Recently, in our Honors ELA 10 class we read the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Our teacher informed us that the book was banned in some school districts. This somewhat surprised me because I had never heard that this book had ever been banned before. As we began to dig into the book I came to realize why.
I think one of the main reasons for the banning would be the language used or more so the swear words used in the book. Very often there were curse words in the writing, specifically starting on page four and continuing throughout the whole book. There was also the violent and graphic scenes that occured in the book, such as Lennie and Curly's fight and the killing of Curly's wife. Both were detailed and disturbing.
This makes me wonder though. Why censor students, and mainly older ones at that, by banning certain books? It's not like we have never seen or heard that graphic language and violence. I think that in trying to preserve how naïve we are, the officials overdue it a bit and refrain students from being able to read one of the most popular pieces of literature in our history.I believe the district(s) that have banned this book have taken it a little too far in that sense.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Advertisements
Typically, most of us say that we don't buy into the ads on television or in magazines. But really, how could you not? When you flip through the pages of the magazine or scan the channels don't you always stop where something catches your attention? Do you think that was put there on accident. Ha. Nope. Why do you think companies spend millions of dollars on one single ad? It's because it works. If advertisement didn't work, then there wouldn't be half as many ads out there as there are now.
So when you think of how you are "not influenced" by advertisements, think again. When you go to buy toothpaste for instance, are you going to buy an off brand that you know nothing about or a brand like Crest or Oral-B? Unless you are looking for a cheaper price you will go for the more popular choice that has been advertised for over and over and over again.
So when you think of how you are "not influenced" by advertisements, think again. When you go to buy toothpaste for instance, are you going to buy an off brand that you know nothing about or a brand like Crest or Oral-B? Unless you are looking for a cheaper price you will go for the more popular choice that has been advertised for over and over and over again.
Of course, sometimes what is being advertised really is all it's cracked up to be. The toothpaste might actually freshen your breath- whowuddathunkit? Other times the comercial hypes the product up much too much and you are stuck with an expensive product that is not worth the price.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Texting
Can you think of a feature on a phone that most teens use the most? Internet? Instant Messaging? Nope. Its texting. At least thats what I see everyone around me doing.
Personally, I am one of the many few who has a cell phone, but does not have texting. Most people just include it into their cell phone plan. I would like to have it, but my mother thinks otherwise.
Recently during my Honors English Class we learned about three key ways to win an argument using Aristotle's categories: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. I tested these three ideas out in my mother's explaination of why I do not need texting.
Ethos (Credibility or ethical appeal): It costs less to call someone than to add on the extra fee of texting. Also, many people have gotten into trouble while texting at an innapropriate time. It is better off that you do not have the temptation.
Pathos (Emotion/connection): When you are constantly texting someone and not verbally talking to them, it is indefinitely a less personal and welcoming way to communicate.
Logos (Logic): Why would you need to text someone when you can easily call them?
While these ideas are well thought out and put together, they are lacking in the Logos and the Pathos area. For me, I like to stay ultra connected with my friends and family, and I also have to be. I need to be picked up at a specific time after school from my Model U.N. or InterAct meeting so that I can get home in time to start my homework. Then I need to be whisked away again in order to make my volleyball practice that is 20 minutes away. You add coming home from volleyball games at 9:30 at night twice a week or on occasion a choir practice here and there and that is quite a lot of minutes and time gone into calling my parents just for a ride. Logically speaking, if I had texting it would be purely simple to just type in what time they need to pick me up (because Lord knows the times always change) and it would be as simple as that.
Pathos fits right into that dilemma called time. I don't have to time to chit chat with my friends all night to keep up on the "She did what?"'s and the "He did that?!"'s. Instant Messaging and Facebook don't even work so well because not everyone has I.M. or a Facebook account, but I know plently who have texting. When I want to say "hey" to friends I haven't seen in months it's a little awkward to call them out of the blue and start a conversation. What a better way than to text them.
So you can see, my mother and I clearly have some more work to do on this subject. Her ideas are like gold and mine are like silver. They're both good, but some like others in a different perspective.
Personally, I am one of the many few who has a cell phone, but does not have texting. Most people just include it into their cell phone plan. I would like to have it, but my mother thinks otherwise.
Recently during my Honors English Class we learned about three key ways to win an argument using Aristotle's categories: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. I tested these three ideas out in my mother's explaination of why I do not need texting.
Ethos (Credibility or ethical appeal): It costs less to call someone than to add on the extra fee of texting. Also, many people have gotten into trouble while texting at an innapropriate time. It is better off that you do not have the temptation.
Pathos (Emotion/connection): When you are constantly texting someone and not verbally talking to them, it is indefinitely a less personal and welcoming way to communicate.
Logos (Logic): Why would you need to text someone when you can easily call them?
While these ideas are well thought out and put together, they are lacking in the Logos and the Pathos area. For me, I like to stay ultra connected with my friends and family, and I also have to be. I need to be picked up at a specific time after school from my Model U.N. or InterAct meeting so that I can get home in time to start my homework. Then I need to be whisked away again in order to make my volleyball practice that is 20 minutes away. You add coming home from volleyball games at 9:30 at night twice a week or on occasion a choir practice here and there and that is quite a lot of minutes and time gone into calling my parents just for a ride. Logically speaking, if I had texting it would be purely simple to just type in what time they need to pick me up (because Lord knows the times always change) and it would be as simple as that.
Pathos fits right into that dilemma called time. I don't have to time to chit chat with my friends all night to keep up on the "She did what?"'s and the "He did that?!"'s. Instant Messaging and Facebook don't even work so well because not everyone has I.M. or a Facebook account, but I know plently who have texting. When I want to say "hey" to friends I haven't seen in months it's a little awkward to call them out of the blue and start a conversation. What a better way than to text them.
So you can see, my mother and I clearly have some more work to do on this subject. Her ideas are like gold and mine are like silver. They're both good, but some like others in a different perspective.
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