Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Journal Entry 4- Logical Fallacy
For my example of a logical fallacy i found a Truth ad that was quite disturbing. The ad, which is presented very depressingly with bland colors, portrays people on top of buildings as if they were going to jump off and take their own lives. Specifically, one of the most emotional pictures is when a women is on the edge of a building holding her daughters hand; a way of displaying the effects of smoking on others. Captions are displayed throughout the ad, saying that each year millions of people take their own lives and the lives of others. However, at the end of the ad when the people jumped off the building, smoking is displayed across the screen as the cause of death for all the people on the buildings. This ad is most specifically, pathos because it appeals to the viewers emotions. The ad attempts to overwhelm the viewers with emotions on the negative effects smoking has on people. By making the ad seem very sad and depressing, the makers of the ad hope to influence viewers to not smoke.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Journal Entry 3 - "Residence Halls"
In her “Residence Halls” piece, Kelley McCormick relays her argument very confidently to prove the fallacies and misleading ideas that Miami presents about residence hall living. She uses ethos, logos, and pathos to strongly support her claim that, dorm life isn’t properly represented by the brochures and letters that Miami University gives out to urge students to live on campus.
For example, I thought her argument on how “personalizing your room with posters, carpeting, matching bedspreads and drapes” was a pathos fallacy, to be very convincing. She explains how the brochure tries to lure students in through their emotions by reassuring them that they can represent their own personalities by living in a dorm that can become their own “personalized” space. I thought this was a strong point, because feeling comfortable when first arriving to school is what is most important to students. So, for the brochure to advertise dorm rooms as being potential personalized spaces, it is without a doubt an appeal to the incoming student’s emotions.
I also found her argument to be convincing when she discussed how the brochure only appeals to incoming first-year students, but to the rest of the student body it’s a brochure filled with meaningless falsehoods. She goes on to discuss how unless the student reading the brochure has lived in a dorm and had to walk a long ways to class, or has had to eat the so called “excellent” food, than he or she is going to find the brochure as nothing but a comforter that residence hall living is idealistic. Upperclassmen have lived in dorms before so they know the true realities of what it is like to live in one, strongly making McCormick’s argument, that the brochure is only believable to future students, easily credible.
While, there are several instances in McCormick’s piece that make her argument convincing, at times she can be too forceful and show too much of her own beliefs and opinion, which for me can be misleading. In order, to believe someone’s argument, that person must not only provide support for their claim, but they also have to contain some of their emotions that may be too strong and throw the reader off. For example, McCormick makes it clear how her couples of months in a dorm were miserable and not at all what she expected; however, who is to say that every student feels the same way? By eliminating opinions that are too personalized, McCormick could have made her piece much stronger.
Overall, McCormick delivered a well analyzed piece of writing that could potentially provide great insight for readers. By simply removing her feelings of disappointment that were too strong at times, her contention could have been even more persuasive and formidable.
For example, I thought her argument on how “personalizing your room with posters, carpeting, matching bedspreads and drapes” was a pathos fallacy, to be very convincing. She explains how the brochure tries to lure students in through their emotions by reassuring them that they can represent their own personalities by living in a dorm that can become their own “personalized” space. I thought this was a strong point, because feeling comfortable when first arriving to school is what is most important to students. So, for the brochure to advertise dorm rooms as being potential personalized spaces, it is without a doubt an appeal to the incoming student’s emotions.
I also found her argument to be convincing when she discussed how the brochure only appeals to incoming first-year students, but to the rest of the student body it’s a brochure filled with meaningless falsehoods. She goes on to discuss how unless the student reading the brochure has lived in a dorm and had to walk a long ways to class, or has had to eat the so called “excellent” food, than he or she is going to find the brochure as nothing but a comforter that residence hall living is idealistic. Upperclassmen have lived in dorms before so they know the true realities of what it is like to live in one, strongly making McCormick’s argument, that the brochure is only believable to future students, easily credible.
While, there are several instances in McCormick’s piece that make her argument convincing, at times she can be too forceful and show too much of her own beliefs and opinion, which for me can be misleading. In order, to believe someone’s argument, that person must not only provide support for their claim, but they also have to contain some of their emotions that may be too strong and throw the reader off. For example, McCormick makes it clear how her couples of months in a dorm were miserable and not at all what she expected; however, who is to say that every student feels the same way? By eliminating opinions that are too personalized, McCormick could have made her piece much stronger.
Overall, McCormick delivered a well analyzed piece of writing that could potentially provide great insight for readers. By simply removing her feelings of disappointment that were too strong at times, her contention could have been even more persuasive and formidable.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Journal Entry 2-Bachelor "Hub"
Bachelor “Hub”
It’s the first building you see upon entering the Miami campus, which to be honest, is enough to leave the campus with a pleasing first impression for incoming visitors. Its immense beauty makes you want stop to and have a more observable look at the structure, as if you were to stare at a painting in a museum that is literally picture perfect. Before the building lays a vast bed of lavender and bubble gum-colored flowers, welcoming students and faculty with its bright petals as they walk along the crisp white sidewalks that act as a “yellow brick road”, leading to several entrances into the building. Diverse groups of students and faculty slug through the afternoon heat to reach the overbearing doors that to some may seem terrifying and to others thrilling. The multi-toned bricks define the buildings traditional Georgian-architecture that is commonly seen across campus. The large gridded French-vanilla windows allow natural sunlight to penetrate through and flood the classrooms with light and warmth, making it easy to conserve energy and not use electrical light. Engraved in Roman-like stone is the name in caps, BACHELOR HALL; making sure that anyone who walks by knows exactly what the building is. On top of the building sits a white tower blanketed with windows, providing students and others with a question of whether it holds a true purpose or if it’s just there for aesthetics. This building of beauty is a center hub for learning; it holds classes ranging from English to Math to Speech Pathology. While it may seem ironic how such a gorgeous building could hold classes that to students may seem dreadful and boring, it could be hypothesized that perhaps the buildings beauty helps provide a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for students to learn in. Next time you walk by Bachelor Hall or even have a class in it, take a second to admire it and enjoy the flawless picture that it presents.
It’s the first building you see upon entering the Miami campus, which to be honest, is enough to leave the campus with a pleasing first impression for incoming visitors. Its immense beauty makes you want stop to and have a more observable look at the structure, as if you were to stare at a painting in a museum that is literally picture perfect. Before the building lays a vast bed of lavender and bubble gum-colored flowers, welcoming students and faculty with its bright petals as they walk along the crisp white sidewalks that act as a “yellow brick road”, leading to several entrances into the building. Diverse groups of students and faculty slug through the afternoon heat to reach the overbearing doors that to some may seem terrifying and to others thrilling. The multi-toned bricks define the buildings traditional Georgian-architecture that is commonly seen across campus. The large gridded French-vanilla windows allow natural sunlight to penetrate through and flood the classrooms with light and warmth, making it easy to conserve energy and not use electrical light. Engraved in Roman-like stone is the name in caps, BACHELOR HALL; making sure that anyone who walks by knows exactly what the building is. On top of the building sits a white tower blanketed with windows, providing students and others with a question of whether it holds a true purpose or if it’s just there for aesthetics. This building of beauty is a center hub for learning; it holds classes ranging from English to Math to Speech Pathology. While it may seem ironic how such a gorgeous building could hold classes that to students may seem dreadful and boring, it could be hypothesized that perhaps the buildings beauty helps provide a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for students to learn in. Next time you walk by Bachelor Hall or even have a class in it, take a second to admire it and enjoy the flawless picture that it presents.
Journal Entry 1- Myself As A Writer
Myself as a Writer
For me writing is a way to express the vast ideas that form in my head; whether they are ideas from past experiences, or just simply ideas that I come up with at my desk when brainstorming for a paper that is due the following day. Writing is somewhat a freedom for me; although, there may be instructions the ways I personalize my own pieces of writing are limitless.
While, I love being able to just write a piece in whatever descriptive way I want, I still feel comforted having some sort of guidance or regulations on what a paper must entail, or what purpose it must achieve. Ironic ally, I love writing narratives. I enjoy writing very descriptive pieces about a past experience or about how I or someone else may view an aspect of the world. During high school I learned about similes and using figurative language in writing pieces, and I really began to enjoy using them in my own assignments. My college essay was a descriptive narrative about maturing and learning how to be grateful for my family’s background, since I am Swiss because my dad is a native of Switzerland. Even writing the paper allowed me to become even more appreciative of my family than before I started writing it.
To talk further about myself as a writer, I think that taking English classes are very important. No matter what career one pursues, I think it is always important that one has a wide knowledge of vocabulary, as well as a basic knowing of how to write a report. Writing is a way of communication; whether it be messaging on Facebook through adolescent lingo or writing a newspaper report on current world events, everyone should be able to have an English class in their past.
For me writing is something I enjoy. Even though, I don’t write regularly or as a hobby, I like taking English classes and transferring unique ideas onto a blank piece of paper that eventually turns into a work of art; well, hopefully in my case at least.
For me writing is a way to express the vast ideas that form in my head; whether they are ideas from past experiences, or just simply ideas that I come up with at my desk when brainstorming for a paper that is due the following day. Writing is somewhat a freedom for me; although, there may be instructions the ways I personalize my own pieces of writing are limitless.
While, I love being able to just write a piece in whatever descriptive way I want, I still feel comforted having some sort of guidance or regulations on what a paper must entail, or what purpose it must achieve. Ironic ally, I love writing narratives. I enjoy writing very descriptive pieces about a past experience or about how I or someone else may view an aspect of the world. During high school I learned about similes and using figurative language in writing pieces, and I really began to enjoy using them in my own assignments. My college essay was a descriptive narrative about maturing and learning how to be grateful for my family’s background, since I am Swiss because my dad is a native of Switzerland. Even writing the paper allowed me to become even more appreciative of my family than before I started writing it.
To talk further about myself as a writer, I think that taking English classes are very important. No matter what career one pursues, I think it is always important that one has a wide knowledge of vocabulary, as well as a basic knowing of how to write a report. Writing is a way of communication; whether it be messaging on Facebook through adolescent lingo or writing a newspaper report on current world events, everyone should be able to have an English class in their past.
For me writing is something I enjoy. Even though, I don’t write regularly or as a hobby, I like taking English classes and transferring unique ideas onto a blank piece of paper that eventually turns into a work of art; well, hopefully in my case at least.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)