TOW #24- IRB second half- The Final TOW

       One man's trash is another man's treasure-- but why is that?  What makes that treasure so valuable to one person, but not the other?  According to Jonathan Franzen, the factor of value is time.  In his essay "Scavenging," Franzen uses a number of personal anecdotes and a contrast between old and modern to explore the interest of thrift, and validate his own reasons for holding on to obsolete things.
     To introduce the idea, Franzen recalls a visit he payed to the Mercer Museum, where he runs into an old rotary telephone labeled "Obsolete Telephone."  Through this memory, he is able to transition to his own thoughts and feelings on the subject of outdated items.  When Franzen realized that the exact phone "still served proudly in [his] living room," he felt insulted by the artifact's title.   However, at the end of the essay, when he evaluates his reasons for still owning this phone, he comes to the conclusion that it is because the item has value to him.  By stating his initial feelings about the situation through an anecdote,  Franzen is not only able to reflect, but he is able to gain authority through a sort of counter to his final thoughts.
     In addition to his use of anecdotes, Franzen maintains a strong contrast between old and new.  As the focus of his piece, 'the outdated' is viewed from the thrift-loving eyes of Franzen, ultimately supporting the ownership of old belongings.  Upon his discovery of his telephone in the Mercer Museum, Franzen defends that he had "used the telephone to order computer peripherals" not long ago.  Almost ironically,  Franzen contrasts the supposedly claimed "obsolete" telephone with his modern-like actions.  By juxtaposing the past and the present, he is able to make his argument clear to the reader; the internal argument that is going on within him at that very moment in the museum.
     Besides the financial benefits of holding onto old fashioned objects, the only other explanations are dependent on the beholder.  In his essay "Scavenging," Jonathan Franzen includes personal anecdotes and a contrast between past and modern things in order to explore his own motives for never letting go of dated objects.  In the end, a 'thing' will always just be a 'thing', however, the past will never stop turning into the present.

TOW #23- Non fiction Text 2

     To most teenagers, turning 18 means being a legal adult and possibly moving out.  Yet there is still one other privilege that is often overlooked by the other glories of adulthood: the right to vote.  Voting is an important factor of American life, and always has been viewed with value.  It is something that our past has fought for, even risked their lives for.  So why does the youth view voting as such an afterthought?  In order to use our rights to fullest capacity and choose the best suited government for our people, we must re-inspire the youth to vote.
     When we put our ballot in the box, not only do we help the country reach a decision, but we also help our own sense of decision making.  Teenage and early adult years are designed for learning how to make decisions, and deciding who will run a country is an important conclusion to come to. In the 19th century, politics were the youth's main passion.  Riots and violent protests would roar with young voices expressing what they want; it gave them something to be enthusiastic about.  Today, however, the majority of 18 year olds are not standing outside of government buildings with torches and pitchforks.
    The relationship between politics and young people is a symbiotic one: they both benefit from each other.  Just as the youth gains from political experience and becoming more decisive, politics gain the youth's input.  When these voices are not heard, the people are unsatisfied with their country: but when a voice never speaks, it is impossible to be heard.  If upcoming generations choose not to vote, then politicians can not know what they are looking for in a government.  And when a country's people and government are on separate pages, there is no way to get anything accomplished.  If anything, it can be a major setback.
     Communication between the youth and its potential candidates is a right we were given a long time ago; it is just time we put it back into good use.   In order to revive our rights and get the most out of our government, the youth must realize the value of voting.  It's time that teenagers start looking forward to their 18th birthday.  But not for the reason of going to college, or being able to participate in adult activities- instead, for the right to vote.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/opinion/campaign-stops/virgins-booze-and-american-elections.html?ribbon-ad-idx=12&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

TOW #22- Visual Text

     For many, becoming a parent is a lifelong dream: carrying the baby, taking care of it, and then watching the child grow.   But for others, becoming a parent is not a part of their life plan. 

