This I Believe

Save a Life

I believe in morality. There is an innate sense in all of us that separates right from wrong, good from bad. There is a moral code that we all should follow, a moral code that may even trump the law.

                 In 10^th grade English, my teacher asked the class to read a story about morality versus the law. In the story a man had a very sick wife who would die unless given a miracle drug. The drug was very expensive, though, and the man did not have enough money for an upfront payment. He asked the doctor to give him the drug in return for a down payment and a promise to pay in full as soon as possible. The doctor rejected the man’s offer, however, saying that by law the man must have all the money upfront. With his wife holding on by a thread, the man stole the drug and in its place left as much money as he possibly could. The man’s wife survived, but only in time for her husband to be sent to jail.

                The man broke the law in order to save a life; he could not simply sit around and let the love of his life die when her cure was available, just not attainable. Had the doctor allowed the man to pay him back in due time the whole situation could have been avoided.  We have laws to keep order, to protect the innocent, to defend our rights, but we have morals in order to do what is right versus what is wrong, what is just versus what is unfair.

                Is it fair to let someone pass away simply because money is tight? Is it just to let economic circumstances decide who lives and who dies? Do we incarcerate someone who risked their own life to save another’s?

My class was in agreement, the doctor should have given the man the drug. The man should not have been jailed for his actions. Morality is necessary to remain truly just and fair. It should be basis of all laws and of all actions. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Honesty is the best policy. United we stand divided we fall. No one is too small to help someone bigger.  Morality I believe makes us human. Morality I believe helps saves lives.

Evolution of Specific Skill: Rocking Conclusion

Conclusion that Rocks

“Way back in the beginning of the Television Era, this was not so strange, because real people actually did many of the things people do on TV…” As television has become a necessity in every American home, the issue of actually living has arisen in modern time. The reason Ehrenreich asked the question, “So why do we keep watching?” is because there comes a time when people need to go do something. If watching T.V. becomes all that is ever done, creativity will be extinguished and numbness will pass over millions of minds. However, before “the Television Era” there were books, and before books there were campfire stories, and before stories there were dreams. I have never experienced anyone complaining about the intellectual level of someone who reads too much, or writes one too many stories. Books serve the same basic purpose as T.V., to entertain, to inform, to enlighten. While, an excessive amount of TV watching can be destructive, entertainment comes in many different mediums; TV is just the most modern.

Explanation: This is one of my best pieces of writing because it uses logos to prove a point while concluding my essay with a statement that makes people think. The conclusion wraps up my essay by addressing why the issue is important, and my final thoughts regarding the topic. It has rhetorical style as I use comparison, asyndeton, parallelism, and personal experience. The paragraph is so effective because my last sentence is qualifying and as a result I am able to disprove the opposition for the final time.

Evolution of Writing: While I have improved on many skills during the course of the year, my ability to write rocking conclusions has developed the most.  In the beginning of the year my idea of a conclusion was a short paragraph that restated my thesis and summarized the essay. I learned that the conclusion serves to explain why the topic of the writing is important as well as ones final thoughts regarding the subject. My conclusions have evolved from boring, repetitive sentences to thought provoking stylistic responses. They are now more interesting and help end my paper with a bang.

Evolution of Cohesive Writing: Synthesis Essay

  Daylight Saving Time Synthesis Essay Timed Writing          

Benjamin Franklin- a founder of this country and inventor of the lightning rod, bifocals, even the Franklin Stove, but what about Daylight Savings Time? As a result of Franklin’s suggestion in 1774, DST was “adopted by the United States in the 20^th century.” “Each year, we set our clocks back an hour in the fall and then move them forward an hour in the spring.” Although there are some handicaps to DST, the hour shift in time allows for overall greater mobility and has multiple benefits that support its continued use.

It is a known fact that getting a good night sleep increases an individual’s health and is a vital part of getting through any day. One crippling effect of Daylight Saving Time is that it “can result in restlessness, sleep disruption, and shorter sleep duration.” (Source E) There are also possible links “between time change and increases in heart attacks, suicides, and accidents.” (Source E) While DST might benefit the environment, if it decreases health, the risk is not worth the inconvenience. When all humans want is more time, it seems stupid to harm their health by messing with what little time we all have left. By debilitating a person’s health, DST proves to be a handicap on society’s well-being.

In addition Daylight Saving Time injures the environment by providing an extra hour of light, giving individuals more time to engage in recreational activities all while traveling by car. By traveling in cars more often increased gas is wasted and this “might not be offset by a corresponding decrease in the morning.” (Source C) Gas is a fossil fuel that not only damages the environment, but also costs consumers hundreds each month. Increased use of gas during a tight economic time can cripple individual’s bank accounts, therefore, once again, ascertaining DST to be a handicap on society.

With at least one negative to every positive, the handicaps associated with Daylight Saving Time are just minor disabilities that can be overlooked when focusing on the big picture. While there is a possibility that more gas could be used, it is proven by the United States Department of Transportation that “the total electricity savings associated with DST amounted to one percent in spring and fall, corresponding to national savings of forty to fifty megawatt hours per day.” (Source C) Wasn’t the initial purpose of DST to conserve energy? Franklin made the suggestion so “Parisians could economize on candles.” (Intro) “President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted “war-time”, a year-round daylight saving time to save energy during WWII.” (Source A) With DST allowing Americans to conserve energy every year, why not continue implementing it for as long as it remains effective? Headlights allow people to drive at night as well as in the day, meaning cars will be driven and gas will be used regardless of time and daylight. However, energy and electricity can definitely be conserved if there is natural light that allows people to see without flipping the light switch, which is one major benefit to the environment that’s for sure.

It is understood that sleep in beneficial to health, but extra light can reduce crime and allow for safer driving therefore saving lives. “The DOT study found that violent crime in Washing D.C. was reduced by 10 to 13 percent during periods of daylight saving time…” (Source C) Without nighttime creating a cloak of invisibility, criminals are less able to get away with assault, rape, theft, and mugging. With villains unable to hide from sight, more lives are protected as a result of greater hours of visibility. Similarly, just one week after Daylight Saving Time ended 100 more fatal crashes occurred at twilight in the years 1987 to 1991 (Source D). Unable to see the road as well at night as in the day, drivers are more prone to accidents endangering not only their lives, but those in the cars around them. While anything that can increase one’s health, such as sleep, should not be overlooked, greater daylight hours did not just give people a better life, but actually saved their life all together. More light allowed for more visibility which provides safer and more beneficial conditions for society. With better driving conditions and less likelihood of crime, individuals actually experience greater mobility during DST.

The yearly shifts in time can be a hassle to get used to and even disruptive to society. However, the benefits obviously outweigh the frailties. Unless Daylight Savings Time paralyzes society there is no reason to eradicate it anytime soon.

Explanation: I believe this is one of my best cohesive writings this year because it shows the development of my rhetorical style. I use rhetorical question and an extended metaphor adding voice to my paper. I have a clear thesis which is proven through concise commentary and my essay is also qualifying. For the most part my quotes are woven in well, and my use of certain quotes builds authority adding to my ethos.

Evolution of Writing: Since the beginning of the year I would have to say my timed writings have become more refined. In September I was lucky if in 40 minutes I could write a thesis and prove one point. Now in 40 minutes it’s possible for me to integrate sources, add rhetorical style, and prove a qualifying argument. My thesis’ are more complex and my commentary is more argumentative. While my voice is still not fully developed, my writings have become more opinionated showing greater voice with each essay. While I am not yet Virginia Wolf or E.B. White, in just one year my writing has evolved from randomly placed words on a paper to calculated sentences with rhetorical style placed specifically to prove my thesis. In other words my timed writings have been refined.

Final American Experience Editorial

When Life Gives You Lemons

“The SAT program has policies that are designed to give each of you an equal opportunity to show your abilities,” drones the proctor, as he hands out the menacing test that haunts my future. I should have bought that SAT prep book and prepared. I knew that my test was January 28^th, and I knew that College Board gave each student taking the test a chance to read the online tips and take a practice test or two. The fact that I didn’t study was my own fault.

Right then, it hit me; the American Experience is one of equal opportunity that allows for success through hard work.

Way before the SAT, way back in the 1600’s, our future founders were lured over to the “New World” by the desire for God, glory, and that ever alluring element, GOLD. By giving the head of each family 50 acres of land simply for migrating to a British Colony, the Head Rights System aided in the founders settlement. Could it get any easier? Just by coming over to the Americas each settler was given an equal opportunity to thrive, an equal opportunity to get rich, an equal opportunity to become successful.

There was, however, a catch: once settled in America, individuals had to work hard to cultivate the land and make a profit in order to benefit from the opportunity handed to them. In the early days of Jamestown, most of John Smith’s men felt above menial labor and as a result the first attempt at the colony almost failed. These “Gentlemen” worked little, produced little food, and therefore experienced little success. It wasn’t until the amazing John Rolfe created a profit off of Tobacco that the colony began to thrive. Smith’s men and Rolfe were given the same chance, but as success was not guaranteed, Rolfe, who worked hard, was the one that prospered. Equal opportunity, not equality of condition, has continued into modern day.

The intention of our Founding Fathers was to create a country where, “all men are created equal.” Without numerous laws to ensure equal opportunity, the United States government could not guarantee that all individuals have the same chance to succeed. When I walk through the halls at school I see a diverse student body. This is because Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 guaranteed equal opportunity for all “persons in the United States” to receive an education. However, just because Title IX guaranteed this right to an equal opportunity for education, it is not certain that all will blossom academically. Although I’m given the chance to go to school and learn, that does not mean that I am guaranteed a 2400 on the SAT. To excel it is necessary to prepare, study, and pay attention so I can do well on the test.

Following high school, students are thrown into the real world. I look at the teachers at my school and see a mixture of male, female, white, African American, Indian, and Asian teachers working in the same building. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 employers are unable to discriminate “based on race, color, or national origin.” As I continue walking down the same hall I see a pregnant teacher, able to keep her job by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. I leave school and see my fellow classmates working at Giant, Massage Envy, and Ben and Jerry’s, all ensured the same rights as adults under Age Discrimination Acts. Other laws ban discrimination based on disabilities, and ensure equal pay to all. These laws allow all Americans the chance to thrive, but don’t ensure success. My teachers keep their jobs because they teach us, they take advantage of current legal protection and work hard to excel.

The proctor says, “Open to section one now and begin.”  I inhale, exhale, start. Whether it be a settler, student, or currently employed professional, it is important to remember that the future does not shape us, but we shape the future. The score I get on the SAT will be a reflection of the work I put into preparation. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “America is another name for opportunity.” America was formed by our founders’ determination to take the opportunity and make something of it through hard work. With the legal protection in current times, it is vital to consider not what one has been deprived of, but rather ask, what opportunity have I not taken advantage of?

The American Experience Mid-Year

What is the American Experience?

"From sea to shining sea", America has always been a refugee to those hoping to start over and to those deserving a chance to make something of their lives. America fosters growth and helps many become successful. Therefore the American experience is one of opportunity.

In first quarter I believed the American experience was one of self-realization and establishment. Until I got thinking and asked myself what led to this self-realization and allowed for such establishment? The answer is quite simple actually, it was opportunity. The opportunity to practice religion freely, as seen by the pilgrims who came over on the mayflower and William Penn in his founding of Pennsylvania. The opportunity to vote for one’s government officials and the opportunity to practice freedom of speech, press, assembly, and the other rights guaranteed to us by the establishment of our Constitution. The opportunity for all people to receive an education and attain a job. The opportunity to express ourselves freely and go after what we believe in.

It is true that the first settlers experienced self-realization and establishment in their declaration of independence and fight for individuality. They realized they could support themselves without Great Britain and established the country that has grown into the vast United States. However, without the opportunity presented to these settlers, such as moving to a "New World" and supporting themselves economically through trade of tobacco, cotton, and other goods,  they would not have been able to establish such a country where others can experience the opportunity they fought for.

http://www.upstream-advisors.com/oil-and-gas-consultancy-services/opportunity-realisation/

Introduction

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YzvjUqZvsI

The idea of taking AP Language and Composition can be scary and intimidating as this is a college course solely centered on one's ability to write. Last year, when choosing my classes for junior year, I was stressed out just thinking about taking such a class, as I had no confidence in my writing ability. However, my 10th grade English teacher told me that the skills one learns in AP Lang is beneficial throughout one’s life, whether it be in college or in the workplace, as knowing how to write well is always a vital skill. I did not really believe her, but I hesitantly enrolled in the course anyway, and I must admit she was right. In less than two quarters my writing ability has improved drastically and I have actually been able to maintain reasonable grades in the class. Looking back now though, I know I would have felt more at ease if someone had told me what to expect and had given me pointers on how to do well. So here they are. The top 5 things I believe an AP Lang student should know. I hope this convinces you AP Lang is not as terrible as it sounds and better yet, provides you with advice that actually benefits you next year. Remember "Write it your own way." Argue your point stay, true to your convictions, and the rest will follow.

Number One: Vocab Comes First!

Vocab is in everything!

On the surface this video appears to be a cool commercial, with a catchy song, that is using a couple of popular musicians to try and get you to buy Pepsi. Although that is one hundred percent true, the commercial is also chock full of rhetorical modes, strategies, and support types and evidence, all of which are taught to you in the form of vocab. As an AP Lang student you should eventually be able to watch that video and see that Pepsi uses an Appeal to Tradition to endorse its product by displaying how little has changed in its visual comparison between the past and the present insinuating that Pepsi has and always will be the drink of the ages. You should be able to identify the phrase "Every generation refreshes the world" as a slogan, and label the use of those popular musicians as an Appeal to Authority. Finally, as an AP Lang Student you should be able to identify the peace signs as symbols used to convey Pepsi as a peaceful drink, and the American flag/ military return as an attempt at pathos and an appeal to values. Now don't panic, you have time to learn what all those words mean, however if you do not memorize your vocab, know the definitions by heart, and understand them enough to apply them to simple YouTube videos, analyzing and annotating writing is not going to be even remotely possible. 

We use vocab in everything we do, whether it be when we annotate excerpts for timed writings, or simply analyze an editorial given to us for homework. Knowing the definition's for the vocab words is especially important for the AP multiple choice quizzes and tests given throughout the quarter and for the test on the AP exam. A majority of the questions on these tests include statements that ask, "In paragraph one what is the main rhetorical mode used?" or "How is chiasmus used to support the purpose of paragraph three?” For the first example question I just asked, your choices will be vocab words that you should have seen before and you will be trying to determine which device was most prominently used in that entire paragraph. If you do not know what each word means and understand how they are generally used in writing, you have no basis to answer the question. By simply learning the vocab you have a much improved chance of being able to identify the mode used and pick the correct answer. For the second example question I presented to you, knowing that chiasmus is a structural reversal of two parallel sentence parts, gives you a better understanding of why chiasmus was picked to portray the purpose of a specific paragraph as it most likely has to do with the reversal of ideas. This ability to use a words definition to identify its purpose in a piece of writing is also necessary to analyze excerpts for rhetorical analysis essays. During in class timed writings it is necessary to have the ability to annotate for devices and then analyze their purpose in proving your thesis in about 40 minutes. Although that may sound complicated, all of this comes down to one thing- whether or not you know your vocab. 

The above video was a rhetoric alert I showed my class. It's a simple enough assignment in which students are required to find any sort of writing, commercial, advertisement, slogan, or any other object that displays some sort of language using the devices in our vocab, and then present it to the class. The purpose of rhetoric alerts are to convey to students that the vocab we learn is in everything and everywhere. The understanding of said vocabulary's definition is vital in surviving AP Lang. So to do well I encourage you to eat, sleep, breath vocab.

Number Two: Keep it Clear and Concise

The idea "the longer the better" no longer applies to writing once enrolled in AP Lang. The old five paragraph essay structure no longer applies in AP Lang. What does apply is effectively proving your thesis using reliable and convincing evidence. If you can convey your point with two supporting paragraphs, more power to you. Yes, you still have an introductory paragraph and at least a concluding sentence, but the focus is less on specific format with a set number of paragraphs and more on one’s ability to convince readers of their argument.

     Some pointers in doing this include, number one creating a specific, provable thesis. Focus your paper from the beginning on one claim that you are trying to prove. Number two, only provide one piece of evidence in each supporting paragraph. Whether it be a personal experience, current event, or some other reference to an authority or statistic or fact, only use that individual piece of evidence. The less you are trying to prove in each paragraph the more focused your essay will be, and the easier it is to follow you thought process making your essay clear. Make sure evidence is actually evidence though and not a hypothetical story. Hypothetical scenarios are not as effective in proving ones point as they are not verifiable but instead a made up scenario. Number three, follow each piece of evidence with your own commentary. This adds voice to your essay and allows for a chance to explain how that piece of evidence proves your argument. Number four, relate every paragraph back to your thesis. You do this in your commentary when explaining how your evidence proves your overall point. Not only does relating evidence back to your thesis keep your essay focused, it allows the reader to see how the whole essay ties together. Finally, number five, explain why what your proving is important in the conclusion. Tell the reader why you decided to write about this subject at this time or how this topic could affect them. Explain your arguments significance.

     The first timed writing my class ever wrote in AP Lang was a few weeks into the first quarter. I was scared to death as I was never able to write a clear and concise essay out of class before, nonetheless in 40 minutes. I always considered English my worst subject, and the day of the timed writing I was hoping for a 75% at best. However, once we got the prompt everything became clear. All I had to do was come up with a thesis and prove that using two pieces of effective evidence. The prompt asked us to develop a position on, the author of Salt, Mark Kurlansky's claim "In every age, people are certain that only the things they have deemed valuable have true value." My thesis   was, "Kurlansky's claim is valid because any objects value can only be as great as the emphasis placed upon it by society." I used one example from the book Salt itself saying that over time the price and necessity of salt decreased as more modern technology was developed proving that the "true value" of salt came from human need for it rather than salt's actual importance. My commentary related back to my thesis showing how the value of salt was affected by human need, or the emphasis placed on it by society, making that a convincing, focused, and clear paragraph. My second piece of evidence centered around money and I said that the difference between a $5 bill and a $1bill is the mere fact that society has deemed the $5 bill to be more valuable and worth more money. Once again my evidence is focused, I prove one thing, and my commentary relates it back to the thesis. Finally, I concluded by saying that people needed to place value upon objects so as to have something to work for. That answered the question so what? and wrapped up my essay nicely. All in all I received a 94% on that paper. In that moment I realized writing an essay was not as complicated as I previously thought. It is simply a process, where you prove your one point with individual pieces of evidence. I did not write some 3 page essay with 50 different examples to prove my thesis. Instead the key was creating a focused, clear and concise essay.

 

As seen above by the rubric, 9-8 papers can contain mistakes, they can contain flaws, they are not expected to be perfect. What the rubric does emphasize though is that 9-8 papers remain "focused on the prompt" at all times and "provide specific support... and connect scholarly commentary to the overall meaning." In summary 9-8 papers must have a concise thesis, with specific examples, and commentary that relates to that thesis. Keep it clear, keep it concise, keep it focused.