I'll be summarizing the following article http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.ohiou.edu/ehost/detail?sid=0cc540da-cbe7-4f92-8bac-315e6fb91f2d%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=66834553 for my final essay which covers students using mass media and social networking to start "Occupy" movements in their own colleges.
The title of this article is very fitting and every single person reading this blog falls within its borders. Titled simply "I Owe U", this article covers the rising costs of student loans coupled with the falling amounts of work for students graduating with massive debt. It starts off explaining the situation of a young student named Amanda Vodola, who like many of us, is loaded down with student debt. She is with the majority in that she has finished her major in English but still is not able to find a job to help her pay her bills. Her 6 month grace period is coming to an end and she'll have to start paying her student loans back, all of which come up to $30,000.
The students of 2011 graduated with the title "Most Indebted Class" and yet the students of 2012 are already looking to over take it from them. The average loan has reached $27,300 and the total for the country is expected to pass over $1 trillion. A great comment the author, Kristina Dell, makes is that you can't walk away from these debts like General Motors did. The government won't be there to offer you a golden parachute or bail you out.
The next section covers what many believe to be the advertisement to college. That through getting a better education will lead to a better life. They don't realize that the cost of college has increased over 538% over the past 3 decades.
The scary part of this article is that even if you do graduate, you have amassed so much debt that your degree or even the school you went to might not be enough to get you the job you want or need. Included in the article are students who's debt peaks at over $160,000. Those students realized to late what they were getting themselves into.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Trick 16. A Working Hypothesis
Not really sure if we were to write an actual paper using a working hypothesis and the steps in the book, or just talk about what we plan on doing using the steps. I will attempt to do both.
I chose to cover the letter http://www.huffingtonpost.com/santhosh-mathew-phd/the-universe-will-end-in-_b_993722.html Which the author argues he believes the universe will end in ice. I agree and disagree and will attempt to provide evidence for both scenarios.
- Background: I have extensive knowledge about Astronomy, cosmology and the theories discussed in the paper. I know the main points of both parts of the topic, however as for the actual scientific reasons, I'll have to research more.
- Method: I have a few college level books already in my possession, as well as video documentaries. I will also be using the OUC library and the writing assistants provided inside.
- Sources: Same as above.
- Timeline: As long as I feel comfortable with my progress, I can take as much time as needed. I want to make sure my sources and information are correct and up to date.
- Significance: To educate anyone that might not already know the destiny of our universe and its hundreds of billions of galaxies that inhabit it.
Fire or Ice? A Discussion about the End of the Universe.
Everyone knows that the universe will end some day. Not everyone contemplates how it will happen. Current cosmology believes that it will be by either fire or ice. On one hand, the evidence shows that it could expand and then start to collapse in on itself. Over time all the matter in the universe will slowly be drawn back together and crash back into a reverse Big Bang. The other hand shows that the universe will continue to expand until we are alone in our own little Milky Way galaxy. The light from other galaxies will be so far distant that we will never be able to tell that we were never alone.
I will be discussing the letter http://www.huffingtonpost.com/santhosh-mathew-phd/the-universe-will-end-in-_b_993722.html that Mathew Santhosh wrote. In this paper I will discuss both sides of the debate. Ultimately I believe both sides to be correct, but through research, I will hopefully convince the reader to choose one or the other.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Trick 15. Abuse and suffering.
Joshua Jordan
Stephen Morrow
English 151
17-Oct-2011
Introduction: Ethos and some logos.
Addiction is obviously a serious problem, not one that everyone should have to face, but certainly one that you should pity if you’ve had someone close to you suffer through it. Both of these articles will show you the destruction it can wreck on you, your life, your loved ones, and your career. The first will show the effects it can have on your family while the second shows what addiction will do to yourself. It is a disease. One that at best, you live through and recover. However, at worst, it can destroy your life or your family’s. It leads into serious depression that only seems to feed itself through the consumption of more alcohol. This disease has been defined as both mental and physical. Mentally because of the aforementioned depression and physically because of the dependency that can build up, the damage it can do to the body (both short and long term), and cumulative toxic build-up. It’s always hard for an alcoholic to admit, at least publicly, that they have the problem in the first place. It has a huge social impact, and as such, the sufferer doesn’t want to be seen as a bad member of society. A lot of the times, they will actually deny they even have a problem in the first place. Thinking that they can always stop when they want to is another common sign of an addiction.
