Issue Paper Intro Draft

Over the Past few years, Youth have started leaving religious organizations in greater and greater numbers. Many people have attempted to answer why the youth are leaving and have given many different responses and perspectives on the matter. The best way to learn why the youth are leaving is to ask the youth and their responses can be very enlightening. When the youth are asked a common answer appears.” I started asking questions to my family and they couldn't give me a straight answer about anything.”, “This is what happened with me, I couldn't agree with the others at church because there wasn't enough proof. Nothing made sense half the time.”, “This made no sense to me,”, “It's a kooky religion with kooky stories.”, “It simply doesn't make sense …” One of the biggest reasons youth are leaving religion is because they don’t truly understand it. The youth of this generation are growing smarter and smarter, but their knowledge of science and reason is outpacing their knowledge of god by far. Much of what the church does and says makes no sense to these now learned individuals.  For these reasons, the best way to help the youth stay in church is to learn different and better ways to really teach the youth and help them understand religion and god. If that doesn't happen, the youth are going to keep leaving in bigger and bigger numbers.

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis propsal

For my Rhetorical analysis I will write about Patrick Clarks American Justice and Divine Mercy. For me, it was one of the most convincing arguments I read. I read the paper not having the same thought as his, but left thinking about the same thing. He understood his audience well, Christians, and referenced many biblical thoughts and ideas, even scriptures.

From those scriptural ideas he appealed to the base values people are taught in Sunday school, basically playing off of ethos. In his paper, he didn’t just reference the bible to get support though. He stated things the bible taught, and then he put them together to make a solid defense for his point, (mainly for Christians, but once again, that was his audience) playing off of Logos. By starting his paper with “Here are just a couple scattered thoughts that came swirling into my mind in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death:” He showed that he was more speaking from his heart. That made people listen to what he had to say, because it felt more sincere. That coupled with the emotion of the time and topic, made the paper a very strong Pathos paper too.

Patrick Clark’s paper might not have been the longest paper, or maybe the most convincing to the general audience. Given his audience though, the paper was very effective in using rhetorical arguments and so was very convincing

style academy 3

Absolute phrases

            I looked for an activity that I thought I could help me, so I decided to try the absolute phrases activity. In my past paper, I seemed to lack some conviction in what I was saying. I had a lot of logic, but instead of really saying “This is the way it is” I said “I think it’s this way”. That is not very effective in a rhetorical situation, so I wanted to try to do better and I thought that absolute phrases might be able to help me. They sound firm and strong, what I need.

            The Concept really was not what I Thought it was at all. Instead of teaching me how to write more forcefully, confidently, it taught me how to combine two sentences in a different way. I was sad that it didn't teach me what I thought it would, but I did find the writing style to be more intriguing. I agree that the separated sentences he showed were boring, and Being able to combine them into one flowing sentence, just by taking out the “to be” verb, was really cool. I can definitely see how that would help me to keep the readers intrigued in what I was writing. Honestly, I have the most fun with these activates when it allows me to add my own parts to the sentence, like it did with the last exercise. That allows me to add what I want to the stories, intrigue, mystery, shock, whatever I feel like. I am not sure I am doing the method right, I often just add “ing” to the verbs to make it fit, but he said that was one of the strategies. So I might not have gotten what I expected out of this assignment, but what I did get will help me to be a more compelling speaker, and I need that.

Faith in america Review

Pathos: Mitt Romney did not use Ethos very effectively in his speech. He did talk about things that would cause emotion in groups of Americans. He got the emotion of the defenders of this nation by mentioning those who want to destroy it. He sought those who love America by quoting the founders. He tried, but his talk ended up sounding just like another talk from a politician vying for more supporters, not sincere or from the heart.

Ethos: Mitt Romney Used ethos a lot better. By quoting the Founders of this nation, he got their support on this topic. Their words are highly respected and Mitt Romney showed well how they sought freedom of religion, not the destruction of it. He added to his own credibility by talking about his family and the things they had done, like March with martin Luther king, and give aid to the needy. He effectively fought for our trust.

Logos: I found the Logos of the paper to be mediocre. He did point out how the founders didn't want leaders to be tested about their religion, and people seeking the candidate’s belief are doing that exact thing. He also points out how many religions have common values running through them that help the nation and people in general. He finally points out how those seeking to remove god from the state are seeking to enforce secularism. He had some solid points, just not quite enough.

Opinion edit. Reflection

    I actually had fun writing this opinion editorial. When i signed up to take this class, i was rather worried, I do very well in my classes, but English classes were always hard for me. As i prepared to write this Editorial though, i found that it came to me fairly naturally. I started by thinking how people should make more things, add to this amazing world. I realized that might be hard topic to argue though (it was very unique to me), so i expanded the argument to how we should all use our time more wisely. I felt that was a issue we all have experienced, but haven't really talked about much, so it seemed to be a great opinion editorial topic. The ideas started flowing from that point.
   As i prepared to write the paper, i didn't know how i really wanted to write it. I could try to make it very formal and informative, like most other papers i had written, but that didn't seem enjoyable.Then i had an idea for something else i could try. I could write the paper like a story, showing how i came to my collusion and backing it up with evidence along the way. Once i had that idea, i knew that was how i was going to write my paper. It wasn't how i typically did it, but i thought it would be a little better that way.
   I was fairly worried once i wrote the paper though. Unlike other papers i had written which had followed strict bounds, this one kind of just came out of my head like a stream of thought. I think the thing that stopped the paper from turning sour was the fact that i had been thinking about the issue since we had gotten the assignment. I hadn't really written anything down, but i had thought a lot about how i wanted to write it and the evidence i wanted to use. That gave me a chance to organize the paper in my head, so when it came out, it wasn't just a random stream of thoughts. I was relieved when others said that the draft was enjoyable.
    It is interesting writing about our need to use our time wisely. Some times i felt bad because i wasn't the perfect example of what i talked about, but i think that worked in the end. When it comes down to it, none of us can use our time perfectly well. We need rest, we are human, and we all slip up sometimes. That is why i loved the ending of the paper. The real message is that we need to TRY to do better with our time, That is what is expected of us. That is practically my family's motto, As long as we do our best, things will be okay. It was fun to incorporate that in. I'm happy the paper turned out how it did and hope it helps some people.

Pathos from Emily Matchar

    Emily Matchar Does a fairly good job at using pathos in her article "Why i cant stop reading Mormon housewife blogs".  The first thing she did was show people's experiences and feelings from the Mormon housewife blogs. These quotes and remarks show how these blogs make other people feel, how it uplifts them. Showing how these women feel, make you feel those same things too, bringing in emotion.
   She shows how today's homes are hard on so many people, How many people don't find joy in family life. she explains that seeing people find happiness is a ray of light for everyone else. She explains that it makes people wonder if they shouldn't go back to the way things were. This is a current issue that a lot of people have different emotions about, so it brings more emotion into the paper.
    I think the most effective things she did though was write it the way she did. She didn't write it like a fancy paper, with only scientific terms. She wrote the article with really visual words, words where you read it and you see images in your head. Words can have an effect on emotion, but i find visual things really bring on the most emotion, and the way she writes really let you see things. They make you understand how she feels and bump up the emotion even more. She did a good job, it was an enjoyable paper.

Worst Movie Ever

I didn't upload this onto blogger earlier, so i decided to now. It kind of out there, but my mind was thinking about the movie at the time.

Finding the worst movie that is liked by many was hard for me. Usually when a movie comes out I will listen to a review about it before I see it, so my list of bad movies is short. After considering the subject for a Time though, a movie quickly came to mind, Rocky. Rocky is a movie loved by many. It fails though because it falls short of its purpose. Instead of inspiring us to try, it shows that we need luck to win.

            The Story is about Rocky Balboa, a boxer, who is just trying to make it through life. He is very strong but not that bright. His is in a rough spot and stuck there. Fortunately for him, the Heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, needs a challenger and deigns to challenge Him. Once people hear that Rocky will be Fighting Apollo, They all get behind him to help and in the end he holds out against Apollo during the fight. He inspires everyone in a classic rags to riches tale.

            Rocky is not the role model he should have been. Anything he got, he took with sheer Persistence or force, easily seen in his second job as a debt collector. He was in a bad situation in life but he wasn't trying to change it, he was just living there. The only thing that brought him to greatness was luck. He started trying after his lucky break but in the end He still couldn't beat Apollo Creed. Apparently Trying isn't enough, we all just need to be lucky to become great.

            Though Rocky is a highly beloved movie, It fails in its purpose. There are many other movies that teach Better morals and inspire people to try and rise higher. This inspires people to wait for fortune to come to them, reminding them that won’t always work. That to me is why Rocky is one of the Worst Movies.

