Alden AP Lang

[carolynchow]

Dogs vs. Babies

Americans have had the notion of believing that dogs are indeed mans best friend. However, instead of just laughing at the silly yes accurate description, people are acting on it. Nowadays, Americans are beginning to buy dogs, instead of having babies. They do not just buy any dog, but small dogs, or in other words, baby-sized dogs. See the connection?

            This article titled, “Americans Are Having Dogs Instead of Babies” written by Roberto A. Ferdman relishes on the resemblance that a small dog has to babies, and the reasons as to why Americans are beginning to do so. Long ago, people used to get married at age 16 or 17, and have kids right away. Nowadays, people are getting married at age 30 and then waiting a few years to have kids. When a woman is older, it is more difficult to have children, and also can make things a bit more troublesome. Although in the article this is not the primary reason that Ferdman uses, I believe that it is also a factor. The longer you wait to have children the more difficult it could possibly become. Ferdman relates the age factor of women getting married, to the primary age of buying a small dog.

            My mother used to describe my dog as her “fourth child.” Ferdman also states in his article that people are beginning to treat their dogs more as children rather than canines. Of course the regular canine features are still obvious, however there are now “ice cream trucks for dogs,” “tools to monitor your dogs fitness,” and other aspects that increase the human qualities of your doggy friend. I think that this is very interesting, because dogs have evolved from man’s best friend, to man’s child. They need constant care and nurturing, and will give you unconditional love back. Another reason as to why I believe that dogs are unintentionally evolving into a persons child is because of how easy it is to take care and love a dog, while with children of all ages, there will always be some sort of difficulty that arises.   

[carolynchow]

Journal-Born to Run (in class)

In Christopher McDougall’s novel, Born to Run, the author distinctively portrays his characters through his intricate characterization. I observed the acts and motives of McDougall’s quirky characters throughout the entire book. While reading his novel, the character that stood out to me the most was Barefoot Ted.

            We are first introduced to Barefoot Ted in the later part of the book, in Chapter 21. Barefoot Ted is definitely something that people would describe as quirky, due to his lack of shoes and belief that shoes may be “the most destructive force to ever hit the human foot.” This eccentric dialogue that McDougall writes of Barefoot Ted informs the readers of something that he believes is unique to that person, which it certainly is. This is an excellent example of how McDougall builds Barefoot Ted’s identity. Being a skilled writer like McDougall, he successfully shows, and does not get caught telling. He takes what he knows Barefoot Ted’s personality to be like, and shows how it is portrayed to the other characters in the book, as well as the readers.

 Something else that was very well written was describing the personality of Barefoot Ted. Barefoot Ted is an extremely passionate, and kindhearted man. However, his kindheartedness is displayed in a unique way: it is displayed through how he easily annoys others. Because he is a very exuberant man, his personality may be a little bit over the top for some people. The readers easily see this exuberance and it is obvious to the readers that in some cases it may irritate the other characters in the novel. The exuberant personality of Barefoot Ted, who’s eccentricity is apparent simply through his name, ends up equaling to respect, honor, and love for all.

McDougall does an excellent job of describing the identity of Barefoot Ted, as he does with the rest of the characters in his book. Barefoot Ted is unlike someone I have ever come across in my 18 years, however he is someone that I definitely would not mind meeting. I would love to see how he has such a passion for certain things such as his hatred for running shoes, and how he has a passion for people as well. Since I am able to feel these things towards a character in a book, it is obvious that McDougall succeeded in thoroughly depicting the idiosyncratic personalities of his novel’s characters.

[carolynchow]

Journal-Born to Run (knowledge)

Throughout the novel based on a true story titled “Born to Run” by the author Christopher McDougall, there are many instances in which McDougall brings attention to the small details throughout his writing. Simply by looking at one page, or a single paragraph, or even a sentence, it is easy and very interesting to pick at each distinctive word in order to really truly understand what McDougall is trying to get at. From the very beginning of McDougall’s novel, the readers are invited into the up and down life of McDougall throughout his running career. Although his novel is mainly about running, when looking at each part separately, we as readers are able to capture the essence that is distant, and close, to the writer’s main motive.

            Let us start from the beginning of McDougall’s novel. I think that starting from the beginning is a very important part of understanding what type of point the author is trying to portray because it helps to bring a larger idea into what the rest of the novel is in relation to. The first sentence of the whole book and of Chapter 1 states “For days, I’d been searching Mexico’s Sierra Madre for the phantom known as Caballo Blaco – The White House.” This is a fairly long sentence, and by picking at the individual words helped me really understand what McDougall wants to say in his writing. He starts his sentence out with “For days,” which indicates that he is about to tell a story about something important to him. Although the readers are already aware about what the story is about overall, having this starter tells the readers that they are about to bring them into something interesting. I think this is a very technical and smart way to begin a book, because it begins his argument. This argument ensures that there are no holes because he speaks with conviction. This novel is difficult to have a different point of view, since it is coming from the author’s point of view. It is the author’s story, so we as readers see and feel what he is going through. If we were to see a different perspective of this novel, I do not think it would be as powerful. We are listening to McDougall’s story, and since it is his story, the meaning and power that is expressed through the words is lost.

