TOW #6- China’s Big Test

          In most Eastern Asia countries, it is a strong belief that elite U.S. education is beneficial when applying for successful jobs in foreign countries. In 2013, “U.S. reached more than 270,000” Chinese students, with a “16.5% increase each year” (Rauhala, 5). During the October SAT test in 2014, however, the College Board administration has found evidences of students in China illegally obtaining and sharing test materials, and told the students that their SAT results would be delayed. This left the Chinese students with devastation as college admission deadlines approached. In the article, “China’s Big Test”, Emily Rauhala reveals anecdotes and juxtaposes two ideas in order to compare and contrast different existing opinions on Chinese students in America.

            In the beginning paragraphs, Rauhala introduces a story of Xu Quing, a Chinese student preparing to study abroad. Her anxious process of studying for the SAT test and the shocking response after receiving an e-mail from the College Board reveals the author’s sympathetic feelings toward the innocent Chinese students who were affected by those who cheated. The writer also includes China’s nature of cheating my mentioning “Gaokao”, an exam that determines the lives of young Chinese, which give them undeniably high pressures, essentially become a leading cause to why they cheat. Not to mention, the Chinese parents have stressed the importance of education since they only have one child due to the “one child policy”. The writer than, juxtaposes the Chinese students and the American students to portray a different side of the situation.

            Showing a different view of the problem, the author mentions how Harvard has admitted only “5.9% of applicants for the class of 2018” (Rauhala, 7), stressing how it has gotten more difficult for Americans to get accepted in colleges. The parents in America are worried that the foreign students will take over the jobs and positions in high authority. They have recently begun to voice the unfairness as the Chinese are taking advantage of the time difference between America and China to allegedly cheat on the exam. This has added more to America’s uneasy relationship with East Asia.

            Overall, Rauhala’s anecdote and juxtaposition of two opinions leaves the readers with a great understanding of the existing conflict between China and America.

TOW#5- "This Won't Hurt A Bit"

            While browsing through a social media page, I came across this eye- opening picture. This visual text was used by a vegan journalist, who uses photo-shopped images of women wearing makeup to convince other women to stop purchasing from cosmetic companies that brutally test on animals. Through the use of imagery, perspective, and pathos, the journalist arouses the emotion of readers.

            Without an explanation of what animal testing is like, the picture itself describes the violence that it contains. The bloody and swollen face of once a beautiful woman is attention seeking, emphasizing the brutal effects of animal testing if it was done on human. When I first encountered this photo, I was scared to find out how undeniably cruel animal testing was. It was an eye- opening experience to see the true story on behalf of tested animals.

            Although many pictures that argue against animal testing often portray poorly treated animals, this journalist used a different point of view to make women into victims of the violence. This change in perspectives allows women to relate personally more than the picture of abused animals. Not only that, but his change in perspective evokes guilt and anger for the readers.

            The journalist uses pronoun such as “you” to emotionally approach to the readers. Even though it is hard to sympathize abused animals, this picture of blistered woman evokes sympathy and even guilt as it allows the readers to reflect on human’s poor choice of actions.

            Overall, this dark and cruel piece is shocking to many, and the guilty feeling is what makes this text effective in raising awareness of violence that takes place in animal testing and in persuading women to avoid buying animal tested products.

TOW #4- "The Soloist" (Part 1)

          Portraying a complex nature of friendship, Steve Lopez recalls back to the time when he became friends with Nathaniel Ayers, despite their differences. When Lopez first met Nathaniel, he worked for the Los Angeles Times and was thirsty for story for his column. He was lucky enough to encounter Nathaniel, a homeless man playing an old, destroyed violin on Skid Row. Ayers at the time had more than just the ability to make music. He had a story. A story that eventually gave heart aches to thousands. Determined to find out what caused the talented man to live on the streets, Lopez decided to become friends with Nathaniel to find out his story. Discovering that Ayers used to be an ambitious, charming classical bass student at Juilliard that dropped out due to his mental disorder, Lopez believed that his story was perfect for a successful column. When his column was published, Lopez was attacked with companies sending him new instruments for Nathaniel to play. With an audience who wished for Nathaniel’s success as a musician, Lopez realized that he had the power to change Nathaniel’s life and decided to look for ways to help him. However, Lopez continuously faced crushing disappointment whenever he tried to convince Ayers to be treated at a hospital. In order to spread the awareness of mental disabilities, Lopez reveals his emotion in his memoir, The Soloist.

            By revealing his anger towards uncured mental disabilities that he witnesses during his journey with Nathaniel, Lopez evokes the feelings of readers to make them realize the importance of knowing about mental disabilities. For example, Lopez recalls back to when his aunt and uncle committed suicide and how he later noticed that he and his family didn’t recognize them as being “mentally sick” but as “depressed”. He shows remorse when he realizes that depression is a treatable medical condition and makes sure that the readers are aware of his realization. He also mentions the “unsolicited comment” made by Tom Cruise and criticizes his stereotypes about mental illness. By stating Cruise’s comment that said mental illness was caused by “chemical imbalance and lack of vitamins” (Lopez, 82), Lopez mocks Cruise saying that he would” like to give Cruise a tour of Skid Row and see if he thinks a vitamin deficiency explains the mad scene there” (Lopez, 83). By including his strong emotions towards mental illness, Lopez successfully calls attention to the awareness of the mentally ill and how it can be cured with help. He tells the readers of all age to stop being bystanders to mental illness and to make changes by educating others and by taking actions. Through his use of pathos, Lopez is successful in portraying his purpose.

