TOW #29: Dear Future APELC Student

Dear Future APELC Student,
   Currently, you are probably really nervous. You have most likely heard that this course is impossible to get an A in, that it is so much work, and that papers are graded so harshly. However, I'm here to tell you that while the class will definitely be a bit of a challenge, it is not impossible. In fact, there are many things that you should be prepared to do in order to strive for an A in this class. First, I would highly recommend starting work as soon as it is assigned! Mr. Yost/Ms. Pronko will normally give assignments, such as papers, about a month in advance. Use this to your benefit! Go to Ms. Pronko's room before school or after school to try and get some feedback on a rough draft. I would normally share it on google doc with her or even send her a quick email asking when would be a good time to pop in. Mr. Yost has weekly office hours, which is a great way to stop in for a few minutes and ask for help or a quick read of your rough draft. Ultimately, you do not want to wait last second with assignments. Use the amount of time they give you efficiently. Another tip would be to put effort into your work. I know in some classes, you are able to not take notes or read and still participate in class discussions or pass a test. This is not a class you want to do that in! The reading and note making assigned is for your benefit, so make sure you do it and don't just write down random things. You'll thank yourself especially during the unit tests when some questions will pertain to specific notes mentioned in the Language of Composition textbook. Also, with symposiums, you want to make sure you read and understand the texts. If not, Mr. Yost/Ms. Pronko will be able to realize because when you participate in class discussions, you won't be referencing the text as much and will not be able to go in depth. Lastly, DO YOUR TOWS. Surprisingly, I know a number of students who don't do their weekly TOW, which to me just doesn't make sense. First of all, it is an easy 10 point homework assignment, and will bring down your grade if not completed. Second, in the long run, it actually will help. Week after week, you'll notice that the way you analyze texts gets better, and you are able to explain strategies much more effectively. Overall, you will be just fine, but don't think that this is a class where you can do no work  because, trust me, only hard-work will get you an A.
 Good Luck!
- Nina Kapoor

TOW #28: Reflection

  As I re-read three of my TOWs, I noticed a significant change as this school year progressed. For example, my Hillary Clinton TOW from the first marking period doesn't really analyze the rhetorics used in the article; instead, it mainly talks about the issue and presents the author's point of view. However, second and third marking period, I noticed that I was focused more on the strategies used. In my New York Times review TOW, I focused more on the argument the author was presenting and how effective the format/message was to the audience. Another interesting change is the strategies I picked. In the beginning of the school year, my TOWs focused mostly on pathos, ethos, and logos and how the article would appeal to those three rhetorics. Towards the end, I began to analyze a variety of strategies such as tone, colors (for visual TOWs), perspectives, persuasive diction, synthesis of sources, etc. So far, I believe I have mastered how to properly analyze a visual/article type text. In most of my TOWs, I was able to create a cohesive thesis type statement that properly identified the author's main point. Even though my choice in strategies or how I chose to explain the author's point was sometimes lacking, I do believe I grasped the understanding of the visual/article texts picked. To continue to improve my TOWs, I would say that I need to put a little more "think time" into how I present a specific text. I need to concentrate on not getting caught in explaining the details of the topic and instead on explaining/analyzing the author's thesis. In all honesty, I do believe my writing has benefited from these assignments. It helped with building my skills of how to break down texts and throughly explain them, and this weekly practice especially helped when it came to writing papers on texts much longer. The TOW activities acted as mini papers that assisted in writing much more dense papers down the road. Overall, my writing progression so far has been something I feel proud to share, and the TOWs were definitely an aid in helping me get in extra practice.

TOW #27 (Article): The Sad Death of McDreamy

    In a recent article done by EW, it was announced that fans have started a petition to bring McDreamy back. McDreamy or better known as actor Patrick Dempsey plays doctor Derek Shepherd on the very popular drama series: Grey's Anatomy. The nickname he is given in the show is McDreamy because of his good looks. He is known as the head of neurosurgery and is a huge character in the show. In the latest episode, McDreamy died causing fans to be shocked to the point of tears. While, at first, fans were mourning, they then started to get a little angry. After all, Derek has been a part of Grey's for 10 seasons and they suddenly kill him off? Most fans were also angry about how he was killed. In order to not give any spoilers, lets just say that the death he was given wasn't worthy of someone with his importance. The article quoted various fans who said the following: "It’s like you’ve killed the President ofGrey’s Anatomy!” Others said: "You do NOT get to toy with our lives and emotions like this Shonda, NO! That is NOT RIGHT! How do you sleep at night?!?!! Shonda is the showrunner, and most people actually told her to make the death some type of hallucination or dream. However, most fans need to realize that this wasn't a choice. Actor Patrick Dempsey wanted to go on to do other things, so killing him off the show was the only option. In my opinion, it is better than him just disappearing like Doctor Burke did a few seasons ago. At least the fans/characters can grieve, allowing Doctor McDreamy to forever be in our hearts. He can be right there with Doctor Burke, George, Izzie, Lexi, and McSteamy (Doctor Sloan) in Grey's Anatomy's list of lost characters. 

