The Op-Ed article I chose to read was “Here’s what to know about the dangers that go along with hosting Thanksgiving amid surging coronavirus infections: What’s safe? What’s not?” by Keith Grant. The central idea of this Op-Ed piece is ways to stay safe during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The author shared ways to ensure you and your immediate family members are safe as well as how to eliminate the risk of spreading the virus. Somethings I found effective was the different list with the different items, for example, the guest list has bullets that state “Encourage quarantining at least 7 to 10 days before the gathering; 14 days is ideal”. Another bullet that I find effective is “The highest risk is potluck, in which everyone brings a dish.” This quote is encouraging families to only have one person be responsible for the meal to eliminate the risk of spreading the virus. The article also listed public transportation as a moderate risk which I do not find effective because I think public transportation is actually a very high risk if the proper precautions are not taken. Something else I did not find effective is “Invite only members of your immediate household” this advice seems redundant as they are your family members of your immediate family, it would not make sense to invite them.

The 2020 presidential election has been the second presidential election I have personally witnessed since moving to the United States. Although I’ve only experienced two, this one was definitely the most intense and scary one yet, and there are many reasons for this. For example, I noticed during this election people were avoiding the poll results online because of the 2016 presidential election chaos. They did not want to have false hope of someone winning than finding out later they did not. However, I could not stop refreshing that page to keep up with every vote being counted. Another aspect of this election that racked up the intensity was the length. The moment the in polls votes started coming to an end I thought it was finally over, but then later found out that the mail-in ballots needed to be counted. This was when things started to look better, we started seeing the flip states turn blue which brought a sense of hope to me. Then the next morning we found out that our country’s democracy is back. That made me feel relieved and again hopeful that better things are to come.

Questions asked in the interview:

1. Do you think it is important to vote? Why or why not?
2. How do you feel about the state our country has been in for the last four years?
3. As a member of Generation Z, do you feel like your voice matters?
4. Do you think it is important to stay informed of the current events? Why or why not? How do you feel about the current candidates? 

Responses:

Satuna, 18

1) “Yes, I think voting is more important than ever before, especially when certain people in power are literally putting marginalized people’s lives and rights at risk. Also, voting is a privilege and a right that a lot of people had to fight for, so it’s important to voice your opinions for those who don’t necessarily have that privilege and right to do so.”

2) “For the past four years, the country has been a hot mess. In a sense, two major political parties believe are so drastic, that make the country more divided than it has ever before for a long time.”

3) “Yea being part of gen z, our voices matter. We are the future and the next leading leaders of the country.”

4)” Oh my god yes, it is so important to stay informed and educated especially at this time, because our society right now is very hyper-sensitive. It is both a good and bad thing, but I think hypersensitivity and awareness allow people to be held accountable for their wrongdoings and give people the opportunity to learn and unlearn. You need to know what’s going on around you, especially if you are a minority.”

5) “None of the candidates are hundred percent suitable enough to lead the country, but we do have to settle for someone and right now I’m settling for Biden, who at least believes in science, wants to protect woman’s and the LGBTQ community‘s rights, and ensure health care to people.”

Md Anindo, 18 

1) “I think it’s important to vote because it’s important for us to voice our opinion for our future. Also, it helps the government know what we want.”

2)” I think the United States has had several issues for the last few years that we need to change. I think under President Trump we have seen a rise in racism and unequal rights.”

3)” I think our voices are the most important to matter because our generation will be the next to hit the workforce. Our voices have to matter for the better of the future.”

4) “Yes it’s important to stay informed because we need to bring change and the only way is to know what’s happening.”

5) “I think both candidates between trump and Biden are not the best. However, based on the last 4 years Trump has been running the reputation of the United States and all the other horrible things he has done. Biden is a slightly better candidate in my opinion.”

 Sanjidah, 19

1)” I think it’s important to vote because everyone’s voices matter and it helps encourage more people to vote as it empowers people and allows them to participate in making changes to improve their country and their lives.”

2) “Since Trump’s presidency, all four years have proven to only create chaos among the nation and Trump’s fourth year of the presidency has really shown that with the way he has poorly handled many outbreaks of social injustice as well as a worldwide pandemic that resulted in 200,000 plus deaths.”

