AOW January 30

     Mark Jenkins tells of his adventure in Papua New Guinea with the last of the Meakambut cave people.  He and his team walk into a crisis; the people are no longer fighting off cannibals or headhunters, rather diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.  One woman named Lidia is extremely ill with lungs filled with fluid.  The team became concerned with getting these sick people to a clinic. Sebastian Haraha, an ethnographer who came to pinpoint the exact locations of their caves and then register them under the National Cultural Property Act so their land will be protected, left this duty to escort the sick people.  Jenkins is offered a trip up to Kapoa Cave- the Meakambut’s most sacred.  Jenkins learned that the Meakambut people are struggling.  There are no more pigs to hunt and people are dying.  John, one of the Meakambut shares with Jenkins: "We, the Meakambut people, will give up hunting and always moving and living in the mountain caves if the government will give us a health clinic and a school, and two shovels and two axes, so we can build homes.
     Mark Jenkins is an award winning writing and adventurer, currently writing for National Geographic.  He was a global correspondent for Rodale Press.  He has written four adventure books.
     Jenkins wrote this article in response to his trip to New Guinea.
     The purpose was to show how despite the civilization of the Meakambut people is dying, they are willing to give up their nomadic lifestyle for the chance of stability. 
     The audience intended is readers of National Geographic.  
     One main rhetorical device used is narration.  Jenkins tells the story of his adventure, which makes the audience feel they’re on the adventure as well.  He uses descriptive language so that each picture he is creating through writing is vivid and captivating: “We hunch beneath a low overhang and stumble into a gantlet of skulls. Human skulls. They are lined up as though they are whispering to each other. Their craniums have turned green and their dark, haunting eye sockets stare directly at intruders.”
     The author is successful.  His article is beautiful and makes me want to find out more about the Meakambut and the ways that we can help them.


http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/karawari-cave-people/jenkins-text

AOW January 23

    Joe Paterno died Sunday January 23, 2012 from complications of lung cancer.  He was 85 years old.  Paterno was known for his excellence in coaching football.  He worked with the Nittany Lions of Penn State for 46 seasons and amassed his career victories to 409.  His won his first national championship in 1983 and again in 1987.  Recently, he was fired from job because of his connection with the Joe Sandusky scandal.  He failed to meet a “obligation, a moral responsibility, for all adults to watch out for children,” said trustee Mark Dambly.  Despite his last weeks filled with scandal and health struggles, his legacy will live on.
      This article was written in response to Paterno’s death.  Controversy had filled his final days, but he was a talented coach and deserves respect for his accomplishments.
    Rana L. Cash is a writer for Sporting News for NCAA Football.
    The audience intended for this article are readers of Sporting News, fans of Joe Paterno and people who follow the Sandusky scandal.
    Some rhetorical devices used are: appeals to pathos and ethos.  Cash portrays Paterno as a very strong and kind man with quotes from family members and Paterno himself.  This creates a nostalgic tone; you remember all the good things he has done, instead of the more recent reports of his character.   Cash also writes a biography of sorts, from when he was born, to the college he attended, his career.  This is important for people who only know him for his involvement with the Sandusky scandal.
     The author is successful.  She puts Paterno in a positive light, which I think is important when generally good people die. 
   