     Most questions about a pregnancy can be answered easily by a doctor: what to eat, how to exercise, and how to stay safe are all covered in a prenatal visit.  However, there is one gray area that is based on moral rather than fact: abortion.  This is the alternative that many question when a pregnancy was never in the picture.  For this reason, abortion is often the heated topic of many politic debates, making major headlines in today's news.  The conflict, between liberals and conservatives, considers when the life of a baby really begins, and whether it is ever justified to end this life.  Yet, shouldn't the woman who carries the baby have a word in this conversation? While a life may technically begin at the moment of conception, it is ultimately the woman's decision as to whether a pregnancy will be terminated or not, making abortion a necessary component not just for a woman's life, but in a human's life as well. 

     When planning for a baby, factors such as finance, genetics, and lifestyle must be taken into consideration before making such a big commitment.  Unfortunately, in some cases such as rape victims, incest, and just plain accident, there is no choice provided to the woman.  Many conservative arguments claim that the baby is never given any say in an abortion, but this is beside the point when the baby's mother was lacking the same voice. 

TOW #21- Non-fiction Text 1

     "You can take the animal out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the animal"- an old quote used endlessly by animal rights advocates, and mothers who keep declining their child's request for an exotic pet.  In today's world, however, scientists have found ways to take the wild out of an animal without having to remove it from its habitat at all.  With the development of various endangerment protection technologies, an abundance of species have been saved from extinction.  These types of advancements have served very helpful in animal conservation to a degree, until the technology begins to overtake the wilderness to a point where it is no longer wild.
     In recent decades, forms of wildlife surveillance and tracking have progressed in an effort for animals.  Cameras planted on trees to keep an eye out for the endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox let researchers know how much danger the species may actually be facing.  While it is good to take advantage of the updated resources we acquire, it is not good to take advantage to the point of invasion.
     It would be ideal if we were to utilize this technology only to restore an ecosystem, and then leave it untouched after the fact.  However, the problem is that in today's world of rapid industrialization, we do not know when to stop: when enough is enough.  It seems that everyday there is a new field or park being torn up, and huge houses and developments being placed right on top.  As we continue to turn open space into closed, animals all over the world are losing their homes.  As a society, we see no direct consequences of such invasions, but the indirect consequences can result in thousands of lost species, that, once are gone, can never exist again.  The same invasions occur in protection efforts.  Herds of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep roam Yosemite National Park in GPS collars.  These collars were manufactured.  The sheep were not.
     Humans are currently the species in control, but it is important to think of what we do with our control.  In such a technological-based era, we turn to gadgets to fix everything, even the endangerment of a wild species.  But what we cannot and should never attempt to control from a computer is the wild in an animal.  Doing so would be a cheat on Mother Nature; a disrespect to the wonder of the wilderness.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/sunday-review/the-unnatural-kingdom.html?ribbon-ad-idx=6&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

TOW #20- IRB 1

      Jonathan Franzen's, How To Be Alone, is a collection of essays comprised of memories from throughout his lifetime.  However, memories are exactly what is absent in his essay, "My Father's Brain."  Throughout this piece, Franzen includes portions of his mother's letters and scientific fact about the human brain in order to share the story of his father's decline.
     A lack of communication between Jonathan Franzen's parents did  not restrain his mother from stating her opinion.  She voiced her feelings in years of letters that were sent to Franzen in the decades before his father's death.  His decline in health due to Alzheimer's disease was sent in the form of updates from, "he was in the bathroom shaving at 2:30 AM," to an actual copy of the brain autopsy report.  By including these postage excerpts and experiences in his essay, Franzen is able to show his audience the situation through the eyes of his mother.  Their marriage, defined as a failure, set the essay up with an interesting perspective.  His mother's point of view woven in with Franzen's own outlook on his father's disease was able to show the lack of emotional connection in his parents' relationship.  While most people would suffer seeing a loved one die of Alzheimer's, his mother seemed to take it lightly, sending the news along with a Mr. Goodbar and a Valentine.  Since the poor relationship was such a main part of the essay, the absence of her letters would result in a missing element to the essay; the story would be flat, from only one perspective.
     Another perspective that Franzen incorporates is from a scientific standpoint, with facts about the human brain.  He is able to draw parallels between research and personal experience that makes for an enhancement in the essay.  One piece of evidence that he constantly refers back to is that a memory is "a set of sensory images and semantic data" that "are seldom the exclusive property of one particular memory."   Franzen then follows this up with the broken down memory of Valentine's morning, and his association between the words "Mr. Goodbar" and "brain autopsy."  Not only do scientific definitions add a sense of credibility and clarity for the audience, but it allows for a comparison between literal and figurative meaning.  Franzen took these factual statements founded in science and compared his own, which were solely founded through personal experience.  With this inclusion, he is able to truly show the differences between what Alzheimers disease looks like to an outsider, and what it looks like to him.
     In the essay "My Father's Brain" found in How To Be Alone by Jonathan Franzen, he uses portions of his mother's letters and scientific definitions about the brain in order to effectively tell the story about his father's decline.  Franzen gives his audience an inside look on the destruction of Alzheimers disease not only on the human brain that falls victim, but to the surrounding people as well.
   

TOW #19- Visual Text (Argument)

      It may be easy to see a family as picture perfect, enviable, unbroken; but all from an outside eye.  However, what very few are able to see are the flaws, the truths, and the broken that lie inside the walls of a family.  For families living with alcoholism, the inside is a very familiar place.  Alcohol addiction is commonly overlooked as an internal problem, only effecting the victim of the disease, however, it also has the power to destroy an entire family.
     An estimated 17.6 million people suffer from alcoholism, not even taking into account the family members of these people- the indirect sufferers.  It is important to make clear that alcohol dependency is not a choice that people make, but instead just an unfortunate cross between habit and heredity.  When someone is under the influence, their thinking is distorted, therefore making them  impossible to reason with.  What a loved one might see as a desperate need of help, an alcoholic would view as perfectly normal: with a distorted mind, it is hard to see the truth.  This disagreement in a family setting may start off small, but just like alcoholism, will end up spiraling out of control.  Such irrational disputes that may occur between a drunk person and a sober person can have serious longterm effects on the witnesses of them.  Not only can alcohol lead to divorce, but it can leave everlasting impressions on the children being raised in its negative environment.  Seeing an older family member struggle to receive the help they need can inflict an unusual stress on a child, even if they are too young to process what it means.  The weight sits on their shoulders too, and the imprint can stay there forever if placed at a critical period in their life.
     Just as an alcohol addict may be in denial to the problem they face, their family can also be in denial to the pain that they feel.  Over time, these feelings can be buried for the sake of a picture perfect image.  But time will tell that the damage done by alcohol never truly fades away.  Alcoholism is a dangerous disease that many have to experience every day, whether they are the consumer or the sponsor of sobriety.  For any outsider to the illness, it may be hard to see that alcohol not only effects the alcoholic but also the people surrounding them.  Like a tornado ripping through a town, alcoholism can rip through a family, leaving them in ruins. However, it is important to remember that not every disaster is left like that.  A lot of times, there is a clean up; a road to recovery.

TOW #18- Non-fiction Text 2

     Acrobats swinging from the ceiling, clowns piling out of tiny cars, dare devils circling the arena on motorcycles- the circus scene is full of different dynamic acts.  However, some of the most well known members are performing no more, changing circus life as we know it.  Last month, the Ringling Brothers Circus announced that all elephants will be retiring in the year to come.  Many animal abuse protestors are overjoyed with the news, as the circus has been a long-time focal point on the controversy of animal cruelty.  While this action may be an assuring and cautious step to protect elephants from violence, what if there were no violence in the first place?
     To make an animal do something, one has the choice to choose between positive reinforcement or punishment.   In any case, punishment is completely unacceptable, as it leads to the mistreatment of animals.  This infamous form of training has unfortunately become associated with all circuses, including Ringling Bros.  But for Joey Frisco III, elephant manager for the company, his first priority "is and has always been to make the animals happy and healthy."  Many of the gray, friendly giants have grown up in the circus atmosphere, raised in captivity since birth.  But, if treated with complete respect, how is this act any different than owning a pet?  There are certainly times when a pet owner finds themselves making a dog or cat do something, whether it is training them to use a litter box or making them perform tricks.  When animals have no wildlife experience to compare to, they turn to humans and form relationships similar to a friendship- man's best friend can be a dog or an elephant.
     In such a fast changing world, many of life's commonalities are diminishing.  For decades, the circus has been a classic form of entertainment, and the elephants are very often the staple of the show.  While animal cruelty should never be condoned in any environment, such sweeping generalizations should not be influencing the classic show business culture.  Is the retirement of elephants really a step to saving them?  Or is it just a solution to a generation that is asking for too much?  Eventually, we will come to the point where children will no longer know of santa claus; where the Pledge of Allegiance will no longer be in our repertoire; where the circus will no longer be the circus.
   
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/02/ringling_bros_to_retire_elephants_to_florida_in_ma.html
   

TOW #17- Non-fiction Text 1

      Music has the power to turn heads, however, it is the artist who determines in which direction.  Being a lifetime Beyonce supporter, it is hard to admit that a feeling of returned support was not found in her Superbowl Halftime Show.  Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, brought attention to the fault he found in the strong political message that Beyonce sent during her performance.  The release of her new song, "Formation," including its controversial music video, has been turning heads for the past week due to its references and ties between the Black Panther Party and the Black Lives Matter movement.  While it is important that Beyonce is empowering a specific minority through her song, it is unnecessary for her to put another group down while doing so.
     From hits like "Single Ladies" and "Run the World (Girls)," Beyonce has made her reputation based off of songs of female empowerment, crowning her with such nicknames as "Queen B" and "Goddess."  Beyonce has become the powerful image to represent a "strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to complete her" (she may be married to Jay Z, but she sure doesn't need him).   Whether mothers across the country like it or not, Beyonce is one of the top influences for young girls today.  Even in her new single, "Formation," the spotlight remains on the lady population, as shown in her halftime performance where she appeared with two lines of women behind her.  Her emphasis on girl power and feminine strength is important to instill among female youth, especially at ages such as adolescence, when confidence is at a significantly low point for girls.  Females have typically been viewed as the subordinate gender,  and Beyonce is applauded for utilizing her music, fame, and power to change this view.
     While singing about such topics have led to Beyonce's immense success,  her new song introduces a new topic: race.  Being partially black herself, Beyonce's performance highlighted clear references to the Black Panther Party, through the all-black costumes her and her entourage wore, and some even say to Malcolm X, through the dancers standing in an X formation during the show.  Now, it is surely important for one to take pride in their racial and ethnic background.  But when that pride becomes borderline threatening, it is no longer acceptable to be published.  Featured in her music video, Beyonce sits atop a half-flooded police car, a nod to the current Black Lives Matter Movement.  While she may be promoting her race, she is also promoting police brutality through this message.  Never will it be justified to kill somebody who protects you everyday. Fox News anchor, Anna Kooiman points out the irony of Beyonce having "a police escort there, but then she gives a salute to the Black Lives Matter Movement."  In other words, do not bite the hand that feeds you: and that is exactly what Beyonce did.
     Beyonce fans are loyal.  It seems they would stand by her even if she were to commit a murder: she is their Queen.  This makes her music extremely powerful and influential over all of her followers.  Although Beyonce sent a positive message of female and black empowerment in her song "Formation," she also sent a much more negative message through the allusion to police brutality.  This minor uproar that she caused may have only lasted a week in the papers, but will cause an everlasting impression on her millions of listeners around the world.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/08/rudy-giuliani-beyonces-half-time-show-was-an-outrageous-affront-to-police/

IRB Intro

     My new independent reading book is titled, How To Be Alone, by Jonathan Franzen.  This book jumped off the shelf to me because of its unusual title.  Typically, a "how to" is a process that somebody takes step by step.  But are steps on learning how to be alone? This is intriguing to me.  I like being an independent person, and figured that maybe this book could teach me a few more things about it.  In his collection of essays, Franzen reflects on many experiences in his life to ultimately create a new outlook on individuality.  So far in high school, I've learned that some people really do not know how to be alone.  To me, being alone is a very important topic, because it allows me to be the most authentic version of myself.  I think it is important, especially at this age, to take the time to be alone; to be truly individual- whatever that may mean to you.  Without ever spending some time with yourself, how will you get to know you?

TOW #16- IRB Second Half

     Spending Christmas away from home is hard enough, but spending it in a war zone is something unimaginable.  During the Battle of the Bulge, American soldiers were not faced with warm fireplaces and holiday joy, but instead freezing temperatures and enemy attacks.  In 11 Days in December, Stanley Weintraub appeals to pathos through a theme of hope, and uses a strategic third person point of view in order to reveal a hidden story to one of WWII's most famous battles.

     U.S. soldiers who were across the Atlantic in the holiday season of 1944 turned desperation into inspiration.  This theme of hope occurs throughout the book to emphasize the personal side of the war.  One notable moment of faith came from General Patton, senior officer of the US Army.  When his men were facing danger of attack from the German side, the General prayed and asked God, "Sir, whose side are you on?".  Within the hour, skies cleared and the Battle of the Bulge turned the war with an Allied victory.  It is this motif of hope that truly personalized the story, and overall contributed yet another factor to his unique view on the battle of Christmas 1944. 

        Weintraub also utilizes a strategic device in his point of view, from which he writes in the third person.  Since he is all-knowing about the historical events surrounding the story, his omniscient perspective is very well suited for the Christmas story at the Bulge.  Through this, Weintraub is able to give a full synopsis of the war up until December of 1944, and cover all of the major points without any limitations.  As he was introducing a town near the Ardennes called Spa, he explains it "was bypassed" but then continues to tell of "another Belgian town [where] the expected Germans in halftracks with 88-mm guns had not yet appeared".  From a third person viewpoint, Weintraub is knowledgable of the actions occurring in all of the towns during the war, which increases his credibility and adds more background to the story.  If he were telling the story, for example, as one of the American soldiers, the reader would therefore not know of what else was occurring outside of the occupied town.  

     Both a theme of hope and a strategic third person point of view are used in Stanley Weintraub's 11 Days in December, ultimately taking a zoomed in look at one of WWII's most well known battles, and a twist on a nontraditional Christmas story.    