Description and Analysis for Ad 1
In the first advertisement, http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/aa_ceara_family?size=_original, we have a very disturbing picture of a man, the father figure of a family, who is over looking the edge of a broken highway, possibly contemplating suicide. His head is downcast, as he’s probably thinking his life is downtrodden. In his hands, he’s holding a rope. If we follow this rope, we find that it is tied to what would have to be his family, all huddled together in fear for their father and husband. The mother has her arms around her daughters, possibly trying to comfort them or maybe protecting them from the truth about their father, trying to not let them know that their father is living with the problem. We even have “man’s best friend” sitting alongside the family, as even the family dog has been pushed away and can’t even provide comfort for the crest-fallen father.
Backing up a little bit away from the family, we see the darkened skies overtop of the family, representing tough times. This reflects their feelings as a whole, not just the fathers. When one member is suffering, they all do, together, something the father has seemed to forget. He doesn’t realize that committing the suicidal act that’s going through his mind will drag them all down to his level of hell. Again, this is represented by the rope thats held in his hands, but not tied around him. By not being tied directly to him, it’s meaning becomes clear that it’s his decision. If he jumps, he’s taking them down with him by his own decision. He’s not being forced to ruin their lives by any means.
In front of the father, we see a gap in the highway. He believes the answer is on the other side, but the gap is just to far for him to jump. The end of his disease, the fix for his family, is just one big step thats to far away. He thinks it cannot be done. It’s simply impossible. But the answer is just like the incomplete highway. The father thinks it’s impossible. But his knowledge of how to overcome his problem is just like the bridge, incomplete. There is always an answer. This comes to us in the image of the AA, or the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol. This symbol is dead center of the ad, to grab our attention. It even comes complete with it’s own ray of light shining down over the father, offering warmth and enlightening his path. It offers hope to those that suffer from this disease. The symbol is in fact surrounded by bright light and luminous clouds. This easily represents a guardian angel of sorts. Watching over families like the one in the picture. Offering hope and solutions to a problem that seems impossible.
Description and Analysis for Ad 2
Abuse can be defined in many different ways and aspects. It can be viewed as one thing or another. There is both physical and mental abuse. From an outside source, or from within. http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/kenilworth_clinic_inner_struggle_woman, shows a woman who’s back is shredded by her own hands as evidenced by the blood on her fingers and nails. Her body is all twisted and she’s obviously in agony. She is causing her own pain. This is evidenced by the text on the ad “When it is you against yourself.” While everything about this picture shows physical abuse, you get the feeling its more about mental anguish. We don’t know what this womans problem is, but whatever it is is tearing her up inside. We understand this due to the damage we see on the outside. Most people that have an addiction are like this person. Whatever hell they are going through in their mind always shows up on the outside. It affects their lives, their jobs, their families. All of those things suffer as well. The woman is also alone. She doesn’t have anyone else in this ad. She has nobody to help her, nobody to understand or to offer support.
But like this ad shows, there is always hope, always help around the corner. This ad gives us words of support by letting us know that you don’t have to be the victim to your addiction. It doesn’t have to rule or ruin your life.
Conclusion and comparison
While you might look at the second ad and not understand what it has in common with the first one, both ads show people suffering from addiction. It has ruined their lives. It has hurt them to the point that they are hurting themselves, and to them, there is no way out. In the first ad, the father is so far gone he is contemplating suicide and he knows that he can’t even ask his family for help. He feels that he is all totally alone. He is a lot like the woman in the second ad. While we don’t see her family, she believes that she is alone. Even the border of shadow around her shows that she believes she’s the only one in the world who understands what she is going through. For people suffering from addiction, feeling this way is common. They know there is help, but they feel that the help is either too far away, it won’t work, or that they have to get themselves out of their own problems. This thinking does not help, as evidenced by the fathers downcast face and the woman’s shredded skin.
