TOW #13: "Football: A Waste of Taxpayers' Money" by Nick Gillespie (via TIME.com)

     A great amount of Americans adore football. However, Nick Gillespie, a frequent opinion writer for TIME, thinks that football does not deserve the attention it receives. In his opinion article "Football: A Waste of Taxpayers' Money", Gillespie writes about the exorbitant amounts of money – often taken from taxpayers – used by the NFL (and college football teams). Gillespie strives to inform American taxpayers about where their tax money is actually going and also to convince them that football is a waste of that money. To achieve this, Gillespie presents readers with undeniable statistics and cites reliable outside information.
     To show readers just how much of their tax money is being spent on football, Gillespie provides strong statistics. He writes, "Next year they'll [the Minnesota Vikings] be playing ball in a brand-spanking new $975 million complex ... Over the 30-year life of the project, the public share of costs will come to $678 million." The shear size of those numbers is enough to alarm readers. By presenting these statistics, Gillespie shocks readers and causes them to reconsider the importance of football – is it really worth that much of their tax money?
     Gillespie furthers his purpose by linking relevant outside information. Later, when he discusses the Atlanta Falcons, he writes, "there is zero reason to believe that publicly funded sports facilities ever pay back their costs by increasing overall economic activity or putting more tax revenue in government coffers." In this sentence, "zero reason" links to an interview with J.C. Bradbury, an economist from Kennesaw State University. Through this, Gillespie gives readers an opportunity to continue research about this strongly-stated point. The linked interview itself presents even more strong statistics, which further cement Gillespie's view that football is a waste.
     Through the use of strong statistics and relevant outside information, Nick Gillespie successfully informs readers of the role of their tax money in football. He then builds a strong essay around those statistics to present his opinion – that football is a waste of taxpayers' money. Ultimately, Gillespie's appeals to logos effectively convince his audience that tax money is going to waste through football.

New Atlanta Falcons Stadium:

Nick Gillespie argues in his article that this $1.2 billion stadium is excessive and is paid for with far too high a percentage of taxpayers' money.

(Source: http://www.ajc.com/gallery/news/local/falcons-release-new-images-planned-downtown-atlant/gCFSP/#4033831)

TOW #12: "Nelson Mandela Saved My Life" by Kennedy Odede (via CNN.com)

     Nelson Mandela passed away just three days ago, on December 5th, 2013, and since then, there have been many responses honoring him. However, Kennedy Odede, who grew up in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, took a different approach in his opinion article, "Nelson Mandela Saved My Life". Odede writes to anyone, though his purpose may be most applicable to people in South Africa. Odede wishes for his readers to understand that while it is important to honor Mandela for all that he did, it is also important for them to continue to uphold his ideals of equality. To demonstrate the importance of Mandela's work, Odede writes about his own personal experiences with Nelson Mandela. Odede then shows his audience the importance of continuing that work by explicitly stating what needs to happen in the world for Mandela's legacy to continue.
     In the beginning of his article, Odede tells readers about his childhood. He grew up in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, and he was extremely poor and constantly changing houses due to lack of support from his family. Odede then tells readers of a pivotal moment in his life: when an American gave him a copy of Mandela's book Long Walk to Freedom. By building background of his life through personal stories, Odede is able to give readers insight into how lost he felt as a teenager. Through this connection, readers are then able to understand the great effect Mandela had on Odede since they can see a marked difference in his life from before and after Mandela.
     At the very end of his article, Odede writes, "My fear is that we become to comfortable with his legacy – content with honoring what Mandela has stood for that we forget to carry forward his sense of urgency. ... We have lost him, and must recognize the need for a next generation of selfless and driven leaders." By previously establishing Mandela's importance to him, Odede is able to seamlessly introduce his purpose. He has already honored Mandela in his article, and so he then tells readers that it is not just important to honor Mandela – the world must also step forward and continue his legacy. Also, by explicitly stating what people must do, Odede establishes the importance of new world leaders being like Mandela – selfless and driven.
     Through his use of personal stories and an explicitly stated purpose, Odede shows readers that they need not only to acknowledge the importance of Nelson Mandela's ideals of equality but also to continue to uphold those ideals and make sure future world leaders are like Mandela.

Nelson Mandela:

Throughout his life, Mandela was able to effect a great amount of change in South Africa, such as helping to end apartheid. He was also the first democratically elected president and first black president of South Africa.

(Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/05/17500450-he-is-now-at-peace-nelson-mandela-dead-at-95)

TOW #11: The Future of Drones by Randy Bish (Visual Text)

(Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/9b744c0c-3c2f-412e-a103-bb6bb7d582fb.html)

     On Sunday, December 1st, Amazon announced a future plan to possibly use delivery drones – autonomous octocopters that would deliver Amazon packages to the consumer's doorstep. This news evoked a great and varied response. One such take is shown in this political cartoon by Randy Bish, an award-winning editorial cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Published in the Trib for a politically-interested audience, Bish's cartoon, "The Future of Drones", shows a negative response to Amazon's drone announcement. Through his straightforward diction and alarming juxtaposition in his drawings, Bish effectively causes readers to be doubtful about the use of drones for everyday purposes, and therefore he successfully conveys his negative opinion of the Amazon drone idea.

