TOW #30: Letter to New APELC Student

Dear Future APELC-er,

So you've made the choice to take English Language and Composition, and there's no backing out at this point. You've probably already been warned of the difficulties of this course and have probably already started dreading the day when you will have to sit down for the 3 hour test. The first thing you have to do is not panic. I remember on my first day of English, after hearing Mr. Yost talk about all the stuff the course was going to cover, I went home regretting what I had gotten myself into. This year was the first year I took APs, so it was a completely new experience for me. It seems pretty intimidating at first, but if you take each day and assignment as they come, it will be a much easier and relaxing experience. You may feel like there is no way you will be prepared for that test. I know I did. What you don't know yet is that you will practice every type of essay over and over again that it will come as almost second nature by the time that May comes. You may not have the slightest idea of what rhetoric is, but you will analyze so many different pieces of literature that the process will be muscle memory soon enough.

Along with that, do NOT sweat the grade you get on the summer reading essay. You are not expected to enter the class as amazing writers that never get anything other than a 9. You will learn how to improve through the course. That grade will not ruin your year average, like you think it might. Also, I assure you that you will only build off of that first score. By the time your first take-home-essay rolls around, you will not have an issue raising the scores.

You will learn soon enough that the workload is pretty heavy. There will be a lot of readings that you have to do, and putting the work in on the earlier stages will really pay off in the end. You get what you put into this class, so if you prepare the minimum amount possible, your grade will reflect that. For example, when you are writing your timed analysis essays, you will have to read and analyze a passage. Do not put less effort into this aspect of the process, because your notes can only help you to write a fuller and more adequate essay. (Adequate will quickly become what you strive for.) 

Never forget SOAPStone, it will follow you throughout the entire year. Speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject, and tone are always very important to consider.

Finally, ask for help when you need it. When the rest of the class understands something, it might be kind of embarrassing to speak up, but remember that the ideas and techniques you learn in the beginning of the year are the foundation that the entire course is built on. Mr. Yost is very willing to help you in any way he can, so don't be afraid to speak up. He's not as intimidating as he looks :)

Be brave with your ideas; you could bring something to the conversation that nobody else had considered before. Similarly, be open to considering the ideas of others. Most importantly though, don't be scared. You will be fine. :)

Good luck!
Kayleigh

TOW #29: Jesus Camp (Documentary)

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch a very interesting documentary, called Jesus Camp. As I said in my last post, this film follows three strict Evangelical Christians through their faiths as they travel to a camp that is organized to prepare children for sharing their religion with others. While the passing down values to new generations is clearly important to the survival of society and culture, I believe that this camp might have passed that fine line between teaching and brainwashing. There is one, very memorable point in the film where the camp organizers brought in ceramic mugs and preached to the children about government. They then wrote the word "government" on these mugs and gave each kid a chance to smash them to bits with a hammer. First of all, none of these children were wearing safety goggles, which is my first problem. Second though, they were all so young and metaphorically criticizing their own national leaders on the basis of issues that they were too young to fully understand. As a kid, it's hard to comprehend the degree of certain issues and the extreme importance those issues hold. As an adult, I believe that one's responsibility is to pass on moral values to younger generations, but I think it is wrong to instill opinions in kids when the debates they are taking sides on are so complex. Otherwise, how can it be considered their opinion? There was another similar scene in the documentary when politics again entered the camp. A man was talking to the kids about abortion and how wrong it is. Again, I respect the opinions of the religion, and the right of citizens to speak and think freely. What I vehemently disagreed with was what took place after the conversation. Some of the children traveled to a courthouse and protested outside with adult members of the group. They placed pieces of tape with the words "LIFE" on their mouths. This goes back to my previous idea of telling kids to have an extreme opinion on complex problems. At that age I was playing outside, not worrying whether abortion was morally right. I know now that I would not have been able to make an educated decision on my stance. I do not believe that these kids could either. But the stance is not theirs, it is the opinion of their elders being pressed upon them. Throughout the film, many other mixtures of church and state show up, proving that the religion has a political stance, even though church leaders do not formally admit it. I just know that I was very uncomfortable when watching this documentary. I have to disagree with the camp and their end goal of spreading a faith that supports these methods.