But ultimately, there is help. Through either the AA symbol we saw in the first ad or the clinic’s web-site address on the second one, help is out there. Knowledge is the best way to help these people. These ads help put that knowledge out there. Their message is clear, “You are not alone in your problems. There are people who can and will help you. You do not have to suffer alone.”
Stephen Morrow
English 151
17-Oct-2011
Combating Addiction: You are not the only one that suffers.
Introduction: Ethos and some logos.
Addiction is obviously a serious problem, not one that everyone should have to face, but certainly one that you should pity if you’ve had someone close to you suffer through it. Both of these articles will show you the destruction it can wreck on you, your life, your loved ones, and your career. The first will show the effects it can have on your family while the second shows what addiction will do to yourself. It is a disease. One that at best, you live through and recover. However, at worst, it can destroy your life or your family’s. It leads into serious depression that only seems to feed itself through the consumption of more alcohol. This disease has been defined as both mental and physical. Mentally because of the aforementioned depression and physically because of the dependency that can build up, the damage it can do to the body (both short and long term), and cumulative toxic build-up. It’s always hard for an alcoholic to admit, at least publicly, that they have the problem in the first place. It has a huge social impact, and as such, the sufferer doesn’t want to be seen as a bad member of society. A lot of the times, they will actually deny they even have a problem in the first place. Thinking that they can always stop when they want to is another common sign of an addiction.
Description and Analysis for Ad 1
In the first advertisement, http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/aa_ceara_family?size=_original, we have a very disturbing picture of a man, the father figure of a family, who is over looking the edge of a broken highway, possibly contemplating suicide. His head is downcast, as he’s probably thinking his life is downtrodden. In his hands, he’s holding a rope. If we follow this rope, we find that it is tied to what would have to be his family, all huddled together in fear for their father and husband. The mother has her arms around her daughters, possibly trying to comfort them or maybe protecting them from the truth about their father, trying to not let them know that their father is living with the problem. We even have “man’s best friend” sitting alongside the family, as even the family dog has been pushed away and can’t even provide comfort for the crest-fallen father.
Backing up a little bit away from the family, we see the darkened skies overtop of the family, representing tough times. This reflects their feelings as a whole, not just the fathers. When one member is suffering, they all do, together, something the father has seemed to forget. He doesn’t realize that committing the suicidal act that’s going through his mind will drag them all down to his level of hell. Again, this is represented by the rope thats held in his hands, but not tied around him. By not being tied directly to him, it’s meaning becomes clear that it’s his decision. If he jumps, he’s taking them down with him by his own decision. He’s not being forced to ruin their lives by any means.
In front of the father, we see a gap in the highway. He believes the answer is on the other side, but the gap is just to far for him to jump. The end of his disease, the fix for his family, is just one big step thats to far away. He thinks it cannot be done. It’s simply impossible. But the answer is just like the incomplete highway. The father thinks it’s impossible. But his knowledge of how to overcome his problem is just like the bridge, incomplete. There is always an answer. This comes to us in the image of the AA, or the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol. This symbol is dead center of the ad, to grab our attention. It even comes complete with it’s own ray of light shining down over the father, offering warmth and enlightening his path. It offers hope to those that suffer from this disease. The symbol is in fact surrounded by bright light and luminous clouds. This easily represents a guardian angel of sorts. Watching over families like the one in the picture. Offering hope and solutions to a problem that seems impossible.