Unit 3 Reflection

     Despite influential speakers, writers and activists,  it appears to be inevitable for history to repeat itself.  It is discouraging to see destructive patterns developing in other countries:  governments restricting its people and responding to protests with violence.  There is hope, however, for reforms to happen, just as those same reforms happened in our country more than 100 years ago.
    With brave and controversial diction, Patrick Henry proved to be a distinguished advocate for the rights of his people.  He is the perfect example of how every individual should act towards his/her government.  Speaking to the President he states, “Different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if… opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely…” I believe Henry showed respect to the diverse opinions of strong minded men and though it may not be necessary for every public speech, individuals need to consider ideas that are different than their own, especially ideas that are our government’s.  It is also important, as Henry stated, to share our thoughts and criticisms.  One of the most important duties an individual has to his government, is to challenge it.  If authority is never challenged, nothing can progress or change.
     In a time when equality among men and women was far from reality, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments.  She wrote it to resemble Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence , connecting the need for women’s rights with an American symbol of liberty.  “Such has been the patient sufferance of women under this government” Stanton states, paralleling “such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies under this government” in the Declaration of Independence.  The American government was created to escape the tyrannical rule of Great Britain and ironically, they were placing the same tyrannical rule on women.  It is incredibly important for the government to take notice of how their people react to regulations.  If people are calling for reform, they can not let time pass and prolong their suffering.  Though the Declaration of Independence and Declaration of Sentiments differ in a literal sense, in essence, they wrote this for their people, exercised their duty to government and demanded freedom.  The government’s duty is to listen.
    I found this unit to be very thought-provoking.  Last unit, I almost drowned in the works of Plato, Cicero and Machiavelli.  Not that they weren’t interesting, just very challenging.  Though I know their work is taught for a reason, I struggled with finding the big picture, the real value.  In this unit, the written work of Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Elizabeth Cady Stanton  proved to me, there is purpose behind the way things are written.  Because I understood the historical context of many of these pieces, I could more directly see their impact in society and it made the unit all the more intriguing. 

Literacy Memory

     When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with a picture book about a Japanese girl.  I can remember the exact spot in the West Broad Elementary school library where it belonged, the pictures, the burgundy color of the cover. Remembering the title of this beloved book, however was annoyingly difficult and required nearly 45 minutes of my precious time to type absurd phrases into Google, in hopes of rediscovering it.  (One Google search: children's book Chinese school girl/tea)  I was determined but also, completely doomed.After a long while, I found it and I certainly felt accomplished!  The title of this book is Tea with Milk by Allen Say.
     As a fourth grader, I  would frequently check out Tea with Milk from the library.  I would play teacher up in my attic and read it to an empty room, thoughtfully showing the pictures on each page to no audience.
 Surprisingly, this book is a fairly mature tale for a child.  A Japanese American girl, May, is forced to move to Japan with her parents: switch jeans for a kimono, pancakes for rice.  She has to learn Japanese and complete high school all over again.   But, she has a dream to be independent,  to make a living for herself and to escape the marriage her parent's planned for her.  She eventually finds success in the city of Osaka and also love.
      Looking back, it is hard to imagine a 10 year old enjoying this kind of story.  I look back to that time and find it amazing that I felt so happy simply reading a book to an empty room. This story seems to hold more significance in my life today as I too, dream of traveling and being free of school, parents and Ambler, PA.   Looking to the future, I feel confident that I can find the same peace of mind May found, in a new place with change and opportunity everywhere.    
      

AOW Jan. 16

     The article “Murder at the Queen’s Estate” tells about the body that was discovered on New Year’s Day at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham estate.  The girl found was identified as 17 year old Alisa Dmitrijeva- a Latvian immigrant who had come to Britain two years ago. 
Alicia Dennis is a writer for People Magazine- a magazine of celebrity and human interest stories.  In October 2005, it was named “Magazine of the Year” by Advertising Age for excellence in editorial, circulation and advertising. 
     The context of this piece is a response to the recent investigations into who Alisa Dmitrijeva was and why she was killed.  Detectives have been questioning royal gamekeepers, grooms, and other estate workers to see if they know anything.  Officials have been looking into the life of Dmitrijeva and are racing to find out what happened to her.
     The purpose of the article was to show the possible reason why such a tragedy would occur.  The article explains the type of person Dmitrijeva was and that she was recently hanging out with the wrong crowd. Dmitrijeva was described as a “bubbly teen” (1) however her parents noted a change in her.  When she enrolled in college and struggled to learn English, she began to stay out all night.  Her mother tells Mail on Sunday, “She took drugs and got arrested for stealing” (2).  How and why she was killed remains a mystery.
     The audience for this article is readers of People Magazine and those interested in royal news.
     Rhetorical elements used  are an appeal to ethos and a narrative-style introduction.  Dennis incorporated reports from important people in this case-  Detective Chief Jes Fry and royal protection officer Ken Wharfe.  This establishes a lot of credibility.  She also uses information from an interview with Dmitrijeva’s mother to show a very personal side of the girl’s character.  Dennis begins the article with a story-like introduction: “On the crisp, 50-degree afternoon of Dec. 18, the Queen and her companions tramped through the countryside of her sprawling Sandringham estate for a high spirited holiday shoot…” (3)  This pulls the audience in and establishes the juxtaposition of the entire event- how such a tragedy could happen on such beautiful (and royal) land.
     The author was effective. Though the mystery remains unsolved, Dennis did a good job with summarizing what had happened and giving insight as to why it did. 