TOW #15- Non-Fiction Text 2

     Work ethic is an ability that somebody learns over time.  Through the increasing work levels of high school, college, and eventually a real world job, one work ethic stands with the majority: procrastination.  Adam Grant looks at procrastination in a positive light in his New York Times opinion article, "Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate", in which he appeals to ethos through personal experience and a realistic counterargument in order to show his view of procrastination being a main source of creativity.
     Many people think of procrastination as being an internal flaw, as did the author of this very article.  However, through his years as a non-procrastinator, he has learned to see the values in holding off on work until the last minute.  By including his experiences in discovering his own work ethics, Grant is able to appeal to ethos and gain credibility in his argument.  He explains that all his life, he has been considered a "pre-crastinator", somebody who has the "urge to start a task immediately and finish is as soon as possible".  Since Grant decided to incorporate his personal background with the topic, there is proof that he has seen both sides of procrastination: being against it and for it.  This makes him a more reliable source for the argument that he is making, because he can now vouch for both sides and offer an accurate opinion of which one he favors.  Without this factor, Grant would not seem as trustworthy, and it would be easier to question the validity of his argument.
     In addition to his appeal to ethos, Grant includes a realistic counterargument.  While he has finally realized the good that can come from procrastination, he also takes note of the possible downsides.  After teaching himself to stay off task, Grant realized that "of course, procrastination can go too far". He considers this to be "destructive procrastination", a kind that he does not recommend for best results.  By recognizing the other side of procrastination, and bringing up the reality that not all instances of postponement will turn out successfully, he is more likely to gain trust in the readers and less likely to turn them away.  Grant even offers a list of suggestions for avoiding this type of procrastination, and making sure to stick with the one that can result in the most creative productivity.
      One of the best things about this article was the fact that Grant admitted to procrastinating even in writing this piece.  Interestingly enough, as I scrolled through the other opinion articles, Grant's stood out to me as one of the more creative ones.  Adam Grant is able to appeal to ethos in his article, "Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate", through inclusion of personal traits and offering of a counterargument, ultimately showing his readers that every bad thing they have heard about procrastination is wrong; well almost.  Not only do I have a new view on the creative benefits of procrastination, but I also have a good excuse to wait just a few more hours before I start my homework tonight.
   

TOW #14-Non-fiction Text 1

     For the majority of women, marriage is considered a lifetime dream, something that is dreamt about since childhood.  But for others, it is not at all a priority.  In Jessa Crispin's New York Times opinion article, "St. Teresa and the Single Ladies", she makes historical references and includes humor in order to show women that marriage could be a one-way road to giving up their freedom.
     Not speaking necessarily in terms of avoiding becoming a "housewife in captivity", there are many other forms of freedom that are gained from being an independent woman.   As Crispin points out, the leaders of this idea date back to the ancient Catholic female saints such as St. Catherine, St. Lucia, and St. Olga.  "It is simply the lengths to which they went to avoid marrying", that attracted Crispin to their outlook on marriage.  "When St. Catherine's mother said her hair would surely attract a good suitor, she cut all of it off".  It is bold acts like these that were the first to inspire the challenging of marriage standards.  If this does not scream rebel, I am not sure what does.  The example used perfectly introduces Crispin's message that a woman's purpose should not be focused on attracting a man.  Instead, a woman should focus on things such as education and personal pursuits.  In other words, if St. Teresa were given the choice between being a brain or a body, "she would choose to be a brain".  By referencing such historic and religious figures, the author is gaining credibility for her claim that staying single is underrated.
     In her article,  Crispin also pays attention to style through her somewhat humorous tone.  While explaining her personal experiences of being a single, she wonders what trait is holding her back from being "wife material".  Crispin jokes that the reason is, "Maybe because of how much I swear".  By remaining lighthearted in her joke, she not only pulls it off successfully and appeals to the reader's pathos, but she is able to seem like it is just a brush off her shoulder.  Instead of taking it too seriously, she uses humor to show that she does not need a man's approval to happily live her life.  Also, her choice of incorporating comedy into her essay may not turn the audience away so quickly.  Rather than taking an extremely formal approach which is seen to be overdone in similar essays written about feministic topics, she chooses to show her funny side.  With this, Crispin is not only informing her audience of the benefits from the "single ladies", but she is also entertaining them.
     In today's world, young women feel constantly pressured into making marriage their number one objective.  But what about that dream job? Or plan to travel around the world? Jessa Crispin claims that marriage can be the most restrictive thing to place on a woman, through her use of historical figures and whimsical tone in the article, "St. Teresa and the Single Ladies".  It can take years for a person to realize that relationships are not only difficult to handle, but they may also be the number one thing holding that person back.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/opinion/sunday/st-teresa-and-the-single-ladies.html?ref=opinion&_r=0