     Bish begins the cartoon by making the drone state: "I'm a drone." Not only is this a bit unexpected, but it first causes readers to truly consider the meaning of the word "drone". Instinctively, Americans think of the recent events in countries such as Pakistan, where American military drones were controversially dropping bombs on potentially innocent people. Therefore, the word "drone" automatically has a bad connotation. Bish goes on to write about the various functions of an Amazon drone, which seem to be rather mundane, until he draws in the aspect of the drones that readers probably thought of immediately when he writes that the drone could "blow your village to kingdom come". The matter-of-factness of this statement causes Bish's audience to do a double take. This then makes readers reconsider the idea of Amazon drones and makes them wonder if the drones truly are safe. This doubt that Bish evokes in readers shows that he has successfully conveyed his message that perhaps Amazon drones are not the best idea.

     The straightforward diction in Bish's cartoon is complimented by his juxtaposition in the drawings themselves. The readers' double take at the third panel is intensified by the fact that the drone is smiling. Also, the drone now sports what appears to be a machine gun, which strongly contrasts its innocent package in the previous two panels. The sudden appearance of a weapon causes Bish's audience to wonder how different an Amazon drone would be from a military drone, and they may begin to wonder if they would be safe with drones as a common sight in the skies. Again, the readers' doubt shows that Bish effectively demonstrated his negative opinion of the drones.

     Through matter-of-fact diction and surprising juxtaposition, Bish effectively evokes in his readers a feeling of doubt towards the use of drones in everyday activities. This doubt shows that Bish has successfully communicated his own negative opinion towards the announcement drones being used for delivery in the future.

TOW #10: Dreamland by David K. Randall (IRB)

     The first four chapters of Dreamland deal with the general importance of sleep, the affect of artificial light on our sleep habits, couples' sleeping habits, and babies' sleeping habits. Through these, David K. Randall shows the great amount of research he has put into the book. Even just the first chapter of Dreamland reveals Randall's purpose: he wishes to inform the general public about sleep. Through his citation of extremely credible and thought-provoking information, Randall thoroughly informs readers about various aspects of sleep.
     The second chapter of Dreamland discusses the affect of busy modern life on our sleep habits, though it focuses mainly on the affect of artificial light. To teach readers about these effects, Randall cites important sleep experiments. He writes, "Thomas Wehr, who worked for the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, was struck by the idea that the ubiquitous artificial lights we see every day could have some unknown effect on our sleep habits" (Randall 34). This automatically piques readers' interest because it makes them think about the artificial lights that they are likely using to read Randall's book. Randall goes on to discuss the results of Wehr's experiment, which turn out to be, essentially, that if a person isn't exposed to artificial light, they sleep better and are far more rested. By citing relevant (and therefore interesting) information, Randall captures his audience's attention. Being interested in something makes it far easier to learn, so captivating his readers allows Randall to effective inform them about, in this case, the effect of artificial light on sleep habits.
     Randall appeals to his audience's sense of logos by discussing definitive scientific experiments in Dreamland. Through this, he is able to successfully interest them and inform them about things such as the effect of artificial light on sleep patterns or if it is better to place one's baby in a separate crib on on one's on bed. It is likely that Randall will continue to effectively inform readers for the remainder of his book, which appears to include segments on dreams and disorders such as sleep apnea.

Babies' Sleeping Habits:

In his fourth chapter, "And Baby Makes Three", Randall discusses the pros and cons of parents placing their baby in a crib versus co-sleeping (parents and baby sleeping all in the same bed).

(Source: http://www.bhmpics.com/baby_sleeping_with_teddy-wallpapers.html)

TOW #9: "Obsessive Thoughts: A Darker Side of OCD" by Olivia Loving (via The Atlantic)

     In the informative article "Obsessive Thoughts: A Dark Side of OCD", Olivia Loving, who suffers from OCD herself, discusses the lesser-known side of OCD – the obsessive part of the disorder, rather than the compulsive side. Loving writes to, she hopes, the entire world, because she believes (rightly so) that the compulsive side of OCD is what most people know, rather than the obsessive side. Loving's purpose is to simply inform her readers about how serious obsessive thoughts from OCD can be in hopes that it will help readers better understand their family members and friends with OCD. To achieve this, Loving uses a lot of personal stories to support her statements.
     By presenting her points and then backing them up with personal experiences, Loving helps readers to better understand obsession from OCD. Laving states that people without OCD can understand compulsive habits because they can see them, but that it's hard for them to understand the potential violent obsessive thoughts that can be caused by OCD. She then writes, "But the worry that 'something bad will happen' is not an ephemeral, occasional threat for OCD sufferers. I avoided knives for years, because in their vicinity I feared I would lose control and stab my mother." By presenting a personal experience, readers can visualize Loving shying away from knives from the fear of stabbing her mother. By articulating examples of obsessive thoughts – things many OCD sufferers may not wish to share with friends and family – Loving helps readers to understand what their loved ones may be going through.
     Through her use of strong facts about OCD that are well-supported by Loving's own personal experiences, Loving is able to  give readers insight into the mind of a person with obsessive thoughts. This insight then allows readers to understand the problems that can stem from these thoughts, which include living in constant fear of, for example, hurting one's mother. Loving hopes that through this article, she will be able to make people able to understand and be supportive of their loved ones who may be tormented by OCD.

OCD:

If over 100 million people suffer from OCD, it seems very likely that most people know at least one person who has it. Loving's article may be able to help these people understand some of the 100 million that suffer.

(Source: http://www.complexatbest.com/ocd/how-many-people-have-ocd/)

Dreamland Introduction (IRB)

     Dreamland, by David K. Randall, is a book about sleep. Randall is not a scientist (he is actually a senior reporter at Reuters), but he has experienced odd sleeping habits (including excessive movement and sleepwalking) through his life. In Dreamland, Randall includes explanations of why we sleep, how we sleep, and how it effects us. However, he also raises many questions about sleep, because he has found throughout his research that there is so much that humans don't understand about something we do for about a third of our lives.
     I selected this book because I love science, and neuroscience in particular. Sleep is something I've always found interesting, and I've always wondered why we have dreams or why some people sleepwalk. Hopefully this book will serve to be interesting as well as informative, and I hope that at the end of it, I will understand sleep much more.

TOW #8: The Invisible Thread by Yoshiko Uchida (IRB)

     For the beginning half of The Invisible Thread, Yoshiko Uchida appears to simply be telling her own story of internment during World War II. However, during the second half of the memoir, she begins to build a greater purpose. Ultimately, through The Invisible Thread, Uchida wishes for the new generation to treat others (and specifically Japanese Americans) as "fellow human beings" (132). She also wants most of all for the young people of this time to make sure nothing as terrible as the Japanese internment happens again in America. To get across these messages, Uchida continues to use imagery to show consequences, and she also explicitly states her purpose to strengthen it.
      Uchida (and many others) believes that the main cause of the Japanese internment was racial prejudice. She hopes that the young Americans of this time period can learn to treat each other equally so that racial prejudice can eventually disappear. Uchida's extensive use of imagery demonstrates to her readers the true effects of racial prejudice. Furthermore, it appeals to pathos, as it effectively shows that pain and suffering that Japanese Americans experienced during WWII. This ultimately works to show the consequences of racial prejudice in hopes that it will convince young people not to treat people of different races in bad ways.
     Since Uchida's purpose is clearly very important not only to her but also to anyone treated poorly because of their race, she states it directly to leave a lasting impression on her audience. She writes, "I hope the young people who read these books will ... learn to see Japanese Americans not in the usual stereotypic way, but as fellow human beings" (132). By explicitly stating her purpose, Uchida ensures that readers will understand it and its importance. She also writes, "Most of all, I ask them [the new generation of Americans] to be vigilant, so that such a tragedy [Japanese internment] will never happen to any group of people in America ever again" (133). This is Uchida's final sentence, and it leaves a very strong message in readers' minds as they close the book.
     By demonstrating the consequences of racial prejudice through imagery and explicitly stating her purposes to show readers its importance, Uchida effectively gets across her messages. She shows her audience that if the new generation treats others equally, with any prejudice, they will be able to make sure that nothing like the Japanese internment ever happens in America again.

Yoshiko Uchida:

Yoshiko Uchida wrote many other books about the Japanese internment and Japanese Americans in general, and hoped through all of them to show the new generations of Americans that race should not effect the way people are treated.

(Source: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38539.Yoshiko_Uchida)

TOW #7: "Read More" (Visual Text)

(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/book-ads_n_3671131.html?utm_hp_ref=advertising)

     Steimatzky, a bookstore chain in Israel, created this advertisement to promote reading as opposed to watching television. It is directed toward virtually any audience – viewers just need to be able to read English. The ad depicts a man sitting on his couch apparently watching television. He is rather abnormal-looking, though, as his head is about a quarter of the expected size. The advertisement is captioned only with "Read more." Through irony, humor, and a serious tone from the caption, this ad effectively promotes reading.

     This advertisement achieves its purpose largely through irony and humor. A person lounging on the couch watch TV is a normal, everyday sight in most households. However, it is very unexpected for that person's head to be tiny. While older children and (of course) adults know that watching TV doesn't actually cause one's head to shrink, very young children might not understand that. In this way, the advertisement could have sort of a "fairy tale" effect in that it is a sort of outrageous, made-up story that can scare young children into avoiding a certain behavior – in this case, watching television. The advertisement is also quite obviously meant to be humorous. The irony is laughable – no one's head would really shrink from watching TV. However, it is still funny, and advertisements that cause laugher are often far more effective.

     The inclusion of "Read more." is vital to the advertisement's success. Without it, the ad would make no sense. However, the syntax of the text is also very important. The period at the end indicates finality and a touch of seriousness. Even though the image itself is outrageous, it does have some truth in it: watching television is not very (if at all) mentally stimulating. The serious tone of the text shows viewers that the increase in time spent watching TV is a bad thing and by reading more, it may be able to be turned around.

     This advertisement effectively promotes reading rather than watching TV by using irony, humor, and a serious tone in the text. The irony and humor fit together, as the unexpected sight of a man with a tiny head is quite funny. However, this is contrasted by the rather serious statement "Read more." Through this, the ad shows that reading will be mentally stimulating and may fix the bad effects of excessive television.

TOW #6: "Are Chicks Brighter Than Babies?" by Nicholas D. Kristof (via the New York Times)

     In "Are Chicks Brighter Than Babies?", Nicholas D. Kristof discusses the morality of the way we treat poultry. Kristof grew up on a farm, so he has firsthand experience with how birds are treated, and he certainly is credible as a writer, as he has written for the New York Times since 2001. Since this is an opinion piece, Kristof is writing to virtually anyone. The article serves simply to express Kristof's opinion: just because we are ultimately going to eat poultry doesn't mean that we should treat the birds inhumanely before they are slaughtered. To get this across, Kristof appeals to logos through references to credible scientific data and to pathos through figurative language.
     Kristof's main argument focuses around that fact that chickens (and other poultry) are in fact intelligent creatures, and it is wrong to treat them inhumanely. To prove this, he references specific scientific experiments. For example, he writes, "Even chicks can do basic arithmetic, so that if you shuffle five small items in a shell game, they mentally keep track of additions and subtractions and choose the area with the higher number of items. In a number of such tests, chicks do better than toddlers." By mentioning scientific experiments, Kristof demonstrates a credible source with concrete proof to show the intelligence of chickens. This appeal to logos shows the reader that there is hard evidence to support Kristof's opinion.
     Appealing to logos is not Kristof's only tactic to express his opinion – he also appeals to pathos. He writes, "evidence is mounting that [farmbirds are] smarter than we have assumed, and just because they don't have big brown eyes doesn't mean that they should be condemned to spend their lives jammed into tiny cages in stinking, fetid barns, with bodies of dead birds sometimes left rotting beside live ones." These strong adjectives and imagery evoke feelings of pity in readers. This effectively shows Kristof's audience that we should care more about poultry than we currently do.
     Through appeals to logos and pathos, Nicholas D. Kristof successfully expresses his views toward the treatment of poultry to his audience. His use of scientific data and figurative language effectively demonstrates to readers that he believes it's not terrible to slaughter and eat poultry, but if it is to be done, the farmbirds should at least be treated humanely.

Caged Chickens:

Nicholas D. Kristof would certainly argue that this method of raising chickens for slaughter is inhumane. Caged chickens often don't even have room to turn around, and they are therefore forced to live in constant filth.

(Source: http://www.earthintransition.org/2012/07/bird-flu-strikes-mexico2-5-mil-chickens-killed/)

TOW #5: "What's Right With the Autistic Mind" by Temple Grandin (via TIME Magazine)

     People often only see the bad parts of autism. Temple Grandin writes the TIME magazine article "What's Right With the Autistic Mind" to combat this belief. Grandin is a livestock expert and animal science professor who has autism, so she is able to effectively write about the strengths her autism gives her. Her article is directed to virtually anyone interested in science, specifically neuroscience and autism. By using examples from her own life and a personal tone, Grandin is able to effectively show readers that autism often comes with strengths, and identifying and facilitating those strengths can often be life-changing for an autistic person.

     One of the topics that Grandin discusses at length is what she calls "bottom-up thinking". This is a strong attention to detail that is often categorized as a deficit because "autistic people ... can't see the forest for the trees." However, Grandin has found that this so-called "deficit" is actually one of her strengths. When designing a cattle chute, Grandin was able to "immediately spot the paper cup or hanging chain that's going to spook the cattle, while the neurotypicals all around [her] don't even notice it." By using personal stories, Grandin is able to show that the autistic mind is not necessarily a bad thing, and that many "deficits" may actually turn out to be strengths. These life examples also contribute to Grandin's personal tone.

     The entire article is written in first person voice, which makes it immediately personal. To further this, Grandin uses her own experiences and insights into her mind to help back up her arguments. These all contribute to the article's personal tone, which allows Grandin to connect with her readers. Through this connection, she can truly show them how an autistic mind (or at least how hers) works. And this insight ultimately shows readers that there are often positive aspects to autism that need to be focused on.

     In "What's Right With the Autistic Mind", Temple Grandin is very personal – she constantly uses personal experiences as examples to support her arguments, and she establishes a personal tone through those examples and a first person voice. This connection that Grandin creates with her readers successfully shows them the strengths an autistic person can gain from their autism. Playing to these strengths, Grandin says, can allow autistic people to "cultivate their dreams."

Temple Grandin:

Grandin is best known for her work with animals, since, she has said, she can think like them. One of her most well-known projects was designing a cattle chute that wouldn't create stress in the animals before they were to be slaughtered.

(Source: http://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/speech-therapy-techniques/autism-advocacy-how-temple-grandin-conquered-her-diagnosis/)

TOW #4: The Invisible Thread by Yoshiko Uchida (IRB)

     In The Invisible Thread, a memoir, Yoshiko Uchida recounts her life as a Japanese American during WWII. She begins with her years in school and then moves on to the time she and her family spent in the internment camps. Uchida writes to a broad audience – the diction is not too complicated, so a middle schooler would likely understand it. However, many of the topics discussed in The Invisible Thread are rather heavy, such as the cruelty of the internment camps, so in that sense, it may be more directed to an older audience, such as high school or college and above. Uchida's purpose in this memoir is to show just how terrible the Japanese internment was (since many history books gloss over it) and to share her personal experiences of being an outcast.
     Throughout the entire book, Uchida appeals to ethos. Many of her memories from her childhood reflect her feelings of being an outcast. She discusses the way she was excluded at school because she was Japanese and how shop owners would ignore her to help a white customer first. These stories show Uchida's audience that she understands what being an outcast feels like, and this makes her very credible on the subject. Also, she discusses her time in the internment camps in detail, and this firsthand experience gives her a rarely-shared view of the Japanese internment.
     Uchida uses imagery liberally in The Invisible Thread. When writing about her family's first night at an internment camp, she writes: "It was dark now, and the north wind was blowing into our stall from all the cracks around the windows and the door. We bundled up in our coats and sat on our prickly mattresses, too miserable even to talk" (Uchida 76). This use of imagery appeals to pathos and allows readers to empathize with Uchida. Through this, she further achieves her purpose of revealing the atrocities of the Japanese internment.
     Through continual appeals to ethos, Uchida is able to share her experiences as an outcast. She also uses imagery to appeal to pathos, which allows readers to empathize with her. This effectively demonstrates to her audience how cruel and irrational the Japanese internment was during World War II.

Topaz, Utah:

One of the internment camps that Uchida, her sister, and her parents were sent to was in Topaz, Utah. It was located in the Sevier Desert, a barren, empty place. This isolation was intentional, and was specifically to keep the Japanese Americans from acting as spies for Japan (which wasn't happening anyway).

(Source: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/nikkeialbum/albums/182/?view=list)

TOW #3: "My Daughter's Homework is Killing Me" by Karl Taro Greenfeld (via The Atlantic)

     Karl Taro Greenfeld, a father of two, was alarmed at how late his 13-year-old daughter Esmee was staying up to finish her homework. In an attempt to show the world (excluding students, who already know) the toll that hours upon hours of homework can take on someone, Greenfeld decided to do all of Esmee's homework with her for one week. Greenfeld is not a regular writer for The Atlantic (though he is the author of six books), but to get his story out, he recorded it as a magazine article.
     Organization is a key aspect of Greenfeld's article. He introduces his topic briefly, stating that he decided to try to do his daughter's homework for a week after noticing how little sleep she got. He then organizes the rest of the essay into days: each section begins with a description of the homework, how hard/easy it was, and the total time (usually around three hours). Immediately after that, Greenfeld recounts a story from his childhood or from experiences as a parent, and applies the story to his experiences with Esmee's homework. This use of organization easily shows readers the time commitment of homework and, if they'd like to do a bit more reading, shows them why it creates such a huge time commitment.
     Later on in the essay, Greenfeld uses statistics to appeal to logos. He discusses how America scores lower on testing than countries like Japan or Denmark, which actually give out less homework. (And, incidentally, countries such as Thailand and Greece, which assign more, score lower.) However, American schools haven't learned from this. Greenfeld writes, "According to a University of Michigan study, the average time spent weekly on homework increased from two hours and 38 minutes in 1981 to three hours and 58 minutes in 2004." Greenfeld's use of statistics can convince even a doubtful reader that there's something wrong with the monstrous amounts of homework American students receive.
     To show the world that middle and high school students have too much homework, Greenfeld appeals to logos. He uses a chronological organization with prominent headers to quickly show readers the amount of time he and his daughter spent on homework each day and why. To further convince any doubtful readers, Greenfeld uses statistics from reputable sources that show the increase in American homework and how it may not actually be beneficial.

Too Much Homework:

This is far too much homework for any student to have, especially a 13-year-old.

(Incidentally, the day after you (Mr. Yost) recommended my class to read this article, I actually had five and a half hours of homework.)

(Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/my-daughters-homework-is-killing-me/309514/?single_page=true)

TOW #2: Mr. Hood's String Class (Visual Text)

     Mr. Hood's strings class has an unusual classroom dynamic. The students are usually the speakers, and as they speak through their music, Mr. Hood becomes the audience. He also, however, is a speaker at times when he directs or critiques the musicians, and as a musician and a music teacher, he certainly is qualified to be giving his class instruction on how to play. The purpose of the strings class is to prepare the students for their winter concert, and the most effective way to do this is to place the musicians in an environment in which they can practice and therefore improve. From there, they can become skilled enough to perform at the winter concert where, by extension, their audience will also include concertgoers.
     As a certified music teacher, Mr. Hood appeals to ethos. Since he is their teacher, his students already look up to him and trust his opinion. They also know that he is in several bands and has a great amount of experience with performing. The students know he is skilled in what he is teaching, and they are therefore more likely to trust his views as their conductor. It is very important for an orchestra to trust a conductor's decisions in order for the music they're learning to eventually become performance-ready.
     Mr. Hood is able to further his purpose by setting a specific tone in the classroom. He engages students by making jokes and altogether not being very serious or formal. The class mirrors this light-hearted tone by responding to his jokes or engaging him in conversation. This allows the student-teacher (and musician-conductor) relationship to develop and become stronger, which helps the class run smoothly. However, it's not all fun and games – there is a sense of urgency in that there is a deadline before which the music has to be prepared. This sense of urgency is produced by the continual practicing in the class; the short breaks are often filled with Mr. Hood giving critique or instruction.
     The strings class successfully achieves its purpose through Mr. Hood's appeal to ethos and the informal but determined tone shared by both the musicians and conductor. The use of these devices will lead to a performance-ready strings group by the winter concert in December.

Mr. Hood:

Mr. Hood's experience as a musician (in this picture, he is playing bass, but he is skilled at many other instruments) allows him to effectively prepare his strings class for their winter concert.

(Source: http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2013/07/06/ambler_gazette/news/doc51d3108fac68f880283111.txt)

TOW #1: "Across the Red Line" by Michael Crowley (via TIME Magazine)

     Michael Crowley is one of TIME's senior correspondents; he has been a reporter for the New York Times and The New Republic, often covering articles about domestic politics and foreign policy. He writes "Across the Red Line" to an adult audience that wishes to be up-to-date on world happenings. The article is an informational report that serves to educate readers of the current situation in Syria and how it creates problems for President Barack Obama. Crowley begins the article by discussing Obama's "foreign policy vision" of a peaceful world achieved through "mutual respect". Throughout the rest of the article, Crowley explores Syria's recent history and how the crisis may affect Obama's presidency.
     The second page of "Across the Red Line" is dominated by a map of Syria that details recent events. This uses logical appeal by presenting statistics about the problems in Syria. Chemical weapons, Crowley writes, have killed "about 30" in the March attack on Khan al-Asal and "hundreds" in that large attacks near Damascus on August 21. He also shows that there are nearly two millions in Syria's surrounding countries. These statistics give readers a sense of the great number of lives affected by Syria's civil war. This helps Crowley achieve his purpose by effectively informing his audience of the magnitude of recent Syrian catastrophes.
     Crowley repeatedly uses ethical appeal by citing statements of critics and supporters of President Obama. When discussing the Syrian predicament's effects on Obama's presidency, Crowley shows the critics' view: "...to his critics, Obama does hesitate [to use force to uphold policies], and trouble follows as a result." Crowley also presents the views of Obama's supporters: "Obama's defenders say he has done the best with a poisoned inheritance ... [and] Obama has time to find a path through the current chaos to a successful legacy abroad." By providing the opinions of both sides, Crowley effectively remains unbiased and demonstrates to readers that the situation in Syria could go either way for President Obama.
     To inform readers of the Syrian crisis and the problems it causes for President Obama, Michael Crowley appeals to logos and ethos. He successfully educates his audience of recent events in Syria by using a map with statistics, and he uses outside opinions to gives readers an unbiased view of how Obama could be affected by the situation in Syria.

"Across the Red Line":

This graphic shows the positions of Syria's chemical weapons as well as where recent attacks occurred. It also shows the current US involvement (left: Staging Area) and the refugees who have fled due to the civil war.

(Source: "Across the Red Line": TIME magazine, September 9, 2013, page 32-33)

The Invisible Thread Introduction (IRB)

     The Invisible Thread, by Yoshiko Uchida, is a memoir recounting the author's experiences as a Japanese girl growing up in World War II America. She discusses how she felt at home in America until the US declared war on Japan and her family was sent to an internment camp. (The Japanese internment was America's attempt to discourage Japanese immigrants (or their children) who lived in the US from helping out Japan.) This memoir gives a first-hand account of the struggles of being discriminated against and treated as an enemy, which, unfortunately, has happened often to various groups in America over the years.
     I selected this book because I have very strong opinions toward freedom and human rights, and the Japanese internment camps are an example of a great infringement of those rights. History textbooks often gloss over events like this one, and I can't recall learning about it (though it seems likely we'll cover it in APUSH this year). Overall, I'm interested in reading a personal account of the internment camps in hopes that it will reveal the truth of the situation.

