Looking from Multiple Perspectives

McKemy Junior High must reconsider its decision to cut music programs.

a.       McKemy Junior High is involved in this issue.

b.      School officials most likely have the voice, not so much the students who will be affected.

c.       It is the students who will be affected directly.

* ASU’s dry campus policy is injurious to the students and should be amended.

a.       The ASU officials are the people who are directly involved in this issue and have the voice.

b.      Students and anyone affiliated ON the campus of ASU are the ones impacted by the final verdict.

c.       Parents are the ones who have a legitimate concern in this issue.

* I propose that the ASU adopts a stricter campus security in order to keep vagrants and other potentially dangerous individuals off the school grounds.

a. “I” is trying to speak on behalf of everyone’s safety on campus.

b. This will affect the “vagrants” and “other potentially dangerous individuals”

c. Campus security officers will also feel the effects of this issue because they are being suggested as a solution.

STEP TWO: Develop Context: how do these stakeholders interact with one another? Do they have the same interests, attitudes, or ideas? What do they agree on and what do they disagree on? Pick one of the debates from the first page and develop a profile for each stakeholder: what are their commonly held values, objectives, or beliefs? What kinds of information or experiences get factored into their decisions?

#1: McKemy High: This stakeholder is in defense for the student’s well-being. Wanting to keep the music program shows that there is an artistic value that the person holds. Compared with the other two stakeholders, I sense a common ground in “what is best” for the students. None of what the person is arguing seems to have any negative effect on the students.  

#2: Dry Campus: Here, the person believes that the dry campus policy is dangerous for the students mainly because they go about drinking alcohol behind people’s backs. Regardless of whether the campus is dry or not students will continue to abuse alcohol because of their “want”. The safety of the students is taken into consideration here just like all the other issues but there might be some negative or simply personal experience driving this issue. The values here are not quite clear; the person does not specify how the issue is injurious.

#3 Security: Safety is another issue here. The person believes stricter security will diminish the vandalism or negative activity around campus. The student’s safety or well-being is taken into consideration like in all the other issues here.

STEP THREE: Research: What would be the best method to represent or address these perspectives in a proposal essay?

#1: Music is definitely an interest that one takes personally. The best method to represent this issue is to consider the students who will be affected. Monetary issues are difficult to manage because obviously it is not the students who are paying, but all options should be considered for the students.

#2: Proof of how injurious a dry campus is by far the most necessary thing. The question, “Do non-dry campuses have the same or worse issues?” should be considered as well. This is one of the more delicate topics because people across the country obviously drink underage and on a university there is no exception.

#3. Safety begins with the person. Security enforcement can definitely be of use for students throughout the night, however, students also place themselves in those situations by being alone or simply not being alert. Proof of serious criminal activity increase should be present for this issue to even be pushed further along. 

Peer Responses (Week 3 Assignment)

Peer Response 1: Ian's Essay

Ian in your rough draft I noticed immediately that the introduction, in my opinion, sounds a bit unconvincing.

“This explains the argument in an efficient way that states facts and data for the reader that is an eye opening argument that every parent should see before they decide on their child’s future.”

This sentence here appears to be assuming something quite large for the reader. I understand what you are attempting to say in the sentence but I do believe there might be a much more precise way to word it. The introduction over all lacks power; word choice is definitely something you should play with to construct a more captivating introduction. Adding more information might be a good idea as well.
The context of your essay seems to reference how the author uses ethos, logos, and the use of transitions all of which can definitely make an argument more effective, however, as the paper is now I would not agree that it is an argument powerful enough to belong in the chapter of “Well Made Arguments”. Perhaps elaborating a little more on those strategies that the author is using might make it more convincing. Keep it up! :)

Alexandra’s Essay:

Lexi right? Well, to start off as I read through your paper I thought you definitely have a strong writing ability. I also chose this argument, however, I believed that it did make a strong argument. I noticed major differences in our interpretations of the text I honestly can say that you definitely supported yourself quite well. Your entire third paragraph is golden. At first, I assumed that Hymowitz was being very biased about the whole “pre-adult male” concept as if she was stereotyping man in general as they are typically portrayed in romantic comedies. I went a little above and watched the interview video that was adjacent to the article which I believe gave much more incite to what Hymowitz is trying to say about all the good men being gone.  There is not very much I can negatively critique on as far as your context goes just keep an eye out for your quotations. Some are a bit lengthy and missing proper citation (second paragraph, first quote). Great Job! 

Rough Draft Writing Project 1

Giving the Yay

            Society in America has undergone various changes throughout the past century in many aspects. From woman being able to vote to same sex marriages, diverse is a word that can definitely be used to describe the melting pot of cultures and lifestyles that this country has. However, there is a particular new phenomenon, as author Kay S. Hymowitz would call it, sweeping male individuals between the ages of twenty and thirty. This phenomenon is known as pre-adulthood. In, “Where Have the Good Men Gone?” Hymowitz “argues that too many men living in their twenties are in a new kind of extended adolescence” (wsj.com). At a glance, this article eloquently expresses points that tug on the ethical and emotional appeal of the audience, grabbing the attention of readers with such creativity would make this piece a prime example of a well-constructed argument.

            First and foremost the author of this article definitely knew who they wanted to target in the audience. In the title, “Where Have the Good Men Gone”, instantly one can grasp a somewhat of an insulting gesture from some such a phrase. Being a male myself, I for once disagreed with such a title. I believe that I would constitute as a “good man” as may several other males that perhaps stumbled upon this article. Nonetheless, the author here lays a foundation for the reader to begin brainstorming about the context of the article. In addition, the various pictures that decorate the surroundings of the article may suggest male inferiority to today’s woman. Most of the men showcased all have hipster/grungy appearances not too appealing to the eye, playing video games, and acting childish. Adjacent to these photographs stands a woman dressed in business attire with a strong independent look on her face. The difference in body language here demonstrates the levels maturity in each person; a man’s silly face versus the stern look on the woman next to him definitely adds to what the title already suggests.

