen. Then the skin tone must be applied. These come in tints such as Regular Cosmetic Tint, Suntan, and Special Cosmetic Tint. Gallons of solution of formaldehyde are then put into Mr. Jones body. His mouth is sewn shut with a needle and his teeth are coated with colorless nail polish. If Mr. Jones’ head had been missing, they would have trimmed the edges and sewn the head on with wires and sutures. They remove tissue from swollen parts of the body. Once that is all done, Mr. Jones is washed, shaved, and given a manicure. Once he is dressed, he is positioned at a slight angle in the casket.
This passage was very disturbing. I don’t think there is any reason the embalmer’s wouldn’t want people to watch the procedure. I just believe that people do not want to witness it. I certainly would not. I learned a lot of behind the scenes information in this passage. It has opened my eyes about the embalming process and Jessica Mitford has definitely informed me about what’s behind the formaldehyde curtain.

The Effects of Writing Devices

In Chelsea Crow's comparison essay she describes how the writing devices are used to improve the quality of stories. Crow uses "Good Country People" and "A Rose for Emily" to explain the effects of symbolism, point of view, and theme. This comparison essay relates to everyone because everyone reads, watches, and listens to stories, but more specifically it applies to people who read these books. The arrangement of this essay was very effective by using point by point format to discuss the examples of each writing device for both books. Crow had very detailed context and did an excellent job of using quotes from various text to support her ideas. She also included multiple examples for each device in both books to stress the important role these devices play in improving the story. I felt like I understood the basic story line of both books because Crow did such a great job with the descriptions of these different writing devices. She also gave enough background information of each story to where people who have not read the book would be able to understand her points. Overall, this was a very well written comparison essay and it made me realize how much thought and effort goes into creating a good story.

Free Online Paper Mills

Michelle Vu's "Free Online Paper Mills" describes and compares two essay writing websites that offers students for a fee, the convenience of a paper without the time and effort of composing. Vu explains in detail how each site is structured, from eCheat’s minimalistic approach “graphics are not flashy or particularly eye-catching” (136), to Custom Writing’s enticing design “website has a clean, sleek layout” (137). She further describes the tactic each site uses to convince wary writers that there is a limited risk via their claims of being plagiarism exempt. These include declarations ranging from customer quotes of satisfaction to the emphasis that it is not cheating, but a form of “collaboration” (137). However, these same sites stress to potential clients that they should be used as references or cited works thereby creating a conflict to their website name, as well as to their purpose. Vu’s conclusion not only displays disdain for these types of sites, she vehemently cautions students by exposing their faults and inconsistencies.

Being guilty of falling within the 90% writing procrastination population, I can understand the enticement of having a paper written for you. All too many times I have found myself asking a fellow classmate if they would like the joy of writing my paper. The stress, time, research, and energy it takes to write a composed paper can be overwhelming for some. Not to mention the pressure to present an “A” worthy essay can lead some to take drastic measures to ensure their GPA stays intact or excels. However, one must weigh the pros and the enormity of the cons in venturing down this road. Plagiarism is not tolerated and expulsion is an all too real possibility for anyone who is caught. One must consider, is the fee for a free ride really worth the price of losing an education?

Robotic Surgery

In "Robotic Surgery," Jacqueline Owen contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of robotic surgery. Owen explains how robots can make smaller incisions which can lead to lessened recovery times. On the down side, the disadvantages include the million dollar price tag these robots come with. They cost $100,000 dollars to maintain and there are no promises of a glitch-free robot. Owen finishes her editorial by stating that the robots give physicians "...precision and control," and that she would choose robotic surgery over traditional surgery "...hands down," (Owen 44).
This piece was very informative. I found that Owen reached the audience by building common ground explaining the disadvantages of robotic surgery. Her purpose was to persuade others that the advantages of robotic surgery outweigh the disadvantages. It was also clever of her to include more advantages than disadvantages to suit her purpose. I would agree with Owen that robotic surgery would be the better choice because of the accuracy and reduced trauma.

Free Essay Websites: A Convenient Way to Plagiarize

In “Free Essay Websites: A Convenient Way to Plagiarize” Katie Hindman discusses the convenience and ease used by online websites to convince students to pay for pre-written essays. Throughout this essay Hindman describes two popular websites and the different tactics they use to make purchasing an “A+” essay a no-brainer. These websites claim to have associates with Masters of Art of PhD’s write your paper for as low as an unbelievable $11 per page. They also have everything from free unlimited revisions to online reviews of previous satisfied customers who received 100% customer satisfaction. To top it all off, these web sites are supposedly plagiarism free.
When reading this I felt that the paper was too focused on the description of the characteristics of the websites. I don’t think these websites are successful because people actually believe it is plagiarism free. The people who probably contribute to these websites have no intention of actually doing the work and do it out of pure desperation that there is a slight chance it might work. I find it highly unlikely that people with such prestigious education will spend that much time researching your topic as well as put serious effort into preparing an A+ paper for $11 a page. This goes back to the saying that when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The Definiton of Arguments

An argument can be used to voice your ideals, in order to sway opinion for or against a topic . Every argument has it's individual audience which can either be academic or consumer in nature. To be effective you need to distinguish between the two. The academic audience relys on logic, while the consumer tends to deal with human emotion.