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.