Author Archives: AAMINA MOHAMMED

I read the piece “Here’s what to know about the dangers that go along with hosting Thanksgiving amid surging coronavirus infections: What’s safe? What’s not?” The author states how this year’s Thanksgiving is very different from any other thanksgiving we’ve had due to the current pandemic. The author mentions how it’s vital to take precautions ad to be safe during the celebration to avoid getting infected. I think even though he mentioned, “So why not take this opportunity to keep our circle tight and find gratitude for the comfort and quiet of home, surrounded by those to whom we are closest,” I still feel like hosting a celebration with fewer people is always risky. I think there’s another way to celebrate, such as virtual hosting where everyone makes food in their own house and FaceTime or zoom when eating. I believe this is much safer, including all your loved ones in a virtual space and getting to communicate. COVID Cases have been on the rise, especially past these days. I think it’s essential that people should still take it seriously and stay in their own houses without going out unless necessary, such as buying groceries or going to work.

I think one thing that stood out most to me was the constant update of the election. Many people on Instagram and other social media platforms updated their story continuously with the election, making it easier for people to know what was happening. I also haven’t seen Americans celebrating and happy for a long time; after the election, everyone was celebrating and united. It’s a sight I have never seen before, and it somehow gave me hope for a better future. I woke up to people in my neighborhood, screaming, honking, and hitting pans. Without even knowing any context, I just knew what was happening.

Jara M. F, 18

I feel Extremely uneasy about the upcoming election. It would be a very big turning point for the country, regardless of who wins. Seeing how 2020 has gone, this election provides me with more strain than hope for the future

Young people should vote because in the years coming they are the ones who will be directly dealing with the outcomes of certain policies or practices set in place by elected officials. When young people vote they are directly responsible for their future and set an example for the coming generations.

I am voting this year because 1) it is the first year I am able to do so, and 2) I wish to partake in such a monumental election. As someone who has grown up during these past four years I have witnessed how the unity of our country has increasingly deteriorated under this administration, and I feel the need to get my voice heard and help put a stop to these wrongdoings.

I believe there are many issues currently going on that deserve mass attention, and the ones that I wish to spotlight are racism/racial inequality/xenophobia , and climate change. As a Hispanic woman and more importantly a sensible person, I find racism to be appalling. It is extremely disheartening and dehumanizing to live your daily life knowing that there are people who wish the worst on you simply because of your background. Racism is deeply rooted into many of America’s industries, including but certainly not limited to healthcare, education, entertainment (representation), and especially the justice system. Nobody should feel like they have a target on their back simply because of what they look they look or sound like. As a young person, I feel like climate change is such a staggering issue that needs to be acted on more. I believe that my generation has had many discourses about the impacts of climate change, however the power to make monumental change lies in the hands of people much older and wealthier than us. That is perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of the issue, as many people before us have chosen to prioritize money over the world around them. Not to be too frank, but many of the people today who are in positions of power yet choose to ignore climate change will not be alive to see the complete and devastating consequences of their inaction.

Joyce H, 19

1. To be very honest I am terrified about the upcoming election. I am terrified about Trump calling the election fraudulent if Biden wins. I am terrified of the racial division in this country escalating if Trump wins.  I am in distress with all the people that are eligible to vote but chooses not to as well as those people who are blind to equality. I as well as many other minorities cannot afford another four years with Trump whose views are filled with prejudice and racism that will NOT “make America great again”.

2. It is very important that young people vote. Although to some people,  it may seem like it doesn’t matter, but it will be in the next four years. Our future is depending on this election and to have our voices heard, we need to vote. Young people make up a huge portion of the voting-eligible population but in the election in 2016, only 19% of the younger people cast their ballot while 49% of 45-60-year-olds voted in the presidential election. If you want to see a better, safer, and equal future, for our generation, you have to vote and encourage others as well.

3. I personally believe that Trump is very unsuitable due to all the controversies he has caused in the last 4 years he was in office. I will not tolerate Trump degrading POC and not taking responsibility to condemn those white supremacists and racists. Although I have many disagreements with both candidates, my vote goes to Biden as we can perhaps see a better future with Biden in office.

4. Issues that matter to me the most are climate change, abortion laws, immigration/border security (ice), racial and ethnic inequality, education, health care, covid-19, gun control, the economy, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Josiah S, 18

1. I feel that the election will play a very detrimental role in what the state of America will be like in the following years.

2. I believe young people should definitely vote because we are what determines what type of country our kids will be growing up in being that we are the ones that are directly affected, every other generation after following ours will be too. Also other countries also decide how they will corporate with America depending on who leads it.

3. I am voting this year because we need change for all minorities and people that are being discriminated against in America.