Description and Analysis for Ad 2
Abuse can be defined in many different ways and aspects. It can be viewed as one thing or another. There is both physical and mental abuse. From an outside source, or from within. http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/kenilworth_clinic_inner_struggle_woman, shows a woman who’s back is shredded by her own hands as evidenced by the blood on her fingers and nails. Her body is all twisted and she’s obviously in agony. She is causing her own pain. This is evidenced by the text on the ad “When it is you against yourself.” While everything about this picture shows physical abuse, you get the feeling its more about mental anguish. We don’t know what this womans problem is, but whatever it is is tearing her up inside. We understand this due to the damage we see on the outside. Most people that have an addiction are like this person. Whatever hell they are going through in their mind always shows up on the outside. It affects their lives, their jobs, their families. All of those things suffer as well. The woman is also alone. She doesn’t have anyone else in this ad. She has nobody to help her, nobody to understand or to offer support.
But like this ad shows, there is always hope, always help around the corner. This ad gives us words of support by letting us know that you don’t have to be the victim to your addiction. It doesn’t have to rule or ruin your life.
Conclusion and comparison
While you might look at the second ad and not understand what it has in common with the first one, both ads show people suffering from addiction. It has ruined their lives. It has hurt them to the point that they are hurting themselves, and to them, there is no way out. In the first ad, the father is so far gone he is contemplating suicide and he knows that he can’t even ask his family for help. He feels that he is all totally alone. He is a lot like the woman in the second ad. While we don’t see her family, she believes that she is alone. Even the border of shadow around her shows that she believes she’s the only one in the world who understands what she is going through. For people suffering from addiction, feeling this way is common. They know there is help, but they feel that the help is either too far away, it won’t work, or that they have to get themselves out of their own problems. This thinking does not help, as evidenced by the fathers downcast face and the woman’s shredded skin.
But ultimately, there is help. Through either the AA symbol we saw in the first ad or the clinic’s web-site address on the second one, help is out there. Knowledge is the best way to help these people. These ads help put that knowledge out there. Their message is clear, “You are not alone in your problems. There are people who can and will help you. You do not have to suffer alone.”
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Trick 14. Analysis of an Advertisement.
http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/aa_ceara_family?size=_original
Content
The add is selling the consequences of suicide from alcoholic depression. By committing suicide, your dragging your family along with you through your troubles.
Message
By committing suicide, your dragging your family down, you might as well be killing them yourself.
Character and settings
The father figure, who is depressed by his alcoholism is about to commit suicide. However he his holding a rope that is tied to his family in his hands.
Theme
Suicide and the effects on your family
Medium
Picture, art.
Historical Context
The country was Western looking, the time line is current. Gender wise, the male, which is the supposed head of the household.
Word and Image
No written words other than AA
Layout
We have a simple add with only the AA symbol showing dead center to grab your attention. Almost as if it was in a thought bubble. The father is dead center as well, to grab your attention.
Design
The colors are neutral to focus more attention to the subject.. The dark clouds are for brooding over the family and the AA symbol has a ray of sunshine to show that its a lifeline of sorts. As if a guardian angel.
Voice
Alcohol affects your own balance, but it knocks over not only you.
Rhetorical Appeal
This is definitely designed to produce an emotional response of guilt to the reader. Maybe sorrow or sadness for the family. either way, it plays off the ethos of the reader to get their attention.
Strategy of Development
There is a story. The father figure is contemplating suicide to deal with his issues. He is suffering from depression due to alcoholism and is seemingly realizing that if he does this, he'll take his family along with him.
Cultural Resonance
Western civilization. Probably a higher percentage of suicides.
Content
The add is selling the consequences of suicide from alcoholic depression. By committing suicide, your dragging your family along with you through your troubles.
Message
By committing suicide, your dragging your family down, you might as well be killing them yourself.
Character and settings
The father figure, who is depressed by his alcoholism is about to commit suicide. However he his holding a rope that is tied to his family in his hands.
Theme
Suicide and the effects on your family
Medium
Picture, art.
Historical Context
The country was Western looking, the time line is current. Gender wise, the male, which is the supposed head of the household.
Word and Image
No written words other than AA
Layout
We have a simple add with only the AA symbol showing dead center to grab your attention. Almost as if it was in a thought bubble. The father is dead center as well, to grab your attention.