TOW Post #26 (Visual): Movie Posters

The Hunger Games, a worldwide phenomenon of a book series has a four movie deal for three books. Written by Suzanne Collins and produced by Lionsgate, teens love these movies. The poster for the Hunger Games really evokes the dark, gruesome ideas of the movie. The whole thing is in dark shades, black, brown, and gray, while the focal point of the whole poster is the burning mockingjay pin in the center, blown up very large and a bright gold color. Katniss' back is turned from the audience as she looks at the pin too. The people from the Capitol, the audience for the gruesome games are seen on the side, also looking at the pin. I think the on fire pin is the whole center of this poster, because it represents the whole revolutionary theme of the story.This poster is trying to sell this movie, and the pin is the most exciting object of the poster. This makes people want to see the movie more, because fire means the movie is going to be exciting and possibly have explosions, which is always a box office booster (see all of the Transformer movies for reference). The audience also comes for the stars. Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most popular young actresses of the era, and fans of her will want to see this movie. The poster taps into this by having her front and center. Even though you cannot see her face, on the mini flags next to her, you can clearly see her face and Peeta's, or Josh Huterson's. Their star power is another thing that really draws crowds in. The final thing that dramatizes this poster is the slogan at the top that reads "the world will be watching". This is a statement that encompasses the movie and the plotline. It gives a sense of jumping on the bandwagon, that everyone is going to see this movie so you must too. As a whole, this poster is very highly produced in a way that attempts to persaude the onlooker to watch the movie.

TOW #25 (Article): Hillary Clinton for President?

In a recent article by CNN, it was announced that Hillary Clinton is announcing her campaign for 2016 president. The interesting thing about the announcement though is that she is posting it on Facebook and Twitter. Instead of having a press conference, Clinton is using social media as a way to communicate. While many people find this as a sign of laziness, others actually like the idea. Clinton is able to reach out to the younger generation who will have a huge say in the upcoming election. Being one of those people myself, I can say with confidence that having someone who is able to reach out to me using my means of communication is a lot easier. I wish I could watch every speech Clinton gives and be there at every crowd rally, but with my schedule, it is near to impossible.  Therefore, I wouldn't view her strategy as lazy but resourceful. As graduating high-schoolers will be able to vote in the 2016 election, she is making the right decision. Another problem that was happening with her campaign is many people view the theme as "women empowerment". The whole idea being "women can be in office too". However, Hillary has been proven to not be the strongest advocate for females. In fact, she is currently involved in a scandal where she takes money from Saudi Arabia, who are known to beat women, through an organization. These types of transactions that are on the books are bound to get her in trouble. As the first possible women president, Clinton needs to be careful of how she is going to set up her campaign. She can't be contradicting her slogan with her current activities. This type of inconsistency will make her lose the election.

TOW #24 (IRB): Picking Cotton Pt. 2

In the second part of this touching nonfiction book, we are able to see Ronald's point of view in the whole situation. It is a really big eye opener because Ronald explains his time spent in prison in such a way that if affects every single reader. I mean from the way he explains what everything looks like to the way he talks about the grief he went through, the readers feel emotionally connected to him. Also, it was kind of cool to see the point of view switch from Jennifer to Ronald because it allows the readers to get an understanding of the whole case from everyone involved. Also, we see the troubles Ronald had and how being wrongfully convicted can really mess up a person. Ronald's experience in prison was extremely emotional. For example, he addressed the physical and mental pain he felt. Due to his skin color, the people around him made assumptions of who he was and what kind of person he was. People assumed that he had to be guilty just because he was black, so a lot of racial judgment was involved. This describes the title of the book, "Picking Cotton". It not only describes the literal action of Jennifer choosing Ronald Cotton in the lineup, but it is referencing slavery which alludes to the racism and prejudice Ronald received. Ultimately, I enjoyed the overall book and saw it as a real eye-opener. I am now more aware of the justice system and how important it is to enforce proper evidence in such cases. Also, with all the current shootings going on, proper justice is really important in stopping racial superiority in today's society. Overall, I would recommend this book to others because of the great details, changes in viewpoints that allow for a better understanding, and emotional connection a reader grows to have with each character. 

TOW #23 (Visual): Banksy

       The artwork displayed above is a known painting done by the mysterious artist who goes by Banksy. I have seen tons of his/her work before, but this was one of the main ones I could actually relate to. In today's generation, it seems like teenagers tend to be more concerned with their grades, getting into college, trying to figure everything out that they strain away from their hobbies. In fact, if someone were to ever ask me what I enjoy doing most in my free time, I wouldn't have a proper response. Aside from school and all the activities that come with it, I don't really have something that I feel that passionate about. This kind of deep thinking is what I think Banksy was trying to provoke. It seems as though we put our own hopes on hold to do things that we don't even have an interest in. For example, take a look at an art student. They are really passionate about drawing and creating beautiful pieces of work, yet most of their time is spent towards studying math, science, or history. We prioritize our lives based on what others say, but I think it's about time we prioritize based on what we find to be most important. I'm not saying that classes such as math and science aren't important, but they certainly shouldn't take priority for someone who has a love for dance or music. This painting created a sense of regain for me. Looking at it, you see something everyone always says, “follow your dreams”, covered over such a big red stamp that most would associate with failure or reject. Seeing that right there sort of motivated me into being more bold like Banksy. The painting itself advocates a message that I strongly believe in yet ever followed. I think Banksy’s main goal was to try and push people to actually do something about it.