"Rediscovering Central Asia" by S. Frederick Starr

     In "Rediscovering Central Asia", S. Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University, seeks to inform readers. He writes to an audience with at least a basic knowledge of Central Asian geography, which is likely high school or above. Starr's purpose is to teach readers some of the history of Central Asia, which he believes is understood by far too few people. Throughout the essay he focuses on South Asia's golden age, and specifically the region's rise to it and fall from it.
Starr presents readers with the common view of Central Asia to establish the problem. He states that most people "[dismiss Central Asia] as an inconvenient territory to be crossed while getting somewhere else." By stating the majority's opinion, Starr gives readers the chance to connect to what he writes. He then presents readers with facts from Central Asia's past (around 1000 AD): "it was Central Asians who first accepted irrational numbers ... invented trigonometry ... estimated the earth's diameter to a degree of precision unmatched until recent centuries ... In chemistry ... first to reverse reactions." He lists many more of these facts to show readers the stark difference between what they think they know about Central Asia (that it is unimportant) and what they need to know (that Central Asia was in fact a great hub of scientific and mathematical discovery). In this way, Starr appeals to both pathos and logos.
By contrasting the common perception of Central Asia with the truth, Starr shocks his audience, and through this pathetic appeal they realize how little they know about the region. He then lists a significant number of facts about the development of science and math in Central Asia, and through this logical appeal, he successfully teaches readers the importance of Central Asia. At the end of the essay, Starr combines his logical and pathetic appeals to teach readers a message: the public needs to learn about Central Asia's past in order to respect the region today and promote this kind of scientific growth again.

Important Central Asian Scholars/Scientists/Mathematicians:

Left: Abu Nasr al-Farabi (c. 872-961), from what is now Kazakhstan, analyzed the ethics of Aristotle and, according to Starr, these analyses "surpassed all those of Western thinkers except Thomas Aquinas".

Center: Abu al-Rayhan al-Biruni (973-1048), who lived near the Aral Sea, "[distinguished] himself in geography, mathematics, trigonometry, comparative religion, astronomy, physics, geology, psychology, mineralogy, and pharmacology."

Right: Abu Ali Sina (c. 980-1037), from Bukhara in now-Uzbekistan, focused on medicine, philosophy, physics, chemistry, astronomy, theology, clinical pharmacology, physiology, ethics, and music.

(Source: http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=1058)

"Gyromancy" by Ron Rindo

"Gyromancy" was written as an informative piece about Ménière's disease. The author, Ron Rindo, has the disease and can therefore accurately describe what it's like. He uses few complicated medical terms, and can appeal to anyone high school age or older. The essay explores his experience during an attack, the causes of Ménière's, and how Rindo deals with the disease. Through these topics, Rindo presents his purpose of informing readers about Ménière's disease.
Rindo uses logical appeal to show the severity of vertigo, the main symptom of a Ménière's attack. He states, "on the severity scale of human suffering, uncontrolled rotary vertigo ... is listed second behind chronic, excruciating pain." Explaining that vertigo is nearly on the same level as the worst pain imaginable puts into perspective how terrible chronic vertigo (and therefore Ménière's disease) must be. Rindo then uses statistics to show readers the prevalence of experiencing vertigo: "40 percent of American adults ... will, at least once, experience the spins. ... about 5 percent will endure chronic vertigo." The use of statistics shows readers that Rindo has significant knowledge of Ménière's disease.
Since severe vertigo is something not everyone has experienced, Rindo uses a lot of imagery to help readers understand. He writes, "...instantly the world around me began to spin wildly. ...I lurched back toward the door, listed to the right, then bumped into a chair, the bookshelf, the wall. Because the floor seemed to be moving, walking became almost impossible." The imagery of spinning and the quick pace of the writing show readers the utter disorientation that Rindo feels during an attack. Also, by sharing a personal experience, he connects with his audience, which allows them to further grasp the concept.
To effectively inform his audience about Ménière's disease, Rindo employs both logical and pathetic appeal. Using statistics puts information in perspective for readers, and his use of imagery, quick writing pace, and personal experiences allow readers to connect with him. They can then imagine Rindo's discomfort during an attack, which successfully achieves his purpose.

Vertigo:

Ménière's disease includes severe vertigo, which is a sensation of often disorienting, seemingly never-ending spinning.