-January 23, 2012 issue of People Magazine

AOW January 9

In the article, “A Digital Death? Why Kodak Stopped Clicking” it is made clear that Kodak could be heading for bankruptcy and they may have been their own downfall.  Kodak once was incredibly popular; it had one of the most innovative researching departments in the world.  In 1975, they found the digital camera, “a product that would eventually be its undoing” (1). Kodak has tried to make and sell digital cameras and other products, however, they were “never really able to capitalize on the product it had invented, and its digital strategy was a bust” (2).  Currently, they are trying to sell patents for digital photography to prevent bankruptcy.

JIm Zarroli has been a reporter for NPR since 1996 and covers most often articles on business and the economy.  He has written for The Christian Science Monitor, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

The context of this article is that Kodak has recently begun trying to sell about a thousand patents for the technology behind digital photography.  Since they are heading for bankruptcy, the company may not have a choice in the matter.

The purpose of the article was to show that Kodak’s own invention of the digital photography ultimately led them to their state today.  “Over the years, as digital photography has taken off, the innovations developed by Kodak have been widely used in smartphones, notebooks and tablets” (3) and unfortunately their demise may be caused by their innovations.

The audience intended for this article are listeners of NPR and people interested in the trends of businesses.

Rhetorical devices used include: appeal to ethos and clever diction.  Zarroli makes an appeal to ethos by citing Rob Cethre of the consulting firm of Photizo and Mark Zupan, dean of the business school at the University of Rochester.  By using experts in both photography and business interests, his purpose is more clearly explained and credible.  Zarroli makes him article more interesting and creative with his word choice.  His diction: “Kodak has tried to jump on the digital bandwagon”, “during its heyday” and “the profits it earned from selling film have dried up.” (4) Light phrases like these are not often used in reports on failing businesses.  Usually, diction is very formal. This is just one way the author is able to show some persona.

The author did achieve his purpose.  He uses quotes from experts to make his article credible and shows his character, making the article informative and interesting.     

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/06/144801653/kodak-tries-to-buy-time-by-selling-patents

AOW January 1

This article is about Tom Carano, who lost 230 pounds after being obese for most of his life.  He spent “ a lot of years overweight, depressed and just existing in my miserable self” (1).  He realized his only option was to lose weight the healthy way through diet and exercise and not gastro surgery, as his wife would be forced to take care of him.  He did not want that for her. He got a membership at the YMCA and walked for 20 minutes three times a week and started an aerobics class. This combined with eating what he calls “real food” (cheese, peanut butter, chicken, hummus, etc) brought him to his goal. Because the new year has just begun, people are making resolutions- many revolve around weight loss.  The purpose of this article is to inspire other people to lose weight. The audience of this article are readers on aol and also people want to be inspired to lose weight and fulfill their resolution.One rhetorical element used is blunt language.  Carano is very honest and to the point.  For example: “There were not many things I had the energy to do, just work, eat, couch. I knew there was more, but I was too scared to change. I couldn't reach my ankles without breathing so heavily it would wake my wife” (2).The author is successful in this article.  He even made me want to go exercise.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/tom-carano-weight-loss_n_1157811.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl6|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D124203