Unit 3 Reflection

     An individual's obligations to its government as well as a government's obligations to the individual consist of many different elements. These obligations have been exhibited through the works of many rhetors throughout history. In Unit 3, we have covered many of these rhetors such as Thomas Jefferson, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Martin Luther King Jr. Through their works such as the The Declaration of Independence, The Declaration of Sentiments, and I Have a Dream, these rhetors explain that the obligation of both the individual to its government and the government to the individual is to create a state of true equality.
     In Thomas Jefferson's The Declaration of Independence, Jefferson explains that equality is the obligation of both the individual and the government. Through lines such as "all men are created equal" (page 1), Jefferson emphasizes the need for the government to treat its people as equals and the individual to treat eachother as well as the government as equals. This equality must be created despite differences such as race, religion, culture, or lifestyle. By including this strong statement about equality in the nation's Declaration of Independence, Jefferson even further emphasizes the need for this from both the government and the individual.
     I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. exhibits the obligation of equality for both the individual and the government. King uses statements such as "I have a dream that one day...will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice." (MLKjr. p.3) In this quote, King expresses the need for equality so that the nation can at last be turned into one of true freedom and justice. The government must provide true equality for its people so that in return the people can treat eachother as equals, and in all, the country can better function as one equal, free, justified whole.
     Elizabeth Cady Stanton declares in The Declaration of Sentiments that the obligation of both the individual and the government is true equality. In this document, Stanton emphasizes the obligation of the individual to stand up for themselves to work towards a state of true equality, such as the woman standing up for the rights of equality towards men. Throughout this work, Stanton continuously proves that equality is the common obligation of both the individual and the government.
     Through these famous works, The Declaration of Independence, I Have a Dream, and The Declaration of Sentiment, rhetors such as Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Elizabeth Cady Stanton consistently prove that the obligation of both the individual and the government is to create equality.

AOW #18- End of IRB

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is a comedian who is well known for his books in which he writes funny short stories from his life. He has many books published to this date, including Holidays on Ice, filled with short stories about the holiday season, which I read for my IRB.

This book is composed of several short stories that David Sedaris has pulled from the many holiday seasons he has experienced throughout his life. He uses these funny moments to exhibit how the holiday season is for him. His stories focus on elements such as work, friends, family, and of course all the stereotypical holiday moments, such as Santa, elves, mall Santa, Christmas, and holiday meals.

The context of this piece is in the prime of Sedaris' career, where he has previously published many books and has a well-established career.

The purpose of this book was to make his audience laugh while telling of his experiences in the holiday season.

The audience of this book is anyone who is a fan of Sedaris or is attracted to his humor. It is not for everyone, as it does not appeal to all humor.

Rhetorical devices of DIDLS are:

• Diction- Sedaris uses comical phrasing and casual word choice. Sedaris says things that the average person might not normally say, but in such a way that it seems like casual phrasing.
• Imagery- Sedaris consistently does a good job of setting the scene. He describes settings well and effectively sets the mood for the following situation.
• Details- Details are used interestingly in this book. Sedaris adds details that may seem insignificant at first glance, but then end up being what sticks out to you most after reading the short story. He uses details to add further humor to his piece.
• Language- Sedaris uses language that could sometimes be seen as offensive. Though personally I don't find it to be offensive, Sedaris uses words and phrases that may make the reader say "did he really just say that?"
• Syntax: For the most part, Sedaris uses basic syntax. There is mild variation in punctuation.

Personally, I do not feel Sedaris accomplished his purpose. I rarely found myself laughing at his stories and usually found them quite boring. I was disappointed in this book, because I had high expectations/hopes for it.

AOW #17- Doritos Commercial

Doritos Commercial- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpjaOUjUPUc

This is a credible source because it is a well-known commercial that is played on many major television networks.

This commercial is of a guy standing behind a glass door with a bag of Doritos. There is a dog outside. The man teases the dog with the chips so it comes running towards the door. The dog ends up knocking down the door, leaving the guy squished underneath it, and eating the Doritos.

The context of this piece is during the Super Bowl, when there is a huge audience and many people looking for the funniest commercial.

The purpose for this commercial is to get the viewer to buy Doritos.

The audience of this commercial is everyone watching the Super Bowl. It especially appeals to dog lovers.

Rhetorical devices include:

• Comedy- The commercial is funny because you would think that the dog would run into the glass and not break through, but actually he knocks down the whole door.
• Appeal to Pathos- The dog is really cute which plays on people's emotions. Also, the girlfriend says "babe, don't tease my dog" which makes the viewer think even more that the dog will run into the door, not break it down, and therefore you feel bad for the dog.

The commercial sort of accomplished its purpose. It is a clever commercial, but it doesn't tell why the audience should buy the Doritos, it only makes it clear that the dog wants them, but what dog doesn't want any kind of food?

AOW #16- "Money Talks"

"Money Talks"
by Reniqua Allen for Teen Vogue Magazine (December/January 2012)

This article is about money and how teenager's financial situations impact their friendships. It talks mainly about how having a lot of money and being very privileged impacts who a teenager spends time with and whether or not they are socially accepted.