TOW #3- How It Feels to Be Colored Me

            As an African American living in the 1900s, Zora Hurston recalls back to when she was little, living in a Negro town in Eatonville. Growing up in society where she felt belonged, Hurston mentions how she felt no different from the white people because they generously respected her existence in the South. However, when she left to Jacksonville to receive education, she felt as if she was oil floating in water, feeling the undeniably strong distinction between her and the white people. Through her use of metaphor, she depicts her positive view of her background despite living in a culture where a strong contrast between the black and whites existed. For example, Hurston says. “Among the thousand white persons, I am a dark rock surged upon, over swept by a creamy sea. I am surged upon and over swept, but through it all, I remain myself. When covered by the waters, I am; and the ebb but reveals me again” (Hurston, 10). By using this figurative language, Hurston is able to describe how she was never felt sorrow or defeated by her differences and also shows her strength as an African American woman.

            Throughout this personal anecdote, it is evident that her purpose is for all people of all races to feel pride for their culture despite the sorrows it can bring them under certain circumstances. She does this by describing the positives of being an African American. For example, Hurston writes, “It constricts the thorax and splits the heart with tempo and narcotic harmonies. This orchestra grows rambunctious, rears on its hind legs and attacks the tonal veil with primitive fury, rending it, clawing it until it breaks through the jungle beyond.” (Hurston, 11). Again, with the use of personification, she shows how she appreciates the beauty of music more compared to her white friends and shows her love for being an African American. Hurston’s strangely strong optimism leaves the readers with pride for their background and through her use of figurative language, she is able to effectively portray her message of self- worth.

TOW #2- In Search of Refuge

       Opening the eyes of those who are uninformed around the world, the columnist Simon Shuster and the photographer Yuri Kozyrev, both civilians in Leros, Greece, describes the mass migration of people from the Middle East such as Syria to Greece and Western Europe. The audiences are people in the European countries who are negatively impacted by the exodus from Syria and might be against the migration. They also include the governments of the influenced countries in convincing them to continue keeping their doors open for the Syrian escapees. This is evident through the writer’s emphasis on how desperate these Syrians are in need of help and how hopeful and excited they look when they finally arrive in a foreign land after traveling for days and possibly weeks in an overcrowded, inflatable boats. Through Shuster’s appeal to pathos, it is heart rendering for the audience to read about the poor living conditions that the immigrants live in. The descriptions of squalid places and tarps in the European Countries that provide little protection arouse the sympathetic views of the readers. 
       Through pictures that show horrified and exhausted faces of the Syrians and moms carrying their sick and dirty babies that could not be taken care of on the boat describes the emotions of these people more than words are capable of. The writer also achieves his purpose by proving his credibility. Providing quotes that are from the refugees explain the hardships they felt during the process of separating from family and escaping from the terrorist group ISIS, Shuster dramatizes the event as well as supporting his purpose. In my thoughts, the writer was effective in achieving his purpose by appealing to pathos and ethos by using not only words but pictures as well, evoking the values and beliefs of the audience.

IRB Intro Post #1

The Soloist by Steve Lopez is about a journalist who finds a mentally ill musician on the second street and his attempt in writing a column about the musician on the Los Angeles Times. I chose this book because I am a musician myself, playing the violin. I was also intrigued to hear a story of a musical genius with a mental disorder and his relationship with a man that is the polar opposite. I hope to learn to enjoy reading non-fictions through reading this memoir and be able to write one as well.

TOW #1- …And Don’t help Your Kids With Their Homework

  

            Releasing a groundbreaking story to parents across the world, the author Dana Goldstein, on behalf of the researchers Keith Robinson and Angel Harris, stated in the magazine Atlantic the effect of parental involvement in school on the improvement of their children’s education. Using the data that Robinson and Harris published in the article The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children’s Education, Goldstein stated that although parental participation often serves for the purpose of increasing the student’s academic wellness, it actually doesn’t affect it and that their involvement sometimes even backfires due to the burdensome pressures that the students feel from their parents.

            Using ethos and logos to appeal to all parents, the author refers to sociologist Annette Lareau’s observation on how the socioeconomic status of the student and the choice of teacher effects the improvement in students’ grades more effectively than the parental involvement does. She continues to support her reliability through using the statistics made by the University of Texas and gives an example for her argument saying that Asian Americans, even with uninvolved parents can perform well in school.

            The author’s purpose is to let the working parents know that they shouldn’t feel guilty of not being able to make time to participate in their children’s’ school events, because it will not affect their children’s grades. She also informs the parents who endlessly put their effort into school thinking that it will influence their children, because their children’s well being in school is dependent on their children’s performance and not theirs’. However, she states that parents should engage in school activities not for the beneficiaries of their children but to have a good citizenship. In the article, the audience was evidently shown in the title being said, “don’t help your kids with their homework” and when the author asked several questions directed to parents during the article. Overall, the author successfully portrayed her purpose to her targeted audience through using the effective rhetorical devices of ethos and logos.