            In regard to McDougall’s book as a whole, it reminds me of something that I have heard in the news not too long ago. It is in relation to Lance Armstrong’s doping case. Although Lance Armstrong is not a runner but instead is a biker, the similarity of athletes having to endure troubles and pain reminded me of each other. Another similarity is that I myself am a runner. When I found out that we were going to be reading this bok, I was very interested in it because I have been on the varsity cross country team since I was a freshman, so his writing was very relatable to me as well. In the second chapter he discusses the pain that he had to endure due to an injury that may have made him have to quit running for good. This was relatable to me as well because in my sophomore year, I got an injury that caused me to have to run much slower, and at some points even stop. I did not want to do this, however if I kept running I may not ever be able to run again. This situation is similar to McDougall’s, except McDougall may have had to take cortisone shots everyday.

            When I first put my hands onto this book, I simply assumed that it was a book about running, and had no other use for it whatsoever. However, once I continued to read on I was surprised to find that it was not only about running, but McDougall’s life while he was training to be a runner. The readers experience the pain that the author feels, the joy, and all of the other emotions on the spectrum. It is very interesting that it is so easy for the readers to feel these emotions. Since we are able to do so, it is evident that McDougall is a very skilled writer. The best writers evoke feeling from the readers, and since McDougall did so, it fulfills his argument, and allows the readers to appreciate the full complexity of the situation at hand.

            While reading Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall, I was very intrigued by the way that he structured his sentences and expressed his feelings about running. As a runner myself, it was interesting to see how someone can capture the mixed emotions that occur when running. His emotions were put onto paper, and invited me as a reader to wish to continue to read his book.

[carolynchow]

Journal-Born to Run (analysis)

In Christopher McDougall’s novel, Born to Run, the beauty and pain of being a runner is explored. McDougall informs the readers about his journey throughout his life with a passion for running. The different chapters each talk about a different subject, and McDougall’s writing style helps to bring his point out to the open. Throughout the different parts of his book, he brings a voice out that is relatable and interesting for the readers, inviting the readers to continue reading.

McDougall has a specific way in which he invites the readers into the content of his novel. In the beginning of Chapter 2, McDougall opens the chapter with a short overarching sentence of “It all began with a simple question that no one could answer.” When I first read this sentence, I thought it was a very interesting way to begin a chapter. Each chapter in McDougall’s novel is fairly short, so when a chapter begins with this simple sentence that is very ambiguous, it is very mysterious. This sentence opens up what the rest of the chapter will be about, even though we are unaware of what the chapter regards in the beginning. I thought that this was very useful and it gives the readers an idea of what McDougall’s writing style is about.

I later noticed the other opening sentences of some of McDougall’s other chapters. For example, Chapter 9 opens with “The big, fat flaw in Rick Fisher’s plan was the fact that the Leadville race happens to be held in Leadville.” I thought that this was a very humorous and interesting way to begin a chapter. This obviously connects to the events that have happened in the past chapters, however also invites the readers into what is going to happen in Chapter 9. He is very technical and puts attention to detail in the way that he looks at his writing methods and styles. While reading McDougall’s writing, it was apparent the type of suspense that he built up at the end of each chapter, and this was then followed in the beginning of the upcoming chapter.

Let’s look back at the beginning of Chapter 2. The sentence “It all began with a simple question that no one could answer” makes the readers think about “What is the simple question?” and “What is all beginning?” and “Why can no one answer this?” I came across these questions during my own reading, which were later then answered throughout the chapter and throughout the rest of the novel. This method reminds me of fishing. When you fish, you toss your rod into the water, and wait for something to bite onto your hook. Once a fish grabs hold of your hook, it is fighting against you. As a fisher, you know that you have a fish, you just don’t know what kind of fish it is, and you don’t know if you really will end up attaining the fish or not. This is similar because you get part of something, but none of your questions are answered.

[carolynchow]

Every Dog Has Its Data

Dogs are known to be man’s best friend. They stand side by side, go to the park together, and enjoy deep talks lying on the couch at home. However, what happens when man (or woman) leaves his dog for a period of time for business, or family affairs, or even vacation? The dog must be looked after in some way. This means someone else will be taking care of man’s precious pup. In “Every Dog Has Its Data,” Nick Wingfield delves into a dog tracker for these people.

