The Impact of CAS137H

Over the course of this semester, my knowledge of rhetoric has grown. Coming into this class, I new that rhetoric was all about effectively communicating your ideas in a persuasive way. However, I did not realize how much it is in our daily lives. For example, in unit 1, we analyzed many civic artifacts. The two artifacts which I focused on were advertisements. Before this class, I would have glanced at the advertisement and moved on. Now, I know that there is a deeper meaning to a lot of advertisements. In addition, I learned rhetoric is a key component to people like politicians and anyone else who gives a speech because they need to persuade their audience. I now know different rhetorical strategies which can help me in my future.

Previously, if someone asked me what ideological criticism was, I would not have an answer. After taking this class, I would say it is how ideas changed along with the belief system. My understanding of civic life has evolved because I learned the importance of knowing how ideas have changed over time. Ideas around something change which show progress and growth. Overall, I used to not think about rhetoric or civic life, but I now know they are important for people to grow and effectively persuade others to why their ideas are correct or helpful.

New York Mets

Along with New York’s nickname “The City That Never Sleeps”, it also has the nickname of “The Big Apple”. While I admit I had a good time watching the New York Mets play, I still hate them because they are one of the biggest rivals of the Washington Nationals which are my favorite team. The New York Mets play at Citi Field. I believe Citi Field suits the state of New York well.

Another defining feature of Citi field is the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. I love the Rotunda layout. Also, it does stick out. The Rotunda looks like it is supposed to a part of the stadium. The space is very open which is nice for the thousands of fans constantly walking through during a game. The Mets also have hosted events in the rotunda. There are multiple spots where stands are added for promotions as well.

Public Controversy Project

For the history of a public controversy project, two topics that I brainstormed are animal testing and standardized testing.

I feel like animal testing would be a good controversy to do our project about because of the importance of both sides. There are many reasons against the use of animals for testing. For example, the tests are not reliable predictions for human outcomes, and it can delay finding a solution for humans because it failed for animals. The most common known issue is the torture of animals. It is isolating, cruel, and painful. The animals do not have a say and can die because of the testing. However, animal testing is important because it helps us learn more about health problems and create vaccines and medications.

My second idea for the public controversy project is standardized testing. Some of the reasons for standardized testing include it is a fair way to compare students across the country. Also, it is not biased.   Some reasons why standardized testing is bad is because wealth is a major factor in how well a student does. Also, the student may not be a good test taker but knows the information or may have a bad day.

I think animal testing would be a good topic to do our project on because it has an impact in all of our lives.

Detroit Tigers

Well, whenever you hear of the Detroit Tigers, the theme is usually the same. The Detroit Tigers suck. The Detroit Tigers are pathetic. The Detroit Tigers are a waste of talent. The Tigers have not won a World Series title since 1984. However, the team has had many future hall of famers: Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Miguel Cabrera. While having a bad team usually means that going to a game will not be as fun, the Tigers are a special case where it enhances the experience. 

When I went to the Tigers game, tickets were extremely cheap compared to other stadiums. We were able to get tickets around 15 rows behind home plate for about $100 each. To use as a reference, the second deck behind home plate for most stadiums costs over $200 dollars a ticket. You can easily find a cheap ticket wherever you want to sit. Since the stadium was empty a good amount of seats right behind home plate were empty. As a result, we were able to move up and experience the game front row. Watching from the front row, you grasp just how hard it is to hit a baseball. It feels like the ball is thrown directly at you. You blink and the ball is in the catcher’s glove. You can feel the wind as it whizzes past.

The Change in Team Names

My evolving idea is about the change in attitude around professional sports team names. In each of my turning points, I will use one artifact from the Washington Redskins (now the Commanders) and one from the Cleveland Indians (now the guardians. For my third artifact, I will follow the change through time of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have not changed their name, but they have received a lot of hate recently.

My first turning point will be the naming of the team to what they are in order to honor different Native Americans from different tribes.

1. The Plain Dealer Newspaper announcing the winner of the contest for naming the Cleveland Indians
2. Press story of the name changing to the Redskins
3. United States Holocaust Memorial museum on honoring a Native American warrior which then his infantry became known as the Blackhawk.

My second turning point will be when the teams started to receive backlash for their name because the name is disrespectful and offensive.

1. Image of fans dressed up as Redskins
2. Image of fans dressed up as Indians
3. Image of fans dress up as Blackhawks

My third turning point will be the act of changing the team names in response to the criticism. For the Blackhawks who have not changed their name, I will use recent evidence of why they need to change their name.

1. Video released from the Cleveland Indians announcing their name change
2. Statement from redskins officially changing their name
3. CNN news article explaining why the Blackhawks will not change their name

Milwaukee Brewers

I never thought a stadium could stand out as much as American Family Field. However, the stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers is one of a kind. I have watch around 4-5 Brewers games. My grandparents live within 2 hours, so it is a short drive compared to other 4 hours drives I have been on for other stadiums. Coincidentally, they are usually the only team within reasonable distance which is home the weekend we visit.

As you can see, American Family Field does have a roof. While that is usually a good thing, I would rather not have a roof for this stadium. To put it nicely, whoever made the stadium was no Picasso. Every time I lay eyes on it, I want to look away. I hate the roof so much because the rest of the stadium is great. It had so much potential for being a top stadium if it was aesthetically pleasing.

The most unique aspect of American Family Field is the slide in left field. Every time the Brewers hit a home run, their mascot slides down the slippery swift slide. Originally, the mascot would slide into a beer mug. While the mascot now slides onto a home plate shaped platform, it is still a fun and unique part of going to a Brewers game.

The atmosphere during a Brewers game is nothing special. Over the past couple of years, they have been successful and make the playoffs. I would go to a Brewers game sooner rather than later. Even though they are electric now, in general, there is more of a chill vibe around the Brewers. However, a chill vibe is not bad. Every Brewers game I went to has been enjoyable.

Overall, going to a Brewers game is a fun experience. One downside is that unless you live near Milwaukee, it is kind of out of the way. There is not much around Milwaukee, unlike on the East Coast where major cities are within a couple hours. I would rate American Family Field and the Brewers a 7.7.  I do believe this is a harsh opinion because of why I am rating it low. I dislike the roof. It frustrates me every time I see it because the stadium looks out of place. Also, the color looks worse in person. It looks like an ugly and rusty green. If the stadium had a better roof with another color, my rating would be higher. I would probably rate it around 8.5 with a better roof.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are either loved or hated. They are always talked about, and the sports media analyzes them frequently. I guess if you have had some success in the past, you can get people to talk about you. I do not get it though, they only have a few world series titles. They have like 26 or 27 world series titles, which is only over triple most other teams. For my next review, I will be ranking Yankee Stadium.

My Favorite Ted Talk

One of my favorite TED talks is called “An NFL Quarterback on Overcoming Setbacks and Self-doubt” In the TED talk, Alex Smith, the former number 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, explains his struggles with fear, anxiety, and self doubt. He tells his story when he almost died because of a injury from a game.

A TED talk is different from a non-TED speech because during a TED talk, the speaker tells a story, and shares his message at the end. For example, Alex Smith talked about his journey through recovery with details that lead to his message at the end. A non-TED speech provides evidence and analysis throughout the speech, and then reiterates the main points at the end. Also, a TED talk is more emotional and conversational. Alex Smith made funny side comments during the talk to keep the audience engaged and interested. Finally, the visuals in a non-TED speech are important pieces of evidence to make key points, whereas the visuals in a TED talk only add to the story part. Alex Smith showed pictures of how gruesome his injury was, so the audience could comprehend what he had to go through.

Naming Sports Teams

For my evolving idea, I want to research and present on how the idea around certain sports team names have changed since their creation. Specifically, I will look at team names that reference certain groups of people. The two main teams I will be looking at are the Cleveland Guardians (which used to be called the Indians until they changed the name for the 2022 season) and the Washington Commanders (which used to be called Redskins until they changed the name for the 2021 season). Also, I plan to use other names which have not changed such as the Kansas City Chiefs or Atlanta Braves.

For my first turning point, I will talk about why they chose the name they did. They first created their names in order to honor certain people or groups of people. My messages I plan on using including journals and newspaper articles about the naming of each team.

For my second turning point, I will talk about how the names went from honoring groups of people to disrespecting them and being offensive. My messages will include images/videos of fans stereotypically dressed up as someone from one of the groups of people and protests to change the name.

For my third turning point, I will talk about the act of changing the team names to something completely different, so it is not controversial. My messages will include statements from different teams and videos from the team.

Pittsburgh Pirates

This might be the toughest decision I made between stadiums. For a while, the Pittsburgh Pirates stadium (PNC Park) was ranked at the top of my list. It is currently second, behind the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park. I went to PNC Park so long ago that I do not even remember what year it was. The recency bias definitely plays a factor in my decision to rank Minute Maid Park higher. However, during your experience at PNC Park, you do not have to speak about the stadium. The stadium speaks to you. As soon as you enter, you understand why.

As you can see from the pictures, there are bridges outside the stadium. Because of the layout of the stadium, it feels like you are watching the game on an island. You have a perfect view of the bridges and the water right outside the stadium. The closest bridge is the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

Roberto Clