The Effect of One's Environment

The environment someone grows up in is a major influence on the perception of the world around that person. A person's upbringing affects their beliefs and values, which is how someone bases their ideas on the world around them off of. The opinions a person has on a subject are dependent on how much it affects that person's lifestyle. A person containing great wealth may not care about raising the minimum wage, unless their wealth is dependent upon cheap labor. In the same way, a poorer citizen probably doesn't care how much more the rich are taxed because it isn't his or her money. This example of alternative views is evident in the current issue of class warfare. Each side has their own idea of the situation, and these ideas are the ideas they believe will help their own side most. Similarly, the culture of the environment a person grows up in is different across the globe. The behaviors are usually inherited and applied in that person's life, however, this culture would be considered strange and even wrong among other groups of people. Moreover, the way in which someone views himself depends on their status. This is shown through how the rich are stereotyped, who are viewed as obnoxious and selfish by poorer classes because the rich appear to have everything so therefore, they are everything. This reveals how environments around someone affect the thoughts and opinions they have.

Organizing and Writing Research Arguments

A helpful strategy for writing an essay is to create an outline for it. Due to the usage of subheads and transitions, an outline can help organize and develop an essay’s argument. An outline should organize sections for the thesis, arguments, and sources. Also, it should be formatted with subheads and argumentative subheads as a way of transitioning the ideas in the essay fluidly. Transitions are essential to any research paper and needs to be given special attention by the author. Each idea should build upon the next idea to allow smooth transitions. In any research paper, sources are necessary and through a process of integrating sources. In this process, summary, paraphrasing, and direct quotations are ways of using sources in a paper. A summary is a brief overview of the topic of discussion. Paraphrasing is the restating of a specific point in your research. Another important part of a research paper is including direct quotations. An author would use quotations as evidence for their argument and also as a form of validity because it is coming directly from an expert on the subject. However, quotes should never be merely inserted into a paper, but instead, integrated naturally into it. All of these steps are effective ways of preparing a successful research paper.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

The posters advertising the movie Bigger Stronger Faster illustrate the director's message of his movie through alternative styles. The movie was an analysis of the impact of performance-enhancing drugs on society and how it is viewed and treated by those who were entertained. The poster to the left attempts to advertise the movie by highlighting the scandals associated with the topic of discussion. The simple, white background is used so the only thing seen is the characters on the poster making them more noticeable and important to the poster. Athletes can be seen on the poster, showing the subject target. Moreover, a politician is visible in a standard politician pose, normally associated with deceit and the lies of politicians. Although it is apparent who the subject of the poster is, their faces are covered by a sticker that looks like a warning label, covering the faces of the scandal. The poster takes a less direct way of illustrating the target of his movie by making his poster look like a standard epic summer movie. The characters on the poster, most of them are the same as the ones on the other poster, look like heroes. However, if one takes a closer look at the poster, it becomes obvious the movie is highlighting how the cheaters are idolized and looked up to in society. Similar to the other poster, the faces are covered, although in a more hidden and heroic way, and the same slogan, "Is it still cheating if everyone's doing it?" is shown. This slogan addresses how the severity of PED's is negated by the public ignoring the problems in favor of idolizing the heroics caused by them.

Plagiarism

A proper research paper must include sources because it is not truly research without looking up information from other references. However, using someone else’s ideas as your own is known as plagiarism and is illegal. The use of plagiarism is prohibited because it is the stealing of another person’s idea or concept and claiming it as your own. It is the same as stealing a physical item from someone because the idea you are claiming in your paper belongs to the originator of an idea. Sources are absolute necessary in a research paper because the point of researching is investigating materials and sources on which you base your ideas. Moreover, the importance of writing a research paper is the inclusion of your own ideas, so therefore, so therefore, by copying another person’s ideas you are not adding anything of value. A writer creates support for his or her argument by using these sources that are to be cited. To prevent plagiarism, a writer must include a works cited to provide a place to organize their references. In the case of using statistics and quotes, I make sure to cite my sources on my works cited page, as well as including the source inside parentheses after the quote or statistic. 