TOW #28: Jesus Camp (Documentary)

In "the land of the free," the limits of free speech are a controversial topic that will continue to be disputed for a long time. This gray area is one of the underlying questions that comes into play in the 2006 documentary, Jesus Camp. In this documentary, three young children are followed as they travel to a Evangelical Christian camp that will teach them more about their religion and help them learn how to spread their beliefs to others. These spotlighted kids are Levi, Rachael, and Tori. They all come from very religious families and intend to devote their entire lives to their beliefs. The woman in charge of the camp is named Becky Fischer, and she shares her goal with the cameras in the beginning of the documentary. She wants these kids to have such strong faith in Christianity that they would be willing to sacrifice themselves for their love of God. She knows that the values that are learned at a young age are the fundamental basis for which children build on. So if these dedicated children are taught the ideas and concepts of Evangelistic Christianity when they are seven, the core values will be instilled throughout the duration of their life. At camp, they do things like repent for their sins, smash ceramic labeled "government," and hear a speech from a man protesting abortion. They also talk to a cardboard cutout of George Bush, and pray for him and his administration. The conflict comes in when political statements are made through religion. Abortion is currently a major political fight, but it is also a religious issue. The separation of church and state is called into question when all parties (whether political or not) have the right to say what they choose. Is this camp brainwashing kids by indoctrinating one-sided opinions into youth? Or is this establishment just passing down the same views that this particular church has always held? Bias is hard to avoid in reality, but this documentary questions the limit that exists. Representing the other side of the argument is a radio-talk show host who is obviously more liberal. He speaks with a few people as the film goes on, even interviewing the leader of the camp at one point. That talk is where their clashing views are most contrasting. Although the filmmakers released a statement saying that this film was intended to have an objective view, there were a few cinematic decisions that created a certain feeling. At points, the documentary seemed to be criticizing the camp and the Evangelical Church. Most of the documentary was set in the Midwest, a fairly rural area. I am aware that, being liberal and growing up in the area that I did, I have my own personal bias, but I am attempting to be as unbiased as I can. The views of the scenery between content scenes create a tone of loneliness and isolation. This mood does not tend to be positive, instead, it makes viewers (at least me) a little apprehensive and off-put by the camp and where it is located. Another factor is the characters that are not at the camp. Early on in the film, the main group of focuses go bowling. In this group is Rachael, one of the featured children. On this trip, Rachael goes up to a stranger and gives her a pamphlet. She also tells this woman how much God loves her and wants to know her. As Rachael leaves, the woman, who was very polite, looks confused and taken aback. This is pretty unusual in today's society and by including this bit, it is clear that some people may not want to be persuaded to change religions. This would be exercising their own personal rights as well. The reaction proves that this type of interference in strangers lives could be negative. A lot of really substantial facts are presented in this film, and it made me think a lot about the difference between sharing a faith and pressuring others to have faith alongside you.

http://www.impawards.com/2006/jesus_camp.html

TOW #27: TOW Reflection

AP English Language and Composition has without a doubt improved my writing skills. This is most obvious in my weekly TOWs which I have been adding to all year. At the beginning of the year, I thought that these blog posts needed to have a specific formulaic structure. I had never had a blog before, which was part of the problem, but I also did not realize how much transitions and good flow affected a piece. It was not something I was fully aware of at that point in time. My first TOW post was about the war that was then occurring in Syria. I didn't know much about it, so it was interesting to learn, but over time I realized I could be so much more creative and branch out with my posts. They did not all have to be responding to the headlining political news story of the week. I believe that the introduction in this first post was fairly strong, but my conclusions were still weak and ineffective. Rather than ending with a creative statement, I formed a bland sentence depicting how the article related to me. It is obvious, to me at least, that my conclusions among other things improved dramatically in the second marking period. For my TOW from December 15, I responded to an article on a selfie that Obama had recently taken. This article had traces of politics, like the my first TOW, but it was more entertaining to right, and more based in America's cultural changes than government decisions. By this point in my writing, I had started to focus a lot more on my flow and style. This post was definitely a lot stronger than the previous one in that respect. Also, rather than concluding with my straightforward opinion on the article, I incorporated a societal view into my writing and connected my personal thoughts to the situation. So rather than saying that I liked the article, I instead brought it around to honoring the deceased, Nelson Mandela. In the third and most recent marking period, I believe that I wrote one of my best TOWs yet. It was my 20th TOW and I was writing it in response to my IRB: Eat, Pray, Love. This book was amazing, which probably helped me to write a stronger response, but it also included a lot of rhetoric on the narrator's part. I believe that that post displayed the improvement that took place throughout my junior year journey. I had a well- thought out thesis, which outlined my essay, allowing an organization that did not exist previously. This change drastically benefited the flow of my piece. My conclusion was also stronger and less forced than it had ever been. In all of my responses, I could definitely still improve the transitions between ideas, but that skill has come a long way since September. While tedious at times, I do think this regular writing exercise has forced me to address issues with my writing that I otherwise would not have. It has made my writing more effortless and I am grateful for that improvement.

TOW #26: "What Your Name Says About How Believable You Are," Matti Vuorre

Growing up with a name like "Kayleigh," with all those silent letters, there have been many a time where people had to repeat it back to me a few times before they finally mastered it. I personally do not think it's hard to pronounce, but the world seems to disagree with me. I have never believed that this difficulty with pronunciation and memorability could mean something else for how I am perceived.  In the article, "What Your Name Says About How Believable You Are," by Matti Vuorre, I realized that people may think me a liar due to reasons as simple as my name. The article opens with the word "imagine," clearly in order to provide a hypothetical situation for audiences. This creation of a real life situation allows readers to put themselves in the context of the argument. By asking people what they would do, Vuorre is able to potentially support the article with that evidence. Reader's gut reaction would probably be to pick the easier name to say, whether they realize it or not.After that, the author made a comparison to turtles, saying that "if I told you that turtles are deaf, unless you are an expert in sea-dwelling reptiles, you probably have little information to help you decide whether the statement is true or false." By comparing this issue to turtles (something many people know a lot about), Vuorre is able to aid with comprehension for everyone reading this article. Finally, the author includes a personal anecdote, describing events from his life as a recent immigrant to the United States. By keeping this story in the piece, it adds an appeal to ethos because it shows he has experienced the struggle of a difficult name and the hardships it entails. This article was very well written and spoke to me, as I remember all of the substitute teachers that butchered my name. This information is solely based on studies, so it could be a coincidence, but if there is ever a situation where you have to pick from two otherwise equal candidates, remember that you could be unknowingly biased based on name.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-your-name-says-about-how-believable-you-are/?WT.mc_id=SA_Facebook

TOW #25: "The Media Has a Woman Problem," Liza Mundy

The inequality between men and women in the workplace has always been a sensitive issue. Even though all American citizens have equal rights under the law, men still continue to have an advantage in many places. For example, men get paid more than women, even now in the 21st century. In her article, "The Media Has a Woman Problem," author, Liza Mundy, is trying to convey to audiences that there are many women that have important careers (journalism, science fields), and those women are not being represented as the majority of the field. Men still have a hold on most industries, despite the best efforts of women. Statistics, along with an appeal to authority, help Mundy achieve her purpose. The author references many studies and a lot of research in order to prove her point. "For decades, nearly half of law students have been women, but while they make up 64 percent of staff lawyers they are just 17 percent of equity partners at top firms, according to the National Association of Women Lawyers." Without evidence like this, Mundy's whole argument would not have any support. These studies are based on fact, and therefore are more difficult to refute. Along with strengthening her argument with evidence, these stats and studies also make the article more credible because they appeal to authority. By stating that the study was completed by the National Association of Women Lawyers, the study gains more credibility, as does the piece in general. Liza Mundy did a really good job in sharing the difference between women and men in careers like law, journalism, and STEM. Without the appeal to logos and appeal to ethos, this article would not have been nearly as strong or credible.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/opinion/sunday/the-media-has-a-woman-problem.html?ref=opinion

IRB Intro Post: 4th Marking Period

For the duration of this marking period, I will be reading Bossypants, by Tina Fey. I am very excited to start this book! I have heard nothing but good things from friends that have read it, and Tina Fey is one of the funniest people, so I'm sure it will be great. I also really look up to her, so I can't wait to learn more about her life and how she got to where she is today! 

http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/04/tina-feys-new-book.html