Design
The colors are neutral to focus more attention to the subject.. The dark clouds are for brooding over the family and the AA symbol has a ray of sunshine to show that its a lifeline of sorts. As if a guardian angel.
Voice
Alcohol affects your own balance, but it knocks over not only you.
Rhetorical Appeal
This is definitely designed to produce an emotional response of guilt to the reader. Maybe sorrow or sadness for the family. either way, it plays off the ethos of the reader to get their attention.
Strategy of Development
There is a story. The father figure is contemplating suicide to deal with his issues. He is suffering from depression due to alcoholism and is seemingly realizing that if he does this, he'll take his family along with him.
Cultural Resonance
Western civilization. Probably a higher percentage of suicides.
Trick 13. Learning from others.
In this installment on my blog, we'll be discussing "The World's Local Bank: An Approach to Consumer Alienation in a Globalized World" by Andrés Cassinelli. As far as can be considered, this essay was pretty near perfect. The structure was amazing and the context well written. The author went into great detail, covered every aspect, featured the ad that their essay covered in an easily accessible location, and showed how this affects their life. The biggest thing that I noticed, and that I can learn from was the thesis. It was stated openly and also in detail within the beginning. It really shows how it should be done and the best way for me to understand concepts is to see examples in person. So I will be able to look back on this essay and kind of use it as a template for any future papers I have to write.
Another impressive feat was that nothing in the paper was repetitive to a noticeable degree. Every line was written differently from the previous which lead to it feeling fresh and kept your attention. The author also brings about how important humor is to the average person. They were right when they said that humor changes the ad from informative to entertainment. Something people are more likely to remember. I'll try the same thing in the future.
One other feature I as impressed with, that I notice a lot of people are guilty of, myself included, is when they take their idea, and when describing it, they go back and forth. They jump from one point of interest and go to another only to jump back. This author just kept going straight forward and grabbing all the details at once. This gives the feeling of a very defined paper that has been tested and written many times to get right. It comes off as very professionally done.
Another impressive feat was that nothing in the paper was repetitive to a noticeable degree. Every line was written differently from the previous which lead to it feeling fresh and kept your attention. The author also brings about how important humor is to the average person. They were right when they said that humor changes the ad from informative to entertainment. Something people are more likely to remember. I'll try the same thing in the future.
One other feature I as impressed with, that I notice a lot of people are guilty of, myself included, is when they take their idea, and when describing it, they go back and forth. They jump from one point of interest and go to another only to jump back. This author just kept going straight forward and grabbing all the details at once. This gives the feeling of a very defined paper that has been tested and written many times to get right. It comes off as very professionally done.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Trick 12. Comparing schools web sites.
The sites that we will be comparing are the Ohio University of Chillicothe (http://www.chillicothe.ohiou.edu/) and my high school, Huntington (http://www.edline.net/pages/Huntington_High_School).
When looking at the two, the Huntington page is very basic, and visually its abrasive to the readers eyes when compared to the Ohio Universities much more neutral tone of browns and dull greens. First impressions, the HHS page only has one opening picture, that of the school itself. The left hand side has the basic information a student would need with their account, classes, and other shortcuts. All in all, a very basic and unimpressive website.
Now, compare that to the OUC site and its much more impressive. The overall tone with dull browns, greens, and black texts make this site much easier to read and understand. All the sidebars are much more fleshed out, easier to read as well, and help the viewer navigate better. This gives a much more professional experience.
When looking at the two, the Huntington page is very basic, and visually its abrasive to the readers eyes when compared to the Ohio Universities much more neutral tone of browns and dull greens. First impressions, the HHS page only has one opening picture, that of the school itself. The left hand side has the basic information a student would need with their account, classes, and other shortcuts. All in all, a very basic and unimpressive website.