(Source: http://thewondersofdoing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-vertigo-came-back.html)

"My Genome, My Self" by Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker, a psychology researcher and Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, writes "My Genome, My Self" to discuss discovering oneself. As a psychologist, he states that he has had "access to tools that allow you to carry out the injunction to know thyself." He focuses this essay on one of those tools – genome sequencing. Throughout the piece, Pinker explores what genome sequencing can and can't tell him about himself. "My Genome, My Self" was written as an informative piece directed towards a college-age and above audience who can understand some scientific language.
Much of the beginning of the essay discusses how one's genes can affect personality traits. Pinker writes, "[Genes] affect the wiring and workings of the brain, and the brain is the seat of our drives, temperaments, and patterns of thought." Since he is a psychologist, readers know that Pinker states valid information, and through this appeal to ethos, he gets closer to achieving his purpose.
When discussing the results of his genome sequencing, Pinker adopts a more casual form of diction to connect with readers. He asks, "Who wouldn't be flattered to learn that he has two genes associated with higher IQ and one linked to a taste for novelty?" Casual diction makes Pinker's discussion of his positive traits unpretentious and makes his audience more comfortable reading about his genes. Towards the end of the essay, Pinker introduces his opinions on knowing oneself. He writes, "So if you are bitten by scientific or personal curiosity... by all means enjoy the fruits of personal genomics. But ... if you want to know whether you are good at math, take a math test." By directly addressing his audience, Pinker creates a stronger connection between himself and his readers and, as a result, successfully shares his opinion.
Through ethical appeal, Pinker effectively informs his audience about genome sequencing and how it can be used to learn about oneself. He then wraps up his essay by using pathetic appeal to show readers that to truly know oneself, one must figure it out – there is no foolproof scientific way to do so.

Personal Genomics:

Our genomes are made of unique (except in identical twins) combinations of G's, C's, A's, and T's, and they determine our appearances and (possibly, as Pinker discusses) our personalities.

(Source: http://www.jenometech.com/product.php)

"When Writers Speak" by Arthur Krystal

     "When Writers Speak" discusses how talented people perform when trying to do something that is out of their element. The world expects writers to be outstanding at anything that deals with words, and this essay attempts to convince the public that that is not true. Arthur Krystal, a writer who knows what it feels like to be out of his element, wishes to share his message with the entire world, so he writes to a broad audience: anyone high school age or above should be able to read and understand his essay. He uses "When Writers Speak" to teach a lesson: people often make mistakes when they are in unfamiliar situations, and they should be forgiven for that.
To convey his message to his readers, Krystal uses his own experiences with speaking (as opposed to writing) as examples. This shows readers that he understands what he's talking about. He states, "I'm willing to bet that more gray matter starts quivering when I sit down to write than when I stand up to speak. ... How do I know this? Because I'm writing!" Readers are much more likely to accept Krystal's message when they see that he has experience with being out of his element.
Krystal also uses examples from famous writers' lives to teach his lesson. He writes, "Not bad, I think ... In fact, a damned good line to come up with off the cuff. But wait! ... [Vladimir Nabokov's] turning over index cards. He's glancing at notes. He's reading." By showing that other people (perhaps people his audience has heard of or even look up to) are in the same situation as him, Krystal shows that his message affects many people.
Arthur Krystal effectively achieves his purpose of teaching a lesson through the use of ethical and logical appeal. By demonstrating that he and many other writers have been out of their elements before, he teaches his audience that they should forgive anyone for behaving incorrectly or making mistakes when they are in an unfamiliar situation.

Fish Out of Water:

In unfamiliar situations, people often feel like a "fish out of water", and Krystal's message tries to lessen that feeling.

(Source: http://www.masterfile.com/stock-photography/image/653-02634344/A-goldfish-outside-of-a-fishbowl)

"The Elegant Eyeball" by John Gamel

     Written by John Gamel, an ophthalmology professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and author of many scientific articles and personal essays, "The Elegant Eyeball" gives readers a deeper look into Gamel's experience of being an ophthalmologist. The essay was written mainly as a memoir for an older audience – high school and above – who would be able to understand a few medical terms and appreciate Gamel's sometimes-mature humor. Gamel's purpose is to recall experiences from his time as an eye doctor and, through those memories, evoke emotion in his audience.
Gamel mainly uses pathetic appeal to achieve his purpose. When writing about his experience with patient Hans Bergerman, Gamel uses imagery and a personal tone to elicit emotion. Through imagery, he shows the reader the danger of Bergerman's treatment: "The zone that divided success from disaster was devilishly narrow, no greater than the width of a few human hairs." The image of such a small space creates a feeling of stress and anxiety in readers, which is perpetuated when, in a personal tone, Gamel shares his own feelings: "Doug Jacobson [another doctor] ... could not have guessed the quantity of sweat that soaked my armpits as I fired dozens of blue-greens flashes into Bergerman's eye." At the end, Gamel again explains his own emotions when he writes, "My treatment had failed. ... the sight of that dark clot mounded beneath his retina broke my heart." Since Gamel's previous pathetic appeal had allowed readers to connect with him and the patient, they also feel the crushing sadness and even despair that Gamel describes.
Gamel effectively accomplishes his purpose of evoking emotion. He incorporates his own feelings into his various stories via a personal tone and imagery, which allows readers to connect with him and often the patient he describes. Through these appeals to pathos, Gamel successfully produces strong emotions in his audience.

Macular Degeneration:

Normal vision (left) and the same image as a person with macular degeneration (the disease Hans Bergerman had) would see it (right). (Source: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp)