Snopes.com

The website Snopes.com contains a number of articles that debunk the most recent internet gossip. The website is easy to navigate with different sections including: "What's New, Hot 50, Fast Check, and Other News." The homepage of the site contains articles about death hoax of numerous celebrities. The first article to catch my attention was an article about the old death hoax involving Eddie Murphy resurfacing in the weeks following the death of his brother Charlie Murphy. The story abut the death of Eddie Murphy involving a car crash was first published in October 2015. The story resurfaced recently for reasons unknown. Snopes.com makes its readers aware that this story and other stories like it are indeed a hoax. Another article on the site focused on a recent news story involving United Airlines. Recently a Kentucky doctor, David Dao, was filmed being dragged from the plane. The article reports that a settlement has been reached with the doctor, and includes a statement about the settlement. 

I did not notice any bias on Snopes.com. One thing I noticed is that some of the articles seemed to be supported more by personal experience and personal opinion that concrete facts. I had never heard of this site before, but it will be extremely helpful in the future to be able to quickly find the truth about the latest most controversial news stories. 

The Sentinel

The Sentinel serves as a major resource for many students at Kennesaw State University. The newspaper provides a lot of information including local news occurring at Kennesaw State and universal news affecting the university. It provides students with the latest news regarding various activities on campus. Updates regarding student government association activities are often presented in the newspaper. The Sentinel is a good sources that allows KSU students to keep up with changes occurring across campus. Student activities occurring both on and off campus are presented in the paper. The Sentinel discusses upcoming events and the outcome of events that have already occurred. The newspaper is easily accessible both across the campus and online.

As a student living off campus, The Sentinel keeps me connected to what is occurring throughout my university. I am a sports guy and really enjoy reading about the results of the sports events during the week. Even though my favorite sport is football, I enjoy being able to read about the victories of other KSU sports teams. The Sentinel basically provides me with everything I need to know about events occurring at KSU.  The newspaper often also contains interactive activities including cross word puzzles and word searches. I read The Sentinel quite often and enjoy reading it.

A Letter to the Editor

I chose to analyze a letter to the editor of The Washington Post magazine. The title of the letter is "Donald Trump and Martin Luther King - There's Just No Comparison." The writer is responding to and completing disagreeing with an article entitled, "You Don't Have to Be Nice to Political Opponents. But You Do Have to Talk to Them." In the original article, author Teresa Bejan attempts to examine how Trump has attempted to normalize the idea of individuals constantly and consistently speaking their mind regardless of who might become offended. She discusses how Trump constantly uses his Twitter account to immaturely attack other political figures. In Bejan's opinion Trump is causing others to take on his point of view and blatantly speak their mind. 

The major issue that both I and the writer to the editor, find with this article is that Bejan goes on to compare the actions of an immature Trump to those of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bejan attempts to defend her claim by stating that when Dr. King posted his “95 Theses” to the door of a church in Germany he launched the Protestant Reformation.” She actually believes that this is in some way equivalent to the actions of Trump in blatantly disrespecting the religion and culture of so many. The uncivil speech demonstrated by Trump has no substantial backing and is usually completely idiotic. I agree with the writer to the editor that, “Dr. King was one of the greatest liberators of all time. He played a major role in freeing people from corrupt churches and standing up for equality and freedom.” On the other hand, Trump represents a political disaster greedy for wealth and fame. I find is absolutely absurd and completely disrespectful that anyone would state that Donald Trump resembles the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King in any shape, form, or fashion. 

Original Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/03/08/you-dont-have-to-be-nice-to-political-opponents-but-you-do-have-to-talk-to-them/?utm_term=.6b047c12f028#comments

Letter to Editor: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trump-and-martin-luther--theres-just-no-comparison/2017/03/24/5a5354a4-0ea3-11e7-aa57-2ca1b05c41b8_story.html?utm_term=.ebb03503e835

My Relationship With Literature

I have had some experience writing about literature while in High School. In 10^th grade, I remember having to write a critique of the book “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. I do not remember much of the story now, but I do remember completing the assignment. I was assigned to work with a partner, and we were to give an overall review and critique of the book including any changes that we would have made. I remember how interesting this assignment was for me. Being paired with another person gave me an opportunity to view the same story from a completely different point of view than my own. I think I enjoyed reading what my partner had to say more than writing my own critique. This is the only written assignment about a piece literature that I have completed, and I would say that it was not very difficult. I approached the assignment by first writing how I felt as I read through the story. I would then try to find the overall theme of the reading. Finally, I will look for sources that support and disclaim my point of view.

