Journal Entry #10

This class has been very beneficial for me, not only academically, but socially as well. Academically, this class has helped improve my writing and speaking skills. I have learned how to write narrative, comparative, and argumentative essays. Along with learning how to write a good essay, I have also learned how to present well. Before this class I was afraid of speaking and presenting in front of  people, however, after I gave my presentation, I got over my fear. Now, when I have to speak or present in front of many people in the future, I will be prepared, less nervous, and unafraid.

This class also helped me improve my social skills. I got along very well with my classmates and I have made many friends. I also learned how to work well with others from the collaborative assignments and workshops. It helped improve my people skills and how to compromise well with others. These skills have been very helpful to me and will continue to be helpful in future, when I have to work with other people in the real work force.

Journal Entry #9 – “A Modest Proposal.” By Jonathan Swift

In ‘A Modest Proposal’, the author, Jonathan Swift, begins by discussing the sad and unfortunate fate of the poverty-stricken Irish, who have to spend all their time trying to feed their large families. In the composition, the author attempts to find a “fair, cheap, and easy Method” for converting the starving children of Ireland into “sound and useful members of the commonwealth” (Swift 694). As a solution to the poverty in which these families are forced to live, Swift suggests that these poor Irish families should fatten up their children and sell them to the rich English landowners. The author goes on to argue, that children could be sold into a meat market as early as the age of one, giving poor families, some much needed income, while sparing them the expenses of raising so many children. Swift then goes on to offer statistical support for his proposal and specific data about the number of children to be sold, their weight and price, and the projected eating patterns of their consumers. He even suggests some recipes for preparing this delicious new meat. The author then ends with the argument that the practice of selling and eating children will have positive effects on Irish family morality, because husbands will treat their wives with more respect, and parents will value their children in ways as yet unknown. His proposal, he argues, will, if implemented, do more to solve Ireland’s complex social, political, and economic problems than any other measure that has yet been proposed.

The composition ‘A Modest Proposal,’ is clearly very satirical and ironic. The author’s underlying tone in the entire essay was very sarcastic and condescending. It also seems as though he is making fun of the arrogance of similar essays. In his proposal, Swift vents his aggravation at the incompetence of Ireland’s politicians, the hypocrisy of the wealthy, the tyranny of the English, and the poverty in which he saw so many Irish people living in. But, while ‘ A Modest Proposal’ tends to blame the unfortunate situation of the Irish on England’s exploitation, it also expresses Swift’s contempt for the Irish people’s inability to stand up for themselves. It is not only the English, but the Irish themselves, he declares, who are responsible for their nation’s poverty-stricken state. I found the composition very humorous and amusing. However, although the satire was meant to be humorous, it exemplified the use of argumentation very well.  

 

 

Journal Entry #8 – “Take This Internship and Shove It.” By Anya Kamenetz

“Take This Internship and Shove It,” is a short article written by Anya Kamenetz, which was published in the New York Times in 2006. In the article, Anya writes about the problem with unpaid internships, and how she believes that they are not very beneficial for students or the economy. Kamentz goes on to make the point that internships teach no real lesson. The average intern does not get paid or receives any benefits. This is bad because, in the future, when students who get an unpaid internship have to pay for their living expenses, they end up having to take out loans which can lead to debt. This also causes more damage to the economy. Another point which Anya makes, is that one should always get paid for doing work, because it teaches an important lesson about the real working.

In my opinion, Anya Kamenetz is absolutely right when she says that unpaid internships aren’t very beneficial. The average student has to pay for housing, food, transportation, textbooks, etc. However, many unpaid internships leave students no time to make any money. In addition, many of them are done for credit or even cost money. I also agree that unpaid interns are comparable to illegal immigrants because immigrants have low wages and interns even work for nothing. Therefore, it’s not surprising that these categories of workers keep wages down, which damage the economy. However, I disagree that unpaid internships are “only simulations” (Kamenetz 584). In my opinion, internships can give you a lot of valuable work experience and can improve your resumé, which will later help to impress prospective employers. In conclusion, I believe that internships are still an important part of a student’s life, but there should be more paid internships offered to students who work hard  and have the right qualifications.

The Hobbit Part 2: The Desolation of Smaug Movie review Outline

1. Introduction

A. Talk about recently seeing the movie the hobbit.
B. Talk about the plot
1. The plot was strong
2. It was true to the book
C. Thesis: The Hobbit desolation of Smaug was strong in the areas of acting, CGI, and                 the set.
2. Body

A. Talk about the great acting
1. The director did an awesome job of casting the movie.
2. The actors were very dramatic
3. The actors were very convincing
B. Talk about the great CGI
1. Smaug and the entire land looked very realistic
2. All the enemies talked and taught in sync, which made for very real battle scenes
C. Talk about the realistic set
1. The makeup was amazing
2. The props such as swords, bows, helmets etc. were awesome
3. The costumes perfectly coincided with the sets

3. Conclusion
A. I would recommend seeing the movie
B. Overall, it was very good
C. I believe it was better than the first part in the areas of acting, CGI, and the set

Journal Entry #7- “Mother Tongue.” By Amy Tan

 In the story “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan talks about how she recently noticed that the English she uses at home, is different from the type of English she uses in her stories, or when speaking to other people outside of her family. For example, when Amy was giving a talk to a large group of people, she made sure to use proper grammar and pronunciation. However, when she was around her mother, she said things like, “not waste money that way” (Tan 467). Amy Tan also discuses her mother’s heavily Chinese-influenced English, and gives an example of her mother speaking at a wedding, “Du Yusong having business like fruit stand. Like off the street kind. He is Du like Du Zong — but not Tsung-ming Island people” (Tan 467). Amy refers to the change in her use of language as “family talk” and she believes that the reason she often reverts it, is because it’s what she grew up with. 

I found the article by Amy Tan very relatable, because I often find myself doing the same thing. When I am speaking to an employer or professor, I make sure that I am using proper English and pronunciation. I also tend to use more sophisticated vocabulary like, “Remuneration” or “Unequivocal.” Hoever, when I am around my family, I tend to speak more casually, without proper grammar and pronunciation. I also tend to fall into the habit of speaking in a mix of Spanish and English, more commonly known by my fellow Miamians as, “Spanglish.”  This is because I’ve been raised in a Spanish and English speaking family. This is very much like Amy because, she was raised in a Chinese and Engish speaking family.

College Pressures Essay Study Answers

 Comprehension

1. Zinsser tells the students that there is no right way to get ahead, because everyone is different. He tells them that each student is starting from a different point in life and is “bound for a different destination.” He also tells them that, change is a “tonic” and that all the lots are not arranged and the frontiers are not closed.

2. Zinsser wishes that all his students get some release from the “clammy grip of the future.” He also wishes that they could have the chance to “savor” each segment of their education, as an experience in itself; not as a grim preparation for the next step.  Zinsser also wishes for them to have the right to experiment, to trip and fall, to learn that defeat is as instructive as as victory, and isn’t the end of the world.

3. The four types of pressure, which Zinsser identifies are: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure.

4. Zinsser states that there is no specific person to blame. He says that there are no villains, only victims.

5. According to Zinsser, potential employers only see a student’s worth based on what is written on their transcripts, and employ whomever they find more impressive on paper. Zinsser sees a student’s worth based on their mind, and says that he would rather hire someone  with a large range of curiosity and creativity.

6. Zinsser states that women are under more pressure than men are because of the fact that it is harder for women to secure themselves a good, financially secure future in today’s society. They are in college hoping to achieve a good, high position using their education, but the world today is still resistant to women in high positions.

7. Zinsser states that some professors did not interact much with students, but for the ones that do, the new “pauperism” separates the professors and students because of the burden the students have. It is harder to forge relationships between professor and student.

8. Zinsser says that ultimately, it is the job of the students to break out of these pressures and see themselves as unique individuals and not bound by the expectations of others.

9. Students do not choose to avoid sports and extracurricular activities, rather, they attempt to balance them into their own schedules causing yet more anxiety. They have adapted by choosing fewer activities than past generations.

Purpose and Audience

1. Zinsser does indeed expose a difficult situation, however, throughout the essays he mentions some different parties that are causing this problem and what they are doing wrong. The parents, for example, are overburdening their children with expectations and want to force them to get into a “get rich quick” job even though that may not be where the student feels called. I believe it is the author’s hope that not just students, but teachers, employers, and parents read this and realize that what they do can have negative effects on college students.

2. I believe this passage will can affect all of the parties mentioned, however, I believe it will impact students in the largest way. The reason for this is that they can relate and agree with everything in the essay, and has more applications that they can use in their lives.

3. In paragraphs 42-46, the author speaks of today’s generation of students, and he describes their tension and anxiety, but, he also compares them to previous generations, making small comparisons. For example, when he discusses how they take less extracurricular activities than previous generations. I believe these paragraphs are meant for parents to show how times have changed and that their children are more likely under more pressure than they were.

4. The author assumes his readers have basic knowledge and understanding of how college and university life is. Given that his target audience is students, employers, parents etc. The assumptions are most likely correct.

Style and Structure

1. The notes to Carlos in the introduction is most likely utilized to give readers some emotional sympathy for the students, and paints a very good picture that shows the anxiety, tension, and stress that students of today’s generation must deal with.

2. The first category is the student body, and he introduces it with notes sent to one of the deans that show the student’s anxiety. The final couple of paragraphs detail how the author has tried to help solve the issues discussed in the passage.

3. They are used to make a shift in points from economic pressure to bear and self-induced     pressure

4. Instead of solely saying he, the author may use he or she, or he can use them.

5. The quotes serve as an example, and they show that the problems that were discussed in the passage are genuine. The quotes may also convince or strike compassion in the reader.

6. All of the categories that he states, have to deal with pressure that students face in college. I do not believe that intertwining the categories weakens the essay. He did a good job presenting his points and conveying his message.

Classification and Division

– Classification: The process of sorting specific things into more general categories.

– Division: The process of breaking a general whole into more specific parts, which are often categories.

– Classification and division go hand in hand.

The purpose of classification and division:

1) To inform

2) To entertain

3) To argue a point or convince

How to write it:

1) Determine your purpose

2) Consider your audience

3) To argue a point or convince

*Ruling principle: A uniform way of grouping the information

-Meet 3 qualifications:

• Consistent
• Exclusive
• Compare

* Don’t oversimplify by creating too few categories/parts*

4) Arranging all the parts

*The purpose of and the thesis statement will always determine the organizational pattern.

*Use transitions*

Ex: However, at one end, or nevertheless

5) Provide details

*Avoid monotony

6) Considering your audience

*Make the conclusion purposeful and effective*

Outline On Collaborative Activity

Introduction:

a) There are various aspects of Miami Dade College that can be improved.

b) The main issues are, food, parking, athletics, technology improvements, and the quality of student life.

Body #1-Issues :

a) Bad WiFi coverage

b) Bad food, more variety

c) More parking options

d) More sports teams

e) Bad computer software

f) Bad campus environment

g) Lack of student life

Body #2-Improvements that can be made:

a) Improve WiFi coverage by utilizing signal extenders.

b) Improve food by adding food franchises.

c) To improve parking, add a parking garage and utilize unused land.

d) Add more sports teams (This may also help improve student life).

e) Buy legal copies of current Windows 8 software.

f) Improve the campus environment by, planting more trees, flowers, and more art displays.

g) Improve the lack of student life by having more events or activities for students.

Conclusion:

a) By making these changes, Miami Dade College can greatly improve it’s student’s college experience.

The Spoken Word: More Than Marriage | thisbedottie

Just a video I found very interesting and inspiring.

Entry #6- TED Talks

Both of the TED talk videos exemplify cause and effect. In “The Danger of Silence”, the speaker, Clint Smith, uses the spoken word to talk about the the danger of remaining silent and not standing up for or beliefs. He also quotes, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). This lecture teaches us the use of cause and effect, by showing how the cause of remaining silent, effects our lives. In the second video, “Why We Do What We Do”, The speaker, Tony Robbins talks about how people need to find the needs, the beliefs, and the emotions that are controlling them. He encourages people to do this because he believes that this will help them make a positive change in their lives. This lecture teaches us the use of cause and effect by giving examples of how the cause of what drives us can effect our lives. Both of these lectures clearly teach us the use of cause and effect. 

The two lectures, “Why Lunch Ladies Are Heroes” by Jarrett Krosoczka, and “Depressed Dogs…” by Laurel Braitman, clearly teach of the use of exemplification. In “Why Lunch Ladies Are Heroes”, Jarrett talks about how he believes that lunch ladies are heroes because of the good things they do and his personal experiences. In the lecture, “Depressed Dogs…”, Laurel talks about how dogs can suffer from emotional and mental disorders just like humans do. Both of these lectures teach us the use of exemplification, because both speakers used many examples and personal experiences. Jarrett used an example of Ms. Brenda in California, who keeps a close eye on every student that comes through her line and then reports back to the guidance counselor if anything is amiss. Laurel also uses many examples in her lecture, as well as an example of her own dog.

In the lecture, “My Stroke of Insight”, the speaker, Jill Bolte Taylor, talks about her studies as a neuroanatomist. She also talks about how she suffered a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions shut down one by one. Jill’s lecture teaches us the proper use of a style narrative, by telling her story with many details and facts. While listening to the lecture, I felt as though I was actually there, experiencing the events with her. She also told her story chronologically, which made all the events clear and easy to follow.