Having an easily accessible dog tracker gives the owners and excuse to not be there with their dogs, but to “be with them” by the use of their phones. This new method is an example of how society has become much more addicted to technology, and how technology is in some ways improving lives all around the world. When a person is on a business trip that they cannot bring their dog on, they must leave them at home with a stranger who may or may not be as good as an owner as the individual. This will allow the actual traveling owners to take out their smartphone, and simply look on an app that will allow them to observe what their dog is doing, and how active they are being. Although this is very convenient, it is hurting the human interaction that a dog needs with its owner. The human interaction with the one they live with is essential for a dog’s happiness and well being. Even though they will be with another human, it is not their parent, and it is different for an animal, just like it is different for any person.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/every-dog-has-its-data/?_php=true&_type=blogs&utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&_r=0

[carolynchow]

Journal-In Class

In Plato’s Meno, and excerpts of Allan Bloom’s writing, the two authors present very different ideas that can somehow come together and allow the readers to relate the two contrasting pieces to each other. Plato’s Meno surrounds the idea concerning virtue, and the impacts it has on people as well as how individuals perceive what virtue is. In Bloom’s piece titled Divorce, the author discusses how children are impacted by their parents’ decisions, and how those will later on impact their lives.

            One similarity of Plato and Bloom’s pieces are the relation to how things impact the individuals outside of the immediate situation. With Divorce, Bloom discusses how the children impacted by their parents’ separation could be unhappy and how it will later on impact their schooling and decision-making. Bloom says that students with divorced parents are less likely to choose literature and philosophy classes than students with married parents. These students tend to do worse in school as well. In Plato’s piece, virtue generally impacts the people as a whole. If someone who is sitting next to you does something immoral, then you have witnessed that immoral act. You then have to face the fact between reporting the immoral act and saving your morality, or ignoring the idea and saving the other persons morals while yours go down the gutter in guilt. These two pieces both have something to do with the outside world and how these acts impact others.

            Recently, the divorce rates have been drastically increasing compared to many years ago. This is a change in how society is functioning. However, in Plato’s Meno, the observations made hundreds of years ago when this was written are still occurring in society today. Now of course there were cases of divorce in the past, however the current cases are much more frequent. This is one difference in the ideas that Bloom is expressing versus the ideas that Plato expresses. Plato discusses what virtue can be taught, and Meno replies with examples of what he thinks virtue is. The differences between these two are that in Plato’s piece in relation to today’s society, Plato’s ideas have not changed. The idea of virtue and the definition of what virtue really is is still unknown; nothing has changed since the time that Plato recorded the conversation between Socrates and Meno. However, in Bloom’s piece, the outcomes of divorce have changed. The divorce rates have increased, which will then increase the amount of children who are negatively impacted by this drastic life change.

            Another connection that can occur between these two pieces is connecting the act of divorce with morals and virtue. As I am not a parent, nor a divorced parent, I cannot clearly answer this question. However, when a married couple gets a divorce, and they have children who suffer, do they feel a sense of regret as well as moral issues? Will they feel that they have somehow ruined their child’s life by separating from their significant other? After reading Bloom and Plato’s pieces, these questions came onto me and allowed me to really think and toy with these ideas.

[carolynchow]

Journal-Plato (Knowledge)

Throughout Plato’s piece Meno, there are many different segments that come about and help to develop Plato’s overall message regarding virtue. This piece is a conversation between two Greek scholars, Socrates and Meno. Socrates opens with a question about virtue directed at Meno; this question serves as the beginning and overarching theme that surrounds the entire piece.

            There are many questions that I thought up when I first began reading Plato’s writing. One of the very first questions that I cultivated was in relation to what Plato was trying to say, and Plato’s actual motive in his writing. He discusses virtue, a complex topic because it typically means behaving in high moral standards. Morals are a very controversial topic because each person has their own idea as to what they think good and ethical morals are. While reading Plato’s writing, I did not think anything was actually missing from his perspective about the controversial topic. Plato originally opens with a question, which then guides the whole conversation. Although this question asks what Meno thinks virtue is, he is actually asking him what virtue can be taught. I thought that this was a very interesting way to phrase Socrates’ question because it makes it more interesting for the reader to create his or her own opinion about something such as virtue. Another perspective that derives from this simple, yet complex question is that Socrates is trying to develop a good theory regarding virtue. I thought that these very different perspectives are a very interesting and effective way to present a writer’s opinion on a certain subject.

            This topic of virtue is a very relevant topic because around the world today in current events as well as simply in our own communities there is lots of talk regarding what good morals actually are. One example of good morals happens right inside of the classrooms whenever a student takes a test. The subject is cheating. As we all know, cheating has been a recent problem at Shanghai American School. When in regard to the recent January SAT where students from a certain SAT prep academy reported having seen some of the problems earlier that appeared on the official College Board test, the students were questioned. Was this the right thing to do? Does questioning these students make it seem as though these students were in the wrong? The answers to these questions are still being contemplated. The students that were at the specific SAT prep academy did not know they had been given unauthorized test information, they simply believed that this was another practice problem. Although the school believes they must question these students, this topic connects to morals. Are the students’ morals being questioned? I personally believe that these students did not do any wrong, and that they should not be punished. If it was myself in this situation, I would definitely believe that the school did not think I was honest, and thought that I had bad morals. This controversial topic of morals and virtue that Plato presents to the readers in his writing piece makes the audience aware of how little people actually know about morals. One student who took the SAT may believe that their morals are still intact because it was not their fault, however another student may have a completely different opinion in regard to the situation and to them.