The context of this piece is this country's current economic situation, with so many people unemployed and where finances are a huge issue. Also, the context is our current society that values people with money as being high-society.

The purpose of this piece is to examine how money affects friendships.

The audience for whom this piece was intended is teenage girls of all social classes, especially those who are struggling with fitting in due to their economic status.

Rhetorical devices include:

• pictures- There are pictures of stars from popular movies and television shows from many years ago until recent times.  These pictures are of the stars of movies and television shows that have a central story revolving around money and social class and its impact on relationships such as My Fair Lady, Pretty in Pink, and Gossip Girl.
• appeal to logos-In the article, the author quotes authors and professionals who specialize in finances, teenagers, and/or relationships. The article even starts out with a quote about the unemployment rate in America.

This article semi-accomplished its purpose. It was a great article that I absolutely find valid in my life and see it as in issue in my school, but it could improve by focusing on the struggle of lower class teenagers to fit in with the popular cliques that appear to be mostly upper class rather than focusing on the upper class teenagers and how that impacts their relationships.

AOW #15- "Rules to Stop Teachers and Students From Getting Too Social Online"

"Rules to Stop Teachers and Students From Getting Too Social Online"
by Jennifer Preston for New York Times (Dec. 17, 2011)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/business/media/rules-to-limit-how-teachers-and-students-interact-online.html?_r=1&hpw

This article was about limitations regarding social networking sites and school. It talks about boundaries that are/have been set and their effectiveness. It also brings up cases of abuse and success of social networking sites in schools in order to support both sides of the argument.

The context of this piece is how popular social networking sites are and how controversial the subject of their use in education is.

The purpose of this piece is to give an unbiased explanation of the pros and cons of social networking sites and their use in schools and education.

The audience for whom this is intended is all students, teachers, parents, and faculty members, especially those who are concerned about the use of these sites in schools. It can also appeal to anyone interested in social networking sites and their role in society.

Rhetorical devies of this article include:

• They Say, I say- Rather then disproving the "they say" part, each piece of both sides of the argument is supported with facts, statistics, court cases, etc. 
• Appeal to Logos- This article uses many facts, statistics, court cases, etc. in order to support their argument and create a balance between the pros and cons of the situation.

I think that the author accomplished her purpose because this article gives a very thorough, in depth look at the impact of social networking sites in education and what boundaries work and don't work.

AOW #14- IRB- "Holidays on Ice"

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris comes from North Carolina, raised in a family with 6 siblings. He began his career in comedy after dropping out of Kent State University to travel around the United States and read excerpts from his diaries at local clubs. He then went on to reading these hilarious stories on the local radio station, eventually publishing these stories into several books.

This section was composed of 3 short stories about the holiday season. He describes events in past holiday seasons that he finds humorous and can effectively describe in order to make his audience laugh. Out of the 3 stories in this section, my favorite was the first, which described his short-lived career as an elf in SantaLand of Macy's in New York. His portrayal of his time working as an elf was funny and entertaining to read about.

The context of this book is David Sedaris' holiday tales as told by him to his fan-base.

The purpose for which this book was written is to tell readers about the hilarious stories of Sedaris' holiday seasons.

The audience for whom this book is intended is those interested in Christmas and the holiday season. Also, it is mainly written for fans of Sedaris and his writing style.

Rhetorical elements of this book include:

• satire- Sedaris consistently creates humor out of every situation he describes. He describes in detail very funny stories that have actually happened in his life.
• syntax- Sedaris uses extreme punctuation such as repetitive exclamation marks (!!!) to express emotion in his writing. He uses them to show excitement and loudness.

So far, I think Sedaris semi-accomplished his purpose. I am not fully satisfied with his sense of humor as I sometimes find him offensive, though that clearly is just his style. I think that certain parts of his stories are funny though and have made me laugh out loud.

AOW #13- "It's their world..."

"It's their world...(We're just keeping up with it)"
by David Keeps for Lucky Magazine (November 2011)

This is a credible source because it is a popular, well-established magazine.

This article was about the Kardashian family, their fame, and their television show. It talks about the author's meeting with the 3 sisters and what they were like. It also discusses their personal opinions on their fame and television show.

The context of this piece is the current immense fame and popularity of the Kardashians and their extensive impact on today's media. Also, their show is currently a huge hit that many people watch.

The purpose for this piece is to tell the readers about the Kardashian family and how they became the phenomenons they are today. Also, it informs fans about their favorite Hollywood family, and what their past, present, and future look like.

The audience for whom this piece was intended is fans of the Kardashians or anyone interested in their life.

Rhetorical devices in this piece include:

• testimony: This article is based on an interview with the Kardashian sisters were they each shared their personal thoughts, and then was formed into an article.
• syntax: The author uses syntax to express how the Karshasians actually talked/acted. For example, "Oh. Meh. Goh." 

I don't think the author accomplished their purpose effectively. The piece was pretty boring and not very informational. The author could have delved deeper into the lives of the Kardashians or focused on more interesting topics in their lives, rather then being so general and boring.