4. What issues matter most to me is getting justice for the unreasonable amount of black people that are being killed for no reason. It shows that a part of humanity hasn’t developed from the old ways of its bloody history in terms of the treatment of minority ethnic groups.

One of the biggest things that stood out from the readings is that Gen Z is very diverse. According to “On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far,” shows statistics over time and how in the new generation, there’s less white people than they had in millennial. We have more Hispanics and Asians than before. “Generation Z represents the leading edge of the country’s changing racial and ethnic makeup. A bare majority (52%) are non-Hispanic white – significantly smaller than the share of Millennials who were non-Hispanic white in 2002 (61%)” This is a significant change. It’s only Gen Z that were able to be more diverse than any other Generations. The second thing that stood out the most is that we are politically active. We have to deal with Silents and Baby Boomer’s consequence of destroying the earth by consuming things. It is due to human actives that there’s a significant change in the climate. We are also Pro Protest, fighting for fundamental human rights. “With the widespread uprising against police brutality, Gen Z is more supportive of protests and protesters, while registered voters are more likely to support the police” (6 Things know about Gen Z politics, and 2020). Even though most of the Gen z are not able to vote, our beliefs differentiate from people who can vote, which becomes a significant disadvantage to us because we cannot vote. But during the 2020 election, More teenagers voted than back in the 2016 election, which shows we are doing whatever we can to get justice for what we believe in. One of the big things that make Gen Z get involved and stay active is social media, these platforms are beneficial to spread information and messages across, and they are a big part of Gen Z’s lives.

As part of Gen Z, I am very active when it comes to politics. It’s essential to keep up with what’s happening to people around us. Getting involved and trying to make changes is one of my biggest goals in life. Something that America is lacking is human rights. We are more woke and less conservative. I believe our generation can make a significant change and go on the correct path instead of ruin lives like the previous generations. The Texts that I read are very much accurate because it’s how we precisely feel. We are leaning more toward the right things. If you’re a Gen Z and support trump, you’re an embarrassment.

From Laura Bolin Carol, “Backpacks v. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis, I learned that most of our actions are persuasive in nature. They are so common that we don’t realize how often and how quickly we can perform this rhetorical analysis. The use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos work on us every day without us even really noticing. There’s a lot to learn from This excerpt; for example, Carol said the more you understand how to use the rhetoric, the more powerful and influential a person can be. When a person uses these devices, they leave a message to the others because they could use these devices correctly. I also realized how Media uses these rhetorics to convince people to purchase something or believe in the message they deliver. Rhetoric is a powerful set of devices that we everyday writers can use to get our point set forth and a set of routines we perform in our daily lives.

One of the quotes that stood out the most to me is, “We have, of course, heard that you “can’t judge a book by its cover,” but we do it all the time. Daily we find ourselves in situations where we are forced to make snap judgments. Each day we meet different people, encounter unfamiliar problems, and see media that asks us to do, think, buy, and act in all sorts of ways.” We come up with our conclusion based on analyzing a person. When we do this, I never knew we used those devices. Making a rash judgment on people is called rhetoric analysis.

This excerpt somewhat helped me understand how rhetoric works and when to use it mainly, and what kind of effect this rhetoric has on people. I can easily persuade my audience by my word choice, and it made may seem to analyze rhetoric, but it’s easy because we do it every day. It also an eye-opener and can help me with my paper.

This is so insensitive, and people are so uneducated when it comes to this. They sound dumb, and they end up being a laughing stock. One is worn for medical reasons, and the other one is for religious purposes, there’s no correlation. This post also makes it seems like its demeaning for women to wear headscarves. This is the ignorance of a basic trump supporter. There’s no reason for people to cover their heads to protect themselves from the virus. A mask is worn for your own safety and others. People act like wearing a mask will kill them.

Orwell’s essay includes how political writing affects language. His thesis can be summarized as how modern English made a big significant difference and turned the writing into vague, and it holds no value. States that the people have disfigured English and that its a joke. “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts” There’s a lack of precision in modern writing. He claims that the language is ugly and inaccurate, and if people take time in their writing, they can create a meaningful piece. He points out a few categories of language, and I think one of the types a lot of people use now is meaningless words and Prentencious Diction. They tend to add many foreign/complex words to their writing, which makes the writing incomprehensible and hard to pin point the main idea. The use of these languages makes the language uglier—the use of foreign Latin words mixed in with English results in sloppiness. When people write in a meaningless manner, it deceives the reader.

For me, sometimes, one of the categories I use when I write is meaningless words. When I use certain types of words, I don’t realize that it’s not needed, making the work confusing.

Orwell states that’s political writing is bad because it abuses the language. Therefore most of the political writing is bad. There’s a large presence of politics; thus, it is essential to use correct wording to address issues. A writer shouldn’t lead to political oppression. Orwell’s message is to be more careful when writing and reading. He also thinks that English speech is becoming increasingly insincere and, therefore, more useful as propaganda. There’s much use of language has been the subject of debate. There are many terms used these days to show people’s beliefs, such as pro-life or pro-choice. I think these words make it easier to identify themselves in groups. One of the wording that people confuse a lot to is “defund the police” it does not mean abolish the police. It means that police should receive less money than they do, and the money can go to useful places such as housing, etc

Mike Bloomberg starts the campaign by using his baby pictures and explaining his life as a boy growing up. He lists his achievements growing up and describes how he created his business and tried to show that he pays his employees well and makes reasonable job offers. They’re a mass use of pathos used in the video by mentioning the 9/11 tragedy and how he helped the city build again. This will significantly affect the audience because the 9/11 was an immense tragedy that affected America. The video, as a whole, contains a lot of pathos, logos, and ethos. He uses pictures of him and the citizens to show credibility that he was there to help the citizens when they were in need. The primary audience for this video are the minorities. He uses words such as “low-income families” and “raise salaries” to point out that he made significant changes to the country, and his money went to good use. He also mentioned problems such as affordable housing, free education, LGBTQ, Gun control, Climate change, Health insurance, etc. 

Further, in the video, he uses a video of Donald Trump being in power and hurting America by his actions. He uses the wildfire video to show how his actions didn’t do anything to stop the fire. When showing the picture of Trump, he uses black and white filter. When black and white filter is used, it is usually not a positive message.

He mentions many ongoing problems right now and attacks people’s emotions by mentioning that he will tax the rich and not the middle-class people. This video shows that this campaign is target toward democrats and people who are against Trump. This video is more of showing what he did to America without attacking another party or a person. It’s a complimentary ad because he shows that he can change this country for the better. This video can be very successful because it wasn’t problematic, and it was just stating essential things. 

Him using a lof of pathos will have a significant impact on people, and this ad did an excellent job in that way.

This video reached many audiences due to Bloomberg paying a large amount of money to promote it. When this information was released, many weren’t on his side anymore. He could’ve used this money to better use than a campaign ad. 

Anne Lamott and George Dila have their own approach when it comes to starting their writing pieces. Anne Lamott is more of a starting somewhere and pouring out all her ideas while George gets to the point with his writing piece; according to him, he doesn’t need drafts as Anne does. Lamott used humorous tones, while George is thinking more critical about having a draft. Some people agree with George’s way of writing because it overcomes obstacles in the writing process. Lamott’s way of writing works for some other people because they’d rather pour their ideas first instead of feeling pressured to come with a good piece at the first try.

For me, I work more of Geroge’s way; I don’t prefer to have drafts, I write whatever that comes to my head, and it turns out good. I’m not too fond of the idea of drafts either, its too much energy, and I would prefer to write once and get it over with rather than going back and continually having to revise and add new ideas. I never had trouble not having drafts. When I was in high school, teachers always ensured that the essays we do must have a draft. When it comes to these situations, I usually write the same thing from draft to the publish piece without changing something. It’s important to note that everyone has their way of writing. It’s up to you to decide the way it works for you to write.

In Born a Crime, Chameleon is about Noah Trevor, who is a mixed individual. His mom is black, and his father is white (German). Growing up in a rural town filled with black people (Apartheid era in South Africa), he stood out the most. He was treated differently from the other black kids, he wasn’t punished, and he got away with things he did. He addresses his struggles of growing up in a segregated society. He wanted to be accepted, and he tried to embrace being him. One of the useful things that made him belong with the black people were speaking multiple languages which was one of the  skills that helped him belong with the black people. Growing up, he was treated like royalty just because of his skin color, which shows how the racial system worked and how it not only impacts one place but different places across the world. “I became a chameleon. My color didn’t change, but I could change your perception of my color. If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu. If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn’t look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you” This is such a powerful perception because he uses his skills to blend in and not feel different from the others. He wanted to fit in. This shows that language can bring people together than their skin color. This quote speaks volumes because I grew up learning three languages (Sinhala, Tamil, and English).  Language was one thing that brought me closer to people rather than my ethnicity or religion. If I didn’t speak Tamil, relatives back in my home country would call me “Americanized” or “posh” because they think I forgot about my roots. If I talk to them in Tamil, they’ll be surprised and question me. And eventually, get along with me because I spoke to them in Tamil. Just like Noah mentioned, he conveys the idea that speaking someone’s native language is a way to combat racism. Although he was privileged, he still chose to be black because he was raised in a black environment with black culture and a black family despite his father being white.