Now, compare that to the OUC site and its much more impressive. The overall tone with dull browns, greens, and black texts make this site much easier to read and understand. All the sidebars are much more fleshed out, easier to read as well, and help the viewer navigate better. This gives a much more professional experience.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Trick #10. Body Images.
This blog is in response to http://www.johnriviello.com/bodyimage/dolls.html so that you have an idea of what I'm going to be discussing. Feel free to add any comments below.
While the issue of body image may still persist, I don't think its nearly as prevalent as it used to be. When growing up, nobody I ever knew wanted to be like Barbie or Batman. The images on the website are just simply part of our past. My generation, all the boys and some girls in my grades knew that Batman, and all other superheroes for that matter were just that, fiction. We never aspired to look like them. I never heard any girls talking about how they wanted to look like Barbie growing up. No guys ever compared their girlfriends to Barbie's body and wished they were more similar. We realized they were looking like that for our entertainment.
While on the website, Batman's measurements were made out to be impressive and almost impossible to achieve, you would have to realize what he does every day. He would have 0-5% body fat solely because all he does in the comics is fight crime (massive cardio right there) and lift weights. You have to be in shape to do what he does. I used to get a kick out of people trying to argue the way males look in comic books or video games. Always the perfect build, no fat, ripped pecs. But the same people never took into consideration the lifestyles they must have lead. You think gladiators in the ancient Roman arenas had noticeable amounts of fat? If they did, they didn't live long. Look at the gladiators of today, the fighters of UFC. Very lean and muscular. While not my favorite fighter, Frank Mir is a perfect example here. He has extremely low body weight for a guy who weighs in at around 260 lbs. for a guy who clocks in at 6'3. Here's something to look at.
So on Batman's case, now we understand why he looks the way he does. Story wise, that's how he is in the comics. Figurine wise, it speaks to our inner nerd when we were growing up. We want the big and strong heroes. In Barbie's case, as I said earlier, no girl I ever knew growing up referenced themselves to her. I've had plenty of female friends who aren't happy with the way they look, but not to that degree. So as for that extreme case of body image, I do not believe still exists. But it definitely does on some level. Now I'm going to go back and play that Flash Player movie again. It's quite comical, and frankly, that model is in fact pretty hot prior to her being "Barbified."
While the issue of body image may still persist, I don't think its nearly as prevalent as it used to be. When growing up, nobody I ever knew wanted to be like Barbie or Batman. The images on the website are just simply part of our past. My generation, all the boys and some girls in my grades knew that Batman, and all other superheroes for that matter were just that, fiction. We never aspired to look like them. I never heard any girls talking about how they wanted to look like Barbie growing up. No guys ever compared their girlfriends to Barbie's body and wished they were more similar. We realized they were looking like that for our entertainment.
While on the website, Batman's measurements were made out to be impressive and almost impossible to achieve, you would have to realize what he does every day. He would have 0-5% body fat solely because all he does in the comics is fight crime (massive cardio right there) and lift weights. You have to be in shape to do what he does. I used to get a kick out of people trying to argue the way males look in comic books or video games. Always the perfect build, no fat, ripped pecs. But the same people never took into consideration the lifestyles they must have lead. You think gladiators in the ancient Roman arenas had noticeable amounts of fat? If they did, they didn't live long. Look at the gladiators of today, the fighters of UFC. Very lean and muscular. While not my favorite fighter, Frank Mir is a perfect example here. He has extremely low body weight for a guy who weighs in at around 260 lbs. for a guy who clocks in at 6'3. Here's something to look at.
So on Batman's case, now we understand why he looks the way he does. Story wise, that's how he is in the comics. Figurine wise, it speaks to our inner nerd when we were growing up. We want the big and strong heroes. In Barbie's case, as I said earlier, no girl I ever knew growing up referenced themselves to her. I've had plenty of female friends who aren't happy with the way they look, but not to that degree. So as for that extreme case of body image, I do not believe still exists. But it definitely does on some level. Now I'm going to go back and play that Flash Player movie again. It's quite comical, and frankly, that model is in fact pretty hot prior to her being "Barbified."
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