AOW #23- "I Was Carjacked at the Mall!"

"I Was Carjacked at the Mall!"
as told to Claudine Ko for Seventeen Magazine (March 2012)

This article was about a young girl who was carjacked while putting her bags in her car during a shopping trip to the mall. She left her friends to put her shopping bags in the car, at which point a man shoved her into the passenger seat of the car and drove away with her still in the car. They ended up at the top of a dirt road, where there was only a single house. She finally escaped from the car and ran to the house, where luckily an older couple was home and able to help her. Eventually, the police caught the man and had him arrested.

The context of this piece is when it is not uncommon for teenage girls to be alone at their cars, in situations where things like this can happen.

The purpose of this piece is to make readers aware of this situation and that it is possible for things like this to happen to anyone.

The audience of this article is all Seventeen magazine readers, which is mainly teenage girls.

Rhetorical Devices:

• Detail- The story is described in such great detail, so it is easy for the reader to imagine what is happening and visualize the story. It helps the reader feel for the girl and be scared for her.
• Punctuation/Syntax- The story is written with a lot of exclamation marks and quotes. This is used to show the intensity of the situation and emphasize the mood.

I think that the author accomplished her purpose because I never really considered situations like this being able to happen to me. I am now more aware of things like this and will be much more careful, especially when I am out by myself.

AOW #22-M&M Commercial

M&M Commercial-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raidy0ATd3A

This commercial was of a brown m&m at a party. People are laughing at her because she is brown, so she looks like she has no "clothes" on. (clothes meaning her candy coating to cover the chocolate). Another m&m comes into the scene and strips off his "clothes", and the song Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO comes on as he dances.

The context of this piece is during the 2012 Super Bowl, when there is the largest viewing audience of any time.

The purpose of this commercial is to comically advertise m&m candies.

The audience of this article is anyone viewing the Super Bowl. The audience is much larger than normal since it is such a big event. Even the commercial viewing audience is larger because people have began to expect great, funny commercials during the Super Bowl.

Rhetorical Devices:

• Comedy- This commercial is effective because it makes the viewer laugh. It is extremely funny and therefore it sticks in your head. 
• Audio/Music- The use of the song Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO was perfect because it is a very popular, comical song that most people have heard and are amused by. It fits perfectly with the content of the commercial and adds to the effect of the product being stuck in your head due to the song.

This commercial accomplished its purpose because it is very funny and entertaining. I remember this commercial very easily, and have even shared it with others because it is so comical. The point of a commercial is to get the product stuck in the viewer's head and make them want to buy it, which this commercial absolutely does. 

AOW #21- "My 'Pregnancy' Diary"

"My 'Pregnancy' Diary"
by Gaby Rodriguez for Seventeen Magazine (March 2012)

This article was about a 17 year old girl who faked a pregnancy as a social experiment. The only people in on the secret was her mom, boyfriend, best friend, and school principal. After going along with her story for 6 months, in an assembly she reveals to the school that it was fake. She did this in an effort to showcase the stereotypes made at family's with history of teen pregnancy as well as being Hispanic and from a small town.

The context of this piece is at a point in our history when teen pregnancy is something that is seen frequently and showcased in the news as well as television shows, such as 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom.

The purpose of this piece was to get the story of this courageous teen to teenagers. It shows how easily people are judged and stereotyped, regardless of what the one who is judging knows or doesn't know about that person.

The audience of this article is all Seventeen magazine readers, which is mainly teenage girls.

Rhetorical Devices:

• Point of View- This article is written in a diary format with Gaby (the teen carrying out the experiment) as the narrator. It is split into periods of time from the beginning of the experiment to the reveal. This helps the reader to understand exactly how she felt and what she went through.
• Side Article- A great feature of this article was a mini side article written by Gaby's boyfriend, who was in on the experiment and went along with it. He shares how difficult it was for him as well since he was being judged as a teen dad. 

I think that the author accomplished her purpose because this article was so interesting. I greatly respect Gaby for the courage she had to follow through with this experiment. I think that this was so interesting to read about and really made me think about the way I view others. 

3rd Marking Period IRB

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Section 1: pg.1-111

Section 2: pg. 112-208

Section 3: pg. 208-332

I chose this book primarily because Mr. Gabriele recommended it. I knew I wanted to read fiction because I have always been much more interested in fiction than non-fiction. I had absolutely no idea what type of book I wanted or what to chose, so I asked for help. This is the book that was recommended to me.

AOW #20- "Demi"

"Demi"
by Amy Spencer for Seventeen Magazine (February 2012)

This article was about Demi Lovato, the famous actress and singer. It was an interview with her that discussed her time in rehab last year and her battle with eating disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, and suicidal acts. It highlights her recovery and hopes for a bright future.

The context of this piece is almost exactly a year after her stay in rehab.

The purpose of this piece was to allow Demi to explain exactly what happened rather than allowing her fans to rely on rumors that may not be the full truth. It is also to explain how she has such high hopes for a bright future.

The audience of this article is all of Demi's fans and anyone interested in her story. It could also be for people struggling with any of these issues because it shows the story of how Demi experienced them, dealt with them, and grew from them.

Rhetorical Devices:

• Photography: The article features pictures of Demi. This adds to the article because in the pictures she is wearing bright colors and is smiling and looks happy and carefree. This adds to the point of the article which was to express how far she's come since being in rehab a year ago.
• Pathos: Demi's story has a definite appeal to pathos because the reader really feels for her as she explains her struggles. The fact that it is an interview and in Question and Answer format adds to this because it is through her exact words.

I think that the author accomplished her purpose because I took a lot out of reading this article. I had previously believed any and all rumors I heard about Demi and rehab, and now I actually know what the truth is.

AOW #19- "SOPA, PIPA, Online Piracy Lead Week's Security News"

"SOPA, PIPA, Online Piracy Lead Week's Security News"
by Fahmida Rashid for eWeek.com 1/22/12
(http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/SOPA-PIPA-Online-Piracy-Lead-Weeks-Security-News-651755/)

This article was about all the recent controversies and issues over the last week regarding internet piracy that have led the nation's news. It strongly discusses the bills of SOPA and PIPA and the impact that they have had on popular internet sites such as Wikipedia in the last week. The article also talks about the incident with hackers in Zappos.com last week. It sums up the huge issues regarding the internet that have arose in the last week.

The context of this piece is at the end of a week of huge, hard-hitting news in the internet world that has had a profound impact on the country.

The purpose of this article was to sum up all of these issues in one short article.

The audience of this piece is anyone who has followed the issues this week or is in anyway interested in them.

Rhetorical devices:

• logos- The article includes many quotes and insider information. It cites the exact sources of the hacks, as well as the people and sites involved.
• Process Analysis/Cause and Effect- The article goes chronologically through how each event happened and then what proceeded it, each event leading into the next.

This article semi-accomplished its purpose. It used too many technical phrasing and words, and a lot of the information went way over my head, being that I am not very familiar with the situations. I was hoping for an article with more of the basics of SOPA and PIPA and this article wasn't for that.

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.