English has never been one of my favorite subjects, but I have never been a horrible writer either. I enjoy freestyle writing best. When I was in High School I enjoyed writing poems and raps. Today, I do not do as much writing unless it is for class because of limited free time. I am excited about completing the literary analysis on the short story “A Sound of Thunder.” 

My Major

The major that I chose was Electrical Engineering. I chose this major because I have always been interested in the way that things work. When I was a child, I would take toys apart and challenge myself to put them back together again. I am the type of person that likes to know the "why" behind what causes the television to come on with the press of a button. When deciding on my major, I researched the courses that I would have to take and the job opportunities that would be available to me with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Some of the classes that I will have to take include: a number of math classes, physics, chemistry, and circuits. Electrical engineers can find jobs in aerospace, automotive, chemical, electronics, and many other engineering industries. My dream job is working for NASA as an electrical engineer. I chose to attend Kennesaw State University because of the location. KSU is not in Atlanta where I live, but at the same time, it is not too far away. Traveling a short distance for school gives me time to just drive and think and enjoy the scenery of the beautiful campus. I also chose KSU because it is known for having a strong Electrical Engineering program.  

I found most of the information about both my major and KSU through google searches. I still use google to look for information regarding internship and scholarship opportunities for those in my field. This simple, every day research played an important role in my decision to become a student at KSU. 

Everyday Research

The Google app on my phone meets all of my daily search needs. I use this app to search for various things throughout the day. Most of my searches are centered on daily news and sports. I am set up to receive daily news announcements from CNN. When I find a topic that interests me, I search for more information on Google. Google is my favorite search engine because of the variety of results that it offers and the organization of the site. I am able to quickly find valuable and invaluable information based on the order of results provided. When searching sports, I can easily find out the latest scores and statistics. I decide which information to use based on where it is on the list of search results and the credibility of the web page and/or authors. Google also provides quick responses to frequently asked questions about the topic being searched. You can find not only written search results but also pictures, videos, maps, and more.

I find maps very useful and easy to understand. I use Google Maps often when trying to locate a place or area. Other things I use my Google app for include searching for the daily forecast, movie times, nearby restaurants, and nearly anything else I have a question about or need help finding. I do not cook often, so I hardly ever search for recipes. The Google app is probably one of the most used apps on my phone. It can be an extremely valuable tool in everyday life for quick searches on any topic. 

Rhetoric in Advertisements

Blog #1 

For this assignment, I will be examining how different companies advertise for soaps and how they incorporate rhetoric into these advertisements.

Dove Soap Advertisement: 




This Dove soap advertisement incorporates both pathos and logos to encourage viewers to purchase Dove soap rather than others. Although Dove is a soap, the advertisement makes Dove seem superior to other "soaps" that strip your skin. The advertisement incorporates logos via the pictorial representation of Dove vs. "Soap." Using a grater to represent "soap" suggest that any products other than Dove will be extremely rough on one's skin. While the picture of the Dove soap seems smooth and moisturizing. No one wants to use a soap that is rough on one's skin, and this advertisement appeals to that sentiment shared by many viewers. The bottom of the advertisement reads "see proof." This makes viewers curious about the logic that Dove has to offer to support this advertisement.


Dial Soap Advertisement 



Pathos and Logos is used in this Dial soap advertisement to encourage viewers to purchase this soap. The advertisement reads "healthier skin, healthier you." Including this quote serves as a way to incorporate logos. The advertisement appeals to the emotions of the many viewers who are are seeking ways to improve their overall health. Many people don't think of soap as having an impact on their health and will be more likely to purchase a soap that will play a role in making them healthier. The image in the ad appeal to the viewer by including a coconut and water portraying that moisture and natural nutrients are found in this soap.


Irish Springs Soap Advertisement 



Pathos is used in this Irish Spring soap advertisement. The image used in the ad appeals to the emotions of mainly male viewers. The strong arm flexing biceps coming from the soap suggests that this soap is used by strong men or other athletic individuals. "Concentration Awesome" found at the top of the add suggest that alot of nutrients are included in the soap that could possible play a role in increasing one's strength.


**After completing this assignment, I found that most companies rely solely on pathos when advertising for soaps. They appeal to the viewers emotions regarding beauty, healthy skin, and nutrients. Very few advertisements incorporated pathos or ethos into their advertisements.