Interview Comparisons

Different styles of the interview process are evident in the two interviews. The first one was more of a discussion between experts in the field. This roundtable style of interviewing presents several viewpoints on a specific topic. It is more of a discussion on the increase of the "embedding" and reporting in the war today because of the technology that now enable the increase in high-tech coverage. The roundtable discussion is organized to talk about several topics within the subject of high-tech broadcast of the wars today. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of media in the wars today. Because of the wide variety of people being interviewed, there are several different perspectives that are applied to the situation. However, in the other interview with Professor George Ritzer, an entirely different approach to interviewing is taken. Instead of having a group of people discussing a topic, it is simply Q&A with one individual with knowledge on the subject matter. He discusses his idea of McDonaldization and thoroughly explains the impact it has on society. However, the only point of views and opinions are coming from one individual who has done extensive research on the topic of discussion. Although this format may not have as much diversity in its response compared to the first type of interview, this method more fully examines one viewpoint and is therefore more persuasive.

Finding and Evaluating Research

In order to find effective research, I will need to discover the best way of searching for and utilizing research. To fully research something, I need to understand the topic, the conversation surrounding it, and the different positions taken on the subject. It requires a large amount of research to produce the finished product, which is just the small visible aspect of all of the research. Through research, a person develops their own stance on a subject by adding their own thoughts and opinions to the subject. A useful way of searching for research is understanding the value of search terms that will assist in finding the right resources, through the web, library, and databases. A researcher should separate his resources between primary, which is what will be analyzed in the paper, and secondary resources, which will provide ideas about the topic in discussion. In order to find primary sources, I will need to search my library for original documents, rare books, photographs, government documents, and other rare texts. Then, for my secondary sources, which will act as support for my primary source, I will need to examine not only the Internet, but also the library and databases. An important part of locating sources is making sure the sources are legitimate because they will be the fundamental basis for my research.

Avatars: The Me I Always Wanted

In the new technological age, virtual reality has become a very popular part of our culture, and with these virtual realities have come virtual lives, using avatars as their representatives. Avatars are a means of expressing oneself through a different outlet. In a virtual world, a person can become whoever they want to be, no matter how accurate it may be. They are not known as the basement dweller without a job, but instead, a level 50 elf with mystical powers and lightning bolts. The word "self-portrait" is a fitting term associated with avatars because they are the representatives they see in themselves. Maybe they see someone more attractive or more heroic. A lot of people's avatars are extremely ridiculous, however, this can still act as an appropriate representation because it reveals the goofiness of the user. Avatars allow for users to do things they could only imagine doing. This dream world is what has made virtual reality so popular, especially for Jason Rowe. His physical limitations have prevented him from enjoying most of the things boys his age enjoy doing, however, through virtual reality, he has become just like everyone else in his world, a desired, yet inaccurate portrayal of themselves.

Visual Rhetoric Project

The writing of my Visual Rhetoric project did not go well on my first attempt. I was not prepared to write such a demanding essay this early in my college career, especially for an Engineering major. Although I know writing is important, I did not come to college to write essays, but instead, solve functions, learn about how things work, and to build an engineer's mind. Add this to the fact that I have yet to adjust to my workload, it was difficult to balance it with the rest of my assignment. For me, personally, I am a very slow writer because of my perfectionist mindset of wanting to make every word sound right. Overall, it was a difficult challenge that I need to improve on.

Don't Smile for the Cameras

Pictures are the visual representative of a person or family's life, however, it hardly represents the whole story. As Lenore Skenazy mentions, the pictures and videos of her child show an angel, who was always nice and happy. This is not indicative of what her child was actually like, but instead, highlights the memories that she wants to remember and the moments that she wants others to see. Through pictures, life can be altered. Most pictures consist of smiling individuals doing some fun activity or in some unique place. However, this isn't natural because how often a person actually smiles or is doing something interesting is not representative accurately by pictures. If pictures were intended to resemble life, the ratio of smiling, interesting pictures would be much smaller, compared to the pictures of real life. However, people don't wont to remember the times spent arguing or doing nothing around the house. By omitting these moments in life, one also forgets their own life and upbringing. These forgotten moments are what mold and create the individual's character. Life has become a series of photographs, all with the same smiling faces, just in different backgrounds.