Style Academy 1

    Sentence imitation seems like a really cool idea. If you just look at face value it might not seem like that, but the meaning is what makes it count. We all want to be great at what we do and there are people we all admire. If we try to follow those we look up to in everyday matters, it only makes sense, as a writer to try and copy the style of those we love. simply too learn how they do what they do so we can take on those good attributes and then grow. I have high hopes for what this could do for me.

    That was rather fun. It gave me an opportunity to finally release some of my creative energies. I’m not imitating these sentences to copy their style, I imitate them to see what type of new story I can create. It is amazing the number of details and feelings you can get across I just a sentence. I think this would definitely help me be more creative and become a better writer as well, and that is really what I want to get out of this activity so that’s great.

Exercises

    2. Once, as a child, going to the hospital, a bee flew into the car as his mother parked it, Terrifying this boy for he hated bees, and she, the boy’s mother, hoping to calm him, told to not worry because bees only stung when you threatened them.

    4. It seems the world changes in an instant, and each year as snow falls, white covers the ground, There is a moisture in the air that is unique to that time of year, and our breath, a clear sign of winter, rolls out our mouths and slowly rises to the heavens majestically.

    7. His friends returned to their homes, but brave mike, because he couldn’t stand losing family again, returned to the large forest in search of his lost brother.

    10. At exactly 12 minutes past 11 at night, on October 5, 2022, Mountain Standard Time, The moment the machine learned to think, Mr. Goodman, A scientist in the life analysis department of the Better robot corporation, had just stood up to use the restroom as his computer finished its task.

Gascap

Generalization
Criminal Card Games
Claims that because some big companies are being hacked, That all companies are not doing enough to secure their customers card information
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/opinion/joe-nocera-criminal-card-games.html?ref=opinion

Analog
Repeal Prohibition, Again
claiming that this will be like when america banned alcohol, so we should allow marijuana
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/27/opinion/sunday/high-time-marijuana-legalization.html?_r=0

Sign
What Is the Right Way to Fight ISIS?
Saying that we are not doing enough to stop Isis, so they will attack us if we don't change tactics
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/opinion/what-is-the-right-way-to-fight-isis.html?rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

Cause
In Ferguson, a System of Injustice Through Fines
Claims that The legal system charged people unfairly, which add to the riots in Ferguson
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/opinion/in-ferguson-a-system-of-injustice-through-fines.html?rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article

Authority
Goodbye, Organization Man
References leaders who say if things don't change, that we cant stop the spread of eboli.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/opinion/david-brooks-goodbye-organization-man.html?ref=opinion

Principle
Preventable Disasters in Kashmir
Says that the government should have done more to help its people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/opinion/preventable-disasters-in-kashmir.html

Style Academy Reflections

Style Academy looks like its going to be a interesting and fun tool. The exercises and guidance should really be able to help us.

 I can really see the sense behind trying to mimic the writing style of those you like. It seems that with most things we learn by example, and out of school, we follow those we see greatness in. I think that's why so many people write fan fiction, stories about characters they loved. Those writers are just trying to figure out how to write stories, or characters like the author did. So if we did have writers we preferred, it would make sense to try and copy their style.

As for the sentence combining, that trains the brain to think about different ways to combine sentences, allowing you to write the most effective sentences for whatever you need. Both of the exercises look like they will have a great effect as we use them. I need to go find my favorite author and see  how he writes so i can copy him.

Opinion Editorial Thesis

For my Opinion Editorial, I'm going to write about how people should live more productive lives. I have found in life that there are three categories of things we do. Things we need to do, things we should do, and things we want to do. While finding those things we need to and want to do is pretty easy, I think the third category is a lot harder, but just as important. We all have a lot of things we need to do, and those should be our first priorities. At that point some people skip instantly to what they want to do. I Think we should instead think of what we can accomplish, or how we could help the world, and I place those things in the should category.

I am not suggesting that people take no breaks in life, we need free time. But instead of wasting so much time simply doing what seems fun, we should put time to the side to do something better, something that will help others. Instead of simply playing games all evening, learn how to draw, and make something. Instead of watching Netflix for 3 hours, spend some time writing a story. Do something that won’t only help you, but that will help or brighten other people’s day. We don't need to do big major things like find the cure for the common cold, or 3 hours of service daily, even small things help. Do whatever you can to make the world a better place, no matter how big or small.

We all need money to survive and working is how we get money. Work in its very nature is accomplishing something for other, so some might think if they were working that would be enough. To many of us do only what is required of us at work, and I don't think that really helps though. We need to go the extra mile. Some might do this by doing great at whatever their job is. If your making pizzas, make the best pizzas you can, they will brighten the day of those who eat them. I think cake was made along those lines, not by somebody just doing their job, but loving it. While I believe people should be doing productive things outside of work, I think if somebody is really doing their job and helping people, they are on the right track.

Opinion Editorials Opinion

My thoughts on the 3 editorials we read

Wrestling's Dirty Secret
I found this editorial to be very persuasive. Most likely because it did make you feel like the ncaa is not doing enough. I had heard about wrestlers losing weight to make it into certain weight groups. I had not thought much about it before, but i could see why it would be such a big problem, even the idea is gross. This author made his point by reaching to the humanity in all of us, and so ultimately succeeded.

A Miniskirt, Even with leggings, Is still a miniskirt
This was not as persuasive, Though it was still entertaining to me. I under stood the points this lady made about how we should honor the dress code, and I agree with it. As BYU students who signed a agreement form, we need to obey. I have not seen this to be a real problem on campus though. Students might disagree, but i haven't really seen them openly violate it. BYU still seems to be one of the chastest places on the planet. So The points didn't stick as well.

A Kiss_less Campus
This was also a entertaining editorial, ineffective, but fun.  Love birds are always going to show public affection, so we might as well get used to it. Yes, it can be awkward for those near them, but its not going to change any time soon. I laughed when she showed places where affection in public was almost banned, Those were more extreme places. That being said, i did still find it entertaining, so i have to give her some credit at least as a writer, just maybe not as a editorial publisher.

20 min. free write

   So our next paper is to write a opinion editorial. That should be interesting. It could be really fun if you did it right. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to write about though. I could try one of the major topics that a lot of people talk about, but that doesn't seem as interesting. I could try to write something about video games, but i'm not sure what I would write about. Maybe I could tell how I think everybody should try to make something during their life, that would be good.
   We all are consumers of something or another, and I figure if we are all taking in so much, its only right that we make something in return. certainly we all will have families, and help that way, but we could all do something to make the current world we are in a better place. I'm not really talking about something grand and big like finding the cure for the common cold, just simple things that would brighten peoples day. Making a story with a good ending that gives you hope, or Writing a catchy song that would help ease peoples tensions. I think we all have the power in us to make something. We are children of god, the maker of everything we see around us. we are practically guaranteed some creativity by that statement. I think like every other talent though, If we want it to grow we need to use it.
   I can't really get mad at people for not making things. I still have not really made anything either. I want to one day. I want to make awesome things that will entertain people and hopefully help them in life at the same time. I have found so much entertainment in so many things in life that I find it only fitting that I should give back to the world by entertaining them in some way. And instead of just making something that is only entertaining, I can make something that is entertaining and informative, that will help people in life. So many things nowadays are good (i.e. entertaining, fun) but they have some kind of dark side, something that spoils them or stops them from being uplifting. I want to make better things. Things that are really entertaining, but don't make you feel guilty afterwards.
   I found all this out from playing games. I found great entertainment in them, they made my day better. So I got to thinking after a while that it would be fun to make them. Now i know that there is a ton of work put into them, so its not nearly fun and games to make games, ironically. I want to help the future generations though and make them something good and uplifting, so i stayed with the job option. A major part of making uplifting games is going to be their story telling, so i will have to improve my storytelling ability. What i might try to do during this class is try to make my papers stories wherever possible. It will be hard, but it will give me the practice i need and if applied right, will make writing papers so much more entertaining.
   Those are my thoughts. I'm going to try and write stories for this class. For my opinion editorial, i might write about our duty as human beings to add to this wonderful world we live in, and our duty as members to add good things. Both ideas are rather different, but if i tried i might be able to accomplish them. That is my hope.

Greetings

Hello Everybody
My name is James Fox. I'm from Nebraska though I've lived all over the united states. I am a programmer and artist and I hope to combine those passions to make video games one day. With that I hope to make stories that will affect people for the good, uplift and teach them. I enjoy Reading and Origami and Really just the idea of making things and entertaining people. WRTG150 should be able to help me to communicate ideas better to people through text, which i will be using with my storytelling. I look forward to this semester and hope i can do well.