            Meno is one of Plato’s earliest pieces of writing. Socrates and Meno are discussing this topic of morals, which is a topic that is still being discussed in society today. Something that I was wondering was that if this topic is still being discussed even hundreds of years later, will it ever truly have a definition? While reading Plato’s piece, there actually is no definition to what virtue is, and there still is not. This idea can relate to the larger idea in our community today. If people were discussing this idea long ago, then is our society a place of so much unethicality that it must still constantly be discussed? There are certain cultures that believe in certain ideas that other cultures may believe to be unethical and lack morals. For instance, in some cultures it is the norm to eat and kill their own dogs. However, in other cultures that is completely out of the norm and is looked down upon. These people believe they lack morals due to this act. I found this extremely interesting to really delve into. I had never exactly thought much about this topic before, however now that I have read Plato’s piece about virtue, and was able to see the different perspectives about it, it has made me realize and come up with these questions. Despite the different perspectives and opinions that various cultures have on their morals, this is still a topic that will never truly have a true definition, and something to keep looking into in the future. 

[carolynchow]

Journal-Plato (Analysis)

The surrounding theme and overall message of Plato’s Meno all relates to the ambiguous idea of virtue. The dictionary definition of virtue is “behavior showing high moral standards,” however throughout the conversation that Socrates and Meno have, they come to the conclusion that it is hard to put a true definition on what virtue actually is. Plato uses many different methods in order to get the overall idea out to the readers.

            Throughout Plato’s piece, I noticed many different writing styles and themes that occurred. One of the segments that really stood out to me was the very beginning of his whole writing. Plato opens up with a question stated from Socrates that says “Then answer me again from the beginning: what do both you and your associate say that virtue is?” This simple and short question is addressed to Meno, who then has a small monologue regarding an abstract analogy in which relates to virtue. This writing style is unique and very powerful because it helps to persuade the reader that this is something worth thinking about, and also helps to keep the reader inclined to continue reading what is going to happen later on in the piece. Using an analogy to create evidence to a message’s claim as well as prove a point is a very good writing method. When a writer uses an analogy to express what they are feeling or what they are discussing about, it makes a definitive impact towards the reader. This is very useful in Plato’s case. Throughout Plato’s writing, he keeps on referring to the analogy that Meno uses to discuss the answer to Plato’s overarching question about virtue. Plato does not need to explicitly state what Meno’s thoughts about virtue are in the opening section of the piece, but instead analogizes it in order to bring his true opinion to life. Although the question of “Then answer me again from the beginning: what do both you and your associate say that virtue is?” seems to be asking what virtue is, Socrates (or Plato) is actually asking Meno how virtue can be taught. Since he is asking how virtue can be taught, it allows the readers to take their own opinion on what they personally believe about teaching virtue.

            The overall idea of this piece is very complex. Plato bases this piece off of the general aspect of virtue, which is already a complex idea in itself. Socrates takes his question of what virtue can teach, to the next level of what virtue is actually not. He speaks about the differences between the two very similar questions. Instead of telling Socrates what he thinks virtue can teach and what virtue is not, Meno does tends to continue giving examples of different ways of virtue. This is not what Socrates is asking, but Meno does not seem to understand the questions coming from Meno. Socrates wants to develop and discover a theory about virtue, not just any theory but a good theory.

[carolynchow]

Does Playing Tetris Reduce Cravings?

Tetris is a game that has been popularly surfacing the world in the most recent decades. It is generally a time waster, or a form of entertainment. However, the article published on The Atlantic has a different opinion. “Playing Tetris Can Reduce Urges to Eat, Smoke, Drink,” by Julie Beck opens up the idea that the game of dropping colored shaped blocks onto one and other is not simply a time waster, but can actually benefit your health.

            Nowadays, the obesity rate is increasing, people are still smoking even with the broadcasted consequences, and drinking and driving is more common. With these facts, playing Tetris can help people fight these negative impacts on human life. For example, if there is a person that has just eaten a large McDonald’s meal, and they want a second one even though they are completely aware of how unhealthy and unnecessary this is, then they can easily take out their smartphone, and play a quick game of Tetris in order to reduce their cravings. However, although this article states that 24 percent of the people had their cravings reduced, playing Tetris to get rid of these awful habits just may create a new detrimental habit, such as Tetris it’s self.