3)” As a member of Generation Z, I personally believe that our voice matters. Some of us may be young but we have been exposed to the way the world is that has matured us and shaped our perspectives and views. I feel like generation Z is a very powerful generation and when we have the power, we can make great positive changes.”

4)” I do believe that it is imperative for everyone to stay informed about current events as it affects everyone’s lives greatly. If you believe that one current event doesn’t affect you in any way, you have a great degree of privilege to believe so. Everyone must stay open-minded and informed at all times.”

5)” I think that Trump was a horrible president. As a businessman, his presidency was more about business than it was about making a great nation for his citizens. On the other hand, former Vice President Biden has also been a horrible person but is willing to make better choices than Trump for the next four years, and in that sense, Biden would be the better candidate as he the lesser of two evils.”

While reading the four articles, I learned a lot of new things about our generation, Gen Z. There are a few things that stood out to me from the articles, for example, “Generation Z represents the leading edge of the country’s changing racial and ethnic makeup.” (Kim Parker and Ruth Igielnik). Although I knew this already, the percentage make up is what shocked me. Even with a much smaller Hispanic, Black, Asian, and other racial make up this generation holds the spot for more racially and ethnically diverse. Another thing that stood out to me is that 38% of Gen Z are liberals and 18% are conservatives, however, for those registered to vote, only 30% of those are liberals and 35% are conservative. Lastly, a lot of Gen Z motives to vote is the fact that they feel like they do not have a choice, this is their only option for a better life in this country. According to the four articles, my self and my peers can definitely relate to the rest of our generation. I also agree with the general messages of those interviewed in the article by Kate Bubacz. I expected much less registered voters to be conservatives in this generation, so that left me pretty shocked. However, I still have a lot of faith in our generation knowing the majority are fighting for what is right.

Backpacks V. Briefcases: Steps Towards Rhetorical Analysis

While reading the essay “Backpacks v. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis” by Laura Bolin Carol I learned many new things. For example, “Imagine the first day of class in first year composition at your university. The moment your professor walked in the room, you likely began analyzing her and making assumptions about what kind of teacher she will be.” (Laura Bolin Carol). Everyone goes through a natural process of rhetorical analysis all throughout their life for countless activities, however, this process has become so normal to us that we do not think twice about it. Another example of something I learned after reading this essay is the word exigence which I initially searched up to find the correct pronunciation then later learned it is another term for exigency which means “an urgent need or demand” (Google). Lastly, another thing I learned from Laura’s essay is the term economical summit. According to businessdictionary.com, this term is used to address an event where a group of people (usually leaders) meet to discuss financial budgets, forecast, or any other similar topics. We go around our normal days analyzing people like your friends or teacher, “However, when this same teacher hands you an advertisement, photograph or article and asks you to write a rhetorical analysis of it, you might have been baffled or felt a little overwhelmed.” (Laura Bolin Carol). As mentioned previously, we grow up learning these “analytical processes that you already use to interpret the rhetoric” (Laura Bolin Carol) though we do not think to apply these skills to our analytical related school work, instead we stress and overthink. However, since this has been brought to my attention, I think I will start looking at my assignments from a new perspective. For example, I can revise my choice of political speech to help learn some new understanding of rhetoric being interpreted. Then I will revise my essay to include the new information I hope to obtain from my speech.

As I was scrolling through social media, this is post caught my attention for several reasons. First I thought it was funny and I thought it explained “Settle for Biden 2020” very clearly. Although he may not be the candidate we were all hoping for, he is our only hope at moving our country forward rather than into the ground.

Politics and the English Language

As our humanity, society, economy, and overall lifestyle grow, our langue style grows as well. The English language was not a tool that was perfected and given to us to use loosely. Instead, the English language is meant to be improved simultaneously with the growth of our improvements in society. However, this may not always be the case, as our more recent generation of writers tend to use the English language loosely to the point where words and phrases are starting to either lose their meanings or develop new meanings. Although this issue currently exists within the writing community, there is a solution if the effort is reached. For example, “Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble.” (Orwell). This quote suggests that if our recent generation of writers were to put more focus on their writing and understanding the words they are writing this issue will be fixed easily. It will become a domino effect; as the words and phrases continue to be used in their correct form, writers will begin to learn from one another. 

One category of language that most disturbs Orwell is operators or verbal false limbs. An example of this category of language is “be subject to”. Unfortunately, I have noticed this language category in my writing, however, I do have a solid explanation. Growing up, I spoke a different dialect of English which carries words from African, Indian, Arawakan, and older Dutch languages and it is also it is similar to other English dialects of the Caribbean region; since it is an English dialect, a lot of the words were used differently than in the proper English language and sentences were formed like in this language category, Operators or verbal false limbs. Although I grew up speaking this way, I do agree with his argument because a simple word can change in the entire meaning of a sentence. An example of how the use of language and politics intersects for me today would be in the presidential debate that took place on September 29, 2020. While watching the debate, I was able to clearly comprehend the majority of the language being used, however, I did come across some terms which were difficult to understand and follow along with.

Feel The Bern  – Bernie Sanders

The presidential campaign ad I will be analyzing is from a former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. This ad is titled “Feel The Bern” which is narrated by Barack Obama. This ad was directed to those who have supported Barack Obama in the past, and those who want their voices heard. I could tell the ad was directed to Barack Obama supporters because he is the narrator and he is speaking highly of Bernie which will get the attention of those who voted for Obama in the previous elections. This ad was also targeted to minorities and other marginalized groups because a lot of people from those groups supported Obama when he was running for election.

The argument that is being made in this ad is that Bernie Sanders is a well-experienced man who has done many good things for our country before and he will fight for the people of the United States. After watching this ad I felt trust in Bernie Sanders, I think that it was because of the credibility this ad built up by having a man like Barack Obama who many trusts to narrate and speak good things about the former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. Another feeling this ad evokes is hope, because of the visuals being shown as Obama speaks about Sanders. There were images and videos of Bernie Sanders out speaking to the people, and him working alongside Obama. This ad was a positive ad because the message was not to bring down another running candidate, instead, it was a message to get voters to see why they should vote for Bernie Sanders and display the good things he has done and the impact he has on this country. For example, the ad listed that Bernie Sanders is an “Authentic, Passionate, and Fearless” man who “served on the veteran’s committee and got bills done” said Obama.

The persuasive techniques used in this ad are ethos and pathos; like mentioned previously, since Obama is a trusted man by many in this country, he builds credibility in the ad which means ethos was used as a persuasive technique. Pathos, however, was used in the visuals because they portrayed very positive emotions which make the viewers feel like there might be hope for this country after all. These two techniques were used very well in the ad to spread an overall very positive message and allow viewers to trust and vote for Bernie Sanders. I think this ad was very successful because as a viewer, I was able to gather a lot of information about this former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders in exactly thirty seconds. I also found that using Barack Obama for a campaign ad is genius because of the amount of trust and credibility he holds on certain groups in the United States.

After I read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott I thought I related to that writing process, because my first drafts are never perfect. Then I started reading “Rethinking the Shitty First Draft.” by George Dila and I felt reassured that I definitely relate more to Anne’s essay up until I read more into and understood Dila’s writing process I realized that I definitely relate more to Dila’s writing process. When I write I always revise every few sentences as I go along, I can never “let it all pour out” (Lamott). When I write my first drafts I always try to work my hardest on them so I can focus on edits and minor tweaks because having a messy first draft makes me feel unorganized and not focused on the writing topic. Also to shape an entire draft when it is just filled with random thoughts from the “childlike part of you” (Lamott) will take a much longer time. You might not be able to salvage much of the messy first draft which will lead to more deep thinking for the second and third rather than editing and perfecting.

This does not mean all of my first drafts are ever perfect, but this process allows me to focus on editing and adding to my writing piece in the second and third drafts. “ It will be a competent story at this point, but still open to some revision, to polishing, to “tinkering”. But it will not be shitty. It will not be a mess.” (Dila). Personally, this process allows for a strong base to build off of so if I may want to introduce a new idea to the second draft I will have a strong layout to work with.