            As the reader begins to dive into the context of the article, it is made evident that the information being presented does not fully correlate to what is predicted in the first impressions. For most of the introduction, there is a majority of pathetic and attempted logical appeal; quotes from celebrity comedians and a few graphs supporting the “negativity” that the title suggests. However, as one continues to read the information presented is there to provide background to this idea of “pre-adulthood”. In other words, Hymowitz breaks it down to being similar to ones teenage years and how that uncertainty and self-consciousness that a person feels is essentially what a male with characteristics of pre-adulthood expresses. Not to be confused for any kind of medical disorder, this idea of pre-adulthood is simply a psychological state that some males might experience according to Hymowitz.

            Attempting to strengthen her argument, the author now turns to the logical side of things within the article, stating that pre-adulthood exists in some men because of some contributing personal factors. Referencing the professional life of a person and the economic state in which this society is in now is how Hymowitz climaxes her argument. With woman on the rise professionally and the social changes that the male role has undergone in the past years, the author gives a more logical appeal to this situation. “He has to compete in a fierce job market, but he can't act too bossy or self-confident. He should be sensitive but not paternalistic, smart but not cocky. To deepen his predicament, because he is single, his advisers and confidants are generally undomesticated guys just like him” (wsj.com). Social pressures, professional responsibilities, and personal responsibilities are factors that Hymowitz believes to play a role in this pre-adulthood situation. Logically this makes sense, life does often present situations quite uncomforting to a person that can prove to be overwhelming to the point in which one would much rather throw in the towel. This portion of Hymowitz argument proves to be the most concrete as it appeals to audience on a much more personal level giving it the chance for it be much more accepted.

            In conclusion, the appeal made my Hymowitz in “Where Have the Good Men Gone?” about the pre-adulthood state of a man being a kind of epidemic that woman should try to understand instead of complaining is definitely well constructed. By appealing to the audience both emotionally and logically she constructs a valid argument in which one can ponder and reach a reasonable conclusion or at least understand the point she is trying to portray. The changing of times and roles in society are having an effect on men and how they approach life not so much that all the “good men” have disappeared from this Earth.    

Week 2

One of our projects in my English 101 class required us to create an auditory essay in which we had to speak about a person, place, or event and its significance to the ASU community. For sources, I conversed with several people that I know are well affiliated with the university and had one on one interviews about the importance of school spirit. The whole point of this project was to demonstrate to the audience that our topic did coincide with the ASU community. Persuasion does indeed require the use of ethos, pathos, or logos; any type of persuasion requires these elements in order to be successful in my opinion. When persuading, one must appeal to the other person in a form that will intrigue or spark an idea coinciding with the argument one is presenting. After analyzing this particular project, I find that there is an abundant amount of pathos within most of the essay. School spirit is very much an emotion one can feel, or not. For example, the person I interviewed comes from a family of ASU alumni, so it is logical that he himself believes that Arizona State University is among the best of institutions. His involvement with a pep squad on campus is how he appeals to the student body to encourage them to attend sporting events more often. In the audio essay he does go on to say how he believes such involvement helps mold the community of students and faculty on campus and how in a way unites the university. I cannot say there were many logical or ethical points in this piece; most of the statements recorded came from personal experiences or were personal opinions. However, all opinions were reasonable to support the argument that school spirit does indeed create a more friendly environment especially for first year students.       

Week 1 Assignment

1.  “The Nissan Leaf…’world car of the year’ at the New York International Auto Show as well as a ‘top safety pick’ by the Institute for Highway Safety, thus building an ethos of clean energy and safety.”

This excerpt is speaking to the consumer. The manufacturer has researched what is “in” right now according to these words. The auto industry can be a difficult one to compete in, big names such as Nissan have been around for quite some time and being a person who has handled some of their vehicles I can say that they do have quite the reputation for placing reliable cars on the market. Many drivers, specifically parents, would be those people interested in the safety of the vehicle they might be purchasing. Pulling on those emotional strings that is family can definitely have an impact on the thoughts of a consumer. I would say that any wise business person know that emotion, or ethos, can be a much more effective method when trying to convey a new product. The point about the vehicle being a “green” car can be related to health. What parent wouldn't want their children living in a healthier world? Questions like these, I would say, are common when using this method of appeal because it makes the targeted audience pause and think of the possibilities. When it comes to marketing products, I believe that ethos is the tactic most commonly used because of the personal connection that the salesman can make between their customer and their product.

2.    On page 55 of “Everything’s An Argument” by Andrea Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz there is a cartoon of a man watching a television commercial. On the television screen, appears to be a doctor recommending some product. “And it’s recommended by nine out of ten people we believe to be doctors.” Is what the caption reads. Logos is supposed to pertain to logic; this cartoon is an example of what could be a method of logos. A doctor is typically a person to trust when searching for medicines or other remedy. However, it is also true that the world possesses people that are greedy and would do practically anything to make profit off any product. This picture in a sense is discrediting doctors from their profession. Various commercials advertising skin lotions, dietary pills, or any supplements are common to have a hired actor to play the role of a certified physician. On the other hand it is speaking to the consumer as well. I believe that it is saying that the public should use their logic. The media portrays lots of nonsense now a days and it is our job to do further investigation about what we bring into our homes and more importantly our bodies. The picture does have its humorous aspect in which it might be poking fun at the number of people who would actually believe someone impersonating a doctor but the overall message I believe it is attempting to portray is to use our personal logos.