            A few years ago at SAS, the high school actually hosted a Tetris competition, because people had become so addicted to the crave reducing game. Students at SAS were constantly on “Tetris Friends” and would play at home, in class, at lunch, and any free chance, or not even free chance they had. With this statement, if these people were also smokers, binge eaters, or alcoholics, they could easily try and destroy their craving by logging online to play a quick game of Tetris. Despite how this is labeled as a crave reducer, it will increase the crave that the individuals have for playing Tetris.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/02/playing-tetris-can-reduce-urges-to-eat-smoke-drink/284056/?utm_source=nextdraft

[carolynchow]

DFW-Journal Knowledge and Understanding

In David Foster Wallace’s collection of essays and arguments, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, Wallace makes very distinctive assertions when he is taking a stand on something, or when he is describing different things to the readers. In the third essay titled Getting Away From Already Pretty Much Being Away From It All, there are many incidences when Wallace’s writing voice is very clear and distinctive, which enhances the way in which the readers respond to the author’s writing.

            Throughout the third essay of Wallace’s novel, the author constantly makes reference to the stereotype of what Midwestern people behave and present themselves as. Some of his central points that he makes throughout this essay are about the Midwest, and his job. This essay is about an Illinois State Fair, and how Wallace is not the biggest fan about participating in this event and did not want to document it as well. He is considered part of a “swanky East-Coast magazine,” is confused as to why he has to waste his time here. After reading just a short segment of Wallace’s opinion about the Illinois State Fair, it is evident that Wallace will always have a negative perception about what the Midwest is like. Although he is from the Midwest, he now considers himself to be “fresh off of the East Coast.” Although this may seem strange, I believe that I can relate this to myself as well. I am from Canada, and when I was younger, I constantly had the denial that I was not actually Canadian, simply because it was not the norm. I was jokingly made fun of in middle school because I was not from the United States. I think this can directly relate to Wallace’s opinion because he is natively from suburban Illinois, but is clearly in denial about it. I think this is a good way to include different pieces of background information in his writing because this way he can change the perspective. In the first essay that we read, he is a teenage boy experiencing life in the Midwest, however as we continue to read the perspective changes and he can see what life is like in the Midwest now as an outsider of this area.

            In the news and in real life nowadays, I tend to get the general feeling that the Midwest only consists of farmland and rich white people. Now this is of course a generalization, however I think that it comes across that way to many people because this is how the media portrays it. There is a TV show titled “Suburgatory,” and it is based in the Midwest. Although this is not a very famous TV show, it gives a perception that the Midwest is simply a place for farmers, public schools, and the massive universities. While reading the various Wallace essays, there were many situations in which I was reminded of “Suburgatory” by. Wallace mentions the old women that are questioning him about his job at the “swanky” magazine; these women reminded me of the grandmother and even the mothers in this show. These people are so sheltered and I think that is what Wallace was also trying to convey throughout his depiction of his conversation with these strangers. The use of dialogue that he includes in his essay helps connect to the readers, and also easily relates to real life as shown in the media evidence.

            Since Wallace is a very opinionated writer, we are unable to see the other side of what the Illinois State Fair is actually all about. Wallace simply sticks to the negative sides of the fair and we are slightly obligated to agree with what he is saying, since we do not have another opinion about it. I think that if Wallace presented the readers with a different perspective, it would chance the entire tone of the piece as well as the rest of Wallace’s writing. For example, if we were able to see the perspective of one of the “tight suit” wearing news reporters, instead of the “casual T-shirt” wearing Wallace, then we would have a whole new idea of what a true outsider thought about the Illinois State Fair. In most of Wallace’s writing there is also a definite larger idea about society and culture that he is trying to convey to the readers. He refers to the “Berkshires of western Massachusetts” and the “corn silo” filled “boxed township” of suburban Illinois. These different quotes help to give the reader a clear picture and idea about how Wallace portrays the Midwest as very sheltered, and isolated from everyone else since “there is something between the East and West coast.”

[carolynchow]

DFW-Journal Analysis and Interpretation

            In David Foster Wallace’s collection of essays and arguments, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, the book opens with a short and relatively generic paragraph. Despite being a short and open paragraph, this section of writing presents the massive amount of voice that Wallace has throughout all of his writing pieces. There are many different things that are presented throughout Wallace’s short essays, and even when simply looking at one paragraph it is easy to depict the style in which Wallace writes as well as what he generally discusses.

            The beginning of the first piece starts with “When I left my boxed township of Illinois farmland to attend my dad’s alma mater in the lurid jutting Berkshires of western Massachusetts, I all of a sudden developed a jones for mathematics” (3). This sentence presents countless questions to the reader, and begs the reader to delve deeper into Wallace’s distinctive writing, and forces the reader to continue reading. Readers may question why Wallace suddenly have an interest in mathematics, or why he decided to mention that the school he attended was his father’s alma mater, or why Wallace believed that his hometown was in fact “boxed” (3). When an author is able to force the readers to develop their own questions about an essay or novel, it is an effective way to keep the readers engaged in the author’s writing.

            The single sentence that Wallace initially presents the readers with also paints an incredibly clear picture in their minds. The “boxed township of Illinois farmland” shows what the author has grown up with throughout his childhood, and helps to emphasize the drastic change he would feel once he went to the “Berkshires of western Massachusetts” (3). This particular sentence creates the image of the cliché sense of an incredibly smart small town boy, that ventures off to succeed at one of the worlds most famous college locations. He then uses the words “dad’s alma mater” which emphasizes that Wallace’s father has been pressuring him to go onto the same path as he did. This gives us more of a background into Wallace’s life, and also allows the reader to interpret more about what Wallace may mention in his writing.

            The opening paragraph then continues on with “I’m starting to see why this was so” (3). This is a short sentence. Wallace begins his essay with a longer and more complex sentence and then uses a drastically shorter sentence to make the reading more interesting to the reader. If an author simply used short sentences, or compound sentences, the reader would feel a rhythm that is unnecessary and in fact brings a negative impact to the writing. This would cause the reader to be caught in a daze, and the writing will not be interesting. If an author adds a variety of sentences, the reader will not feel bored and will constantly be interested in what the author is saying. This writing method also gives the author much more voice, which Wallace definitely has a lot of. This sentence presents the readers with more of Wallace’s personality. It begins one of his prolonged thought processes that frequently occur throughout his writing.

[carolynchow]

Marriage 101

To keep with the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the article “Marriage 101: There are No Soul Mates” published on The Atlantic, describes a marriage class at Northeastern University, and delves into the ideas discussing how an individual can succeed in a good relationship.

The article begins with discussing what the Northeastern University students feel towards a class of such obscure nature, and how it seems to be irrelevant for college students. I however think that this class would be very interesting to partake in. With the rake of divorce increasing each year, it would be interesting to research more into the reasons as to why this seems to be a pattern nowadays, and then how to solve these things. There is the cliché phrase of, “opposites attract,” however Northeastern students seem to have discovered ways in which compatibility is always the right direction to go into. They have listed ways that can improve on your relationships, and are insisted that these ideas are essential for a healthy relationship.

However, I do not necessarily believe that people have to follow the strict “rules” that the Northeastern University students research and learn about in their surprisingly popular classroom. If each individual is different, that means that each relationship is different as well. If there are supposed “rules” that each person is taught to follow, then what makes that relationship interesting? I think that since the divorce rates are increasing, it makes people more inclined to trust these rules and believe that they are the all mighty cure for a failed or failing marriage. Despite not always being able to look on the bright side towards a relationship, I do not believe that this article actually enlists a whole lot of truth in the bolded reasons as to how people should treat their relationships.

  http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/02/the-first-lesson-of-marriage-101-there-are-no-soul-mates/283712/

[carolynchow]

The End of the College Roommate?

As a second semester senior in high school, I am forced to endure the tense months before receiving that much anticipated college acceptance letter. The main thing on my mind before that, is simply: College. In David R. Wheeler’s article, The End of the College Roommate, the topic at hand not only discusses the experience about living with someone who is at first a total stranger, but also impedes on the ideas about the experiences college as a whole a student is privileged with.

            This article begins with an example of a student who despised his freshman roommate, and therefore resulting in him transferring, and never wanting to have a roommate again. However, despite this particular student’s opinion, I have to disagree. When you think about the true college experience, something that immediately pops into your mind is about your roommate. Questions buzz through and you are curious as to whether or not they will be your soul mate, simply an acquaintance, or your worst nightmare. Despite the countless scenarios that may occur, I do believe that having a college roommate is something that can benefit an individual in the future, even if the person turns out to be terrible.

            Like many others in Wheeler’s article presented on The Atlantic, I concur that having a college roommate can benefit you not only for the short run but for the long run as well. It is something that people can learn from, and will definitely allow people to step out of their comfort zones. My sister, currently a junior in college, told me about her first roommate who ended up never being home, but somehow always stole my sisters clothes. She presented her to be a “psycho.” However this terrible roommate experience, just like Spencer Kiessling’s, did not turn her away from the idea of having roommates. In her next year, she bought an apartment with someone with completely different interests, and the next year she moved in with two girls of a different race. These girls are all now some of her closest friends, and she may not have met them if it was not for the “psycho” she lived with in her freshman year.

            Colleges are smart. They understand that college is a time to grow, and a time to learn about your surroundings and others. The original ideology of having a roommate was not thought up for a random reason, but people understood that it could overall benefit the students’ lives for the greater.