Representing Reality Analysis

The reading of Ch. 14 exposes the influences that pictures, both personal and famous, have on an individual. It states how photos can persuade a viewer to act and think a certain, due to the utilization of the context that is portrayed. It shows pictures taken of the Haitians after the earthquake, revealing the desperation and tragedy that filled their lives. However, it also mentions personal photos of families, taken at the high points in a family's history to represent that family. Although these two types of photos seem like complete opposites, they both have a similar result. They each are a form of rhetoric in their own way, providing their own arguments towards their cause. In the case of the Haitian photos, they target viewers to sympathize with the Haitian people, while the family photos are meant to act as a representative for their family's history, even if isn't indicative of all of the family's history. Added to this, the reading also talks about how these family photos are what symbolize America. The pictures taken help define the character of the picture's owner. Each photograph has its own message, its own life force, that speaks to the viewer, giving them the interpretation that they see, ignoring the space in between. These interpretations given to them are what helps show the wanted history of American families, which represents America. This analysis of what a photo represents in life is dependent on the moments in life that need to be and have to be paused, no matter how honest they really are.

Advertisement Analysis

This advertisement utilizes an inspiring figure to help sell their products. The Nike ad above does not highlight a specific product, but instead, it connects its company with a spirit of determination and willpower. It uses a famous runner who was born without legs below his knees and instead runs using prosthetic legs. It is targeting athletes, mostly male, by using a male athlete as its model. His muscles are well-defined and oiled up to highlight the effort and strain he is going through. Also, his face is hidden, keeping him anonymous, so that he stands more for a principle. Its somewhat difficult to notice the prosthetic legs, making him seem more like a normal athlete. He is doing what many would have thought he couldn't do. It also targets this audience through the dark background, simple design, and the message being based off of weapons. The way the photo compiles three separate movements of the body in one frame helps visualize the process in slow motion, suggesting the high speed at which he is moving. There is a serious and inspiring tone to this advertisement, influencing the observer of this ad that you can always persevere, no matter what is holding you back.

Cartoon Analysis

The cartoon above addresses the issue of the high price of attending college. In the cartoon, a father is seen with bills in his hands and a shirt reading, "My kid went to college and all I have left is this t-shirt" while his son is driving away waving, seemingly oblivious to the pain seen in his parents' faces. The author is targeting the average American parents who understand the cost of not only college, but also the cost of just for raising a child. Joe Heller, a famous cartoonist for The Green Bay Press-Gazette, is known for producing cartoons relating to politics and the American lifestyle. The author's message is mainly an observation of the cost of college, however, an attitude of "was it worth it?" could be interpreted. Both the word and image aspects are used in this cartoon, and I would say that they are used equally. I can conclude this because of the vast array of visuals in the cartoon, however, without the words it loses its sense of humor because all that can be seen is a old sad man standing in his doorway. Other than making the characters look cartoonish for humor reasons, Heller mainly keeps the imagery realistic. His message is not based off of the image's unrealistic visuals. The fictional characters represent a middle class family struggling to pay for their teenage son's college. The father's dad-like appearance mixed with the sad emotion seen on his face gets the reader to pity him. The rhetoric used could persuade the reader to question the worth of a college education at the high cost that is required.

Rhetorically Speaking...

...if someone I knew were to write nothing but observations, would it still count as a blog entry? I type this as my eyes begin to wander towards the fliers I received at the Bowman Block Party, carelessly crumpled and thrown onto my desk out of my pocket from days ago. These pieces of paper were forced upon me as unwanted advertisement, evading the trash only by my pure laziness. However, I begin to wonder if they have served their purpose. I notice the Chick-fil-A flier first because of the bright and large letters. There are three cows holding up signs spelling "EAT MOR CHIKIN" misspelled as to appear as if the cows wrote them because everyone knows cows are uneducated. I become hungry. I see a pamphlet for Clemson first year experience. Its slogan at the bottom of the cover reads, "The First Year Experience just for you!" trying to connect with me personally as a student using the phrase "just for you" while also attempting to excite me by using an exclamation point. As I watch television, I see all of the modes of persuasion used by the companies. The shampoo company uses flowery and soothing language to show how elegant their product is, inferring the buyer will be as well. I also see an ad for a beer commercial. Targeted at men, it attempts to connect it's product with sports, brotherhood, and attractive women. The examples are completely different in style, yet they are essentially doing the same thing. After leaving the room to do anything other than write this blog, I take notice of some fliers advertising different clubs hanging on the wall, all of them attempting to connect with me personally as to gain my interest. They accomplished this by using questions and using the word "you" while associating it with words like interactive and fun to make it seem as if I was in that group of smiling faces in the photo on the flier. Those were my observations and this is my closing.