[carolynchow]

Malala and her Father Bring Hope

            In the CNN article titled “Malala's father brings hope of a brighter future for Pakistan's women,” the author writes about a story regarding a girl in Pakistan named Malala. Malala is an inspiration for women all around the world. At just 16 years old, Malala went against the Taliban, was shot in the head, and later it all paid off. However, Malala could not have achieved this greatness without the help of her father, which is what the author of this article also focuses on.

            Malala’s father is also an inspiration to women, as well as men all around the world. Her father Ziauddin can inspire families and re-encourage the idea that women have equal rights to men. Especially in the Middle East, women are perceived to have an extremely lesser amount of rights than men do. If more men around the world have the same ideas as Ziauddin does, then terrible things such as reckless shootings for petty reasons will less frequently occur. The less frequent these things occur, the better our society.

            Our culture in Shanghai is much different to what Malala and Ziauddin experience everyday. However, China still struggles with women equality. In China, when a woman is pregnant, the parents hope to have a boy because boys are perceived as better since they carry on the family name and blood. In some instances, if the parents of the unborn child find out that their soon to be child is going to be a girl, they will immediately get an abortion because they believe that girls are not as worthy as boys are. In other cases, the family may wait until the child is born, and then if it is a girl, they will simply abandon the poor girl due to their attitudes regarding gender equality. Although the gender equality issue is not as severe in China as it is in Middle Eastern countries, it is still apparent throughout the world, and should be put to an end. Young girls do not deserve to be treated in such a horrible manner, and should not have to endure unfair treatment simply because they are girls.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/11/world/asia/pakistan-malala-father-mohsin/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

[carolynchow]

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Part 4 (17-20)

The last section of Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” focuses on Pollan’s personal interactions with food, as the readers are immersed in his attempt of making a whole meal that is supposedly “perfect.” He hunts, gathers, and uses nothing from industrialized companies in order to attain his definition of a perfect meal. Throughout this section, Pollan continues to question the problems that society faces because of the way we eat.

What I found to be extremely interesting was that Pollan actually ended the book with him making a full meal that extracted from all of the lessons and knowledge he had gained throughout his research. He shot a pig which he “enjoyed…a whole lot more than [he] ever thought [he] would,” gathered vegetables, and even went out of found wild yeast to make his own bread! To be honest, I had no idea that you could go out and find wild yeast, however to Pollan “gathering wild yeast [turned] out to be no big deal.”Personally, I thought that this showed lots of dedication towards executing the message that he was trying to portray. If this part of the book was excluded from the story, I do not think that Pollan’s idea would have resonated quite as deeply as it did. His precise decision of putting this at the end of the book really helped his case, because it is something that will truly stick with the readers, and will have a larger impact on them.

While reading this part, it made me think that Pollan was not even part of the 21st century at this point. He made everything completely from scratch, even if he had all of the resources right in front of him that were easily accessible. This section allowed me to remember a similar aspect that came from a different collection of books that I used to read when I was younger called “Little House on the Prairie.” The characters in this book lived in the woods many years ago, and had to gather all of their food themselves, without the help of grocery stores or large industries. It allowed me to realize how much of a difference there was when comparing today’s food society, with the food society that occurred long ago.

After focusing on what Pollan personally did, I decided to try and think about how Pollan’s idea could relate to the world we currently live in. I do not think it is realistic for the population to convert to Pollan’s beliefs of making everything a “perfect” meal. He announces “[he] seriously doubts that any of [his] guests would…declare this a “great meal” but for [him] it was the perfect meal, which is not quite the same thing.” This is a much slower, more inconvenient process. Pollan was able to achieve this project because he had the resources, and time to go to these different places to shoot a pig and harvest produce, however if we relate this to our lives in Shanghai, it would be much harder to do so. This is the case for many different cities and countries around the world. If you live in an urban city, it will be much more difficult to attain produce that you picked with your bare hands, or to find an animal and shoot it with a gun that you don’t have, therefore making it impossible! Despite Pollan’s argument having a definite purpose, I do not think that it will succeed around the world due to how our society has developed. We are now a fast moving community, and therefore people have found newer and better ways to obtain what they consume. Although it may not be the most natural, or healthiest option, it is not completely terrible and yet still manages to satisfy our basic needs.

While reading the section regarding vegetarianism and veganism, it made me think of my own life, and how I have actually seen people go from an omnivore, to a vegetarian, to a vegan. This situation happened because of a book called (excuse my language) “Skinny Bitch.” “Skinny Bitch” is similar to Pollan’s book because it goes in depth into the torture that is caused onto animals, and how it is impacting their lives as well as ours. I referenced this very similar book because it enhances Pollan’s point about how it is impacting many people, making Pollan’s argument more persuasive. Although I am not one to “convert” to the philosophy stated in “Skinny Bitch” as well as what Pollan stated about vegetarianism and veganism, I do believe that his ideas will definitely resonate on many people around the world who have access to a lifestyle like this.

Overall, I do think that Pollan had successfully persuaded me into believing what he has said as a whole in his book. There are definitely many problems in the way that food is being industrialized, however I do not exactly think that there is a feasible way to change what is happening in today’s community. It is a much different world now and I think that people need to accept that. Things may not be how they were before, however despite the hardships there are definite outcomes that come about.

[carolynchow]

Miss America not American?

“I am living my American dream,” winner of beauty pageant Miss America Nina Davuluri states after being crowned the 2014 Miss America. Davuluri is a first generation Indian American, and the first woman of Indian descent to be crowned Miss America. However, Davuluri received many comments of hatred regarding her success at the pageant.

After winning, the social media world exploded. There were many messages of hate, addressing Davuluri as a “terrorist” or “un-American,” along with other words of hatred. However, unfortunately, this is not the first time Davuluri has experienced this, and she is able to overcome the ignorant racial responses and is able to expand her platform. Despite the negative comments against her race, many people have sent in messages of encouragement and congratulations because of how she is handling her situation. In an interview with CNN, Davuluri announces, “for one negative tweet, I’ve received dozens of positive tweets.” The positive tweets clearly outnumber the negative ones, as it should in our modernized society.

In this society, people assume that the general idea of racism is no longer apparent, however, according this this recent incident, it is obviously still happening around the world. In the United States, racism has been an ongoing problem especially when referring to blacks versus whites in the 1800’s. Black people were apparently, “supposed” to be slaves, while white people were able to abuse their rights to get anything that they wanted. Doesn’t this go against the idea that the United States is a free country? Many people would assume that the United States is by far the most accepting country in the world, however it is sometimes not the case. There are still many people who disagree with how things should go, especially when it is with someone of a minority. Throughout time, people have definitely become much more accepting with different races, however there are still times where these minorities are discriminated against simply for being of a certain descent.

At our school in Shanghai, there is not a sense of people being racist, however I do feel that sometimes our students are slightly sheltered. The majority of SAS students are Asian, with a handful of white students. Despite the difference in minority, I do not think that SAS students are “racist.” There may be some comments made here or there, however none that are truly binding to what people think. I definitely do not agree with what has been said about Davuluri, however it is still an ongoing problem in today’s society, and is something that people as a community, must try and resolve in order to move away from the past and into the future.

[carolynchow]

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Part 3 (12-16)

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been engaging into the food world that Michael Pollan invites us into in his book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” During the most recent section that we read, which was chapter 12-16, Pollan dives deep into farm life, and the larger advantages that it has on the community, however our community is completely oblivious to what is happening outside of the packaged food.

            In chapter 12, Pollan expresses what it really felt like to actually kill a chicken. While doing this deed, he was able to experience how mechanical it could become, especially when you are just killing chicken, after chicken, after chicken. However, he then later justifies that the way that some farmers, such as Joel, kill chickens is in fact the most humane way possible, and allows people to appreciate more where their food comes from. When reading this section, it opened my eyes a bit to how my food actually appears on my plate. Pollan asks the audience whether or not they “put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will with the person who grows their food.” To relate this to our lives in Shanghai, there are many instances where we have seen chickens on the back of bicycles, in the markets, and even on the streets. But have you really thought about what happens to those chickens afterwards? How are they killed? I honestly do not know what the answer to this question is however I do think that reading Pollan’s book has brought me to think more about this subject.

            This also made me think about whether or not humanely killing an animal is actually better for our bodies, or if it is simply an example of placebo. If someone tells you that a certain type of meat, is healthier, has a better taste, is from a farm, and was innocently killed, would this type of meat be your first choice? It probably would, especially if you compare this to one that is store bought, packaged with a label on it. Now the person who gave you the supposedly healthier meat could have blatantly been lying to you, and could have simply been tricked into believing the usual scam. Although Pollan states that he had asked different people their opinions on what the food tasted like, I think that at some point it would have been fairly easy to be sucked into the placebo method of things.

            Throughout this book, Pollan has been persuading the readers to leave the industrialized part of the food industry, and become immersed in the fresh, farm style of food. Despite his persuasive arguments, I do not think that his ideas are exactly practical for many people around the United States, and the world. Here in China, there are times where the supermarkets only sell one type of cheese, milk, or even types of crackers. This can deeply impact the way that people consume or think about their food because they only have one option. This goes the same way for people in the United States. Although there are many more options in the American supermarkets, there are many situations in which people cannot afford the healthier options because they are generally more expensive than unhealthy options. Although it may not be much more expensive, the prices add up, and can eventually impact families.

            Pollan’s idea on the food industry is indeed persuasive, however I am not entirely sure if it necessarily is correct in ever aspect. Disagreeing with an author is definitely something that is justifiable and allows the readers to become more engaged in what they are reading. I feel that at some points, Pollan is not necessarily taking the whole picture into consideration, and is instead simply focused on the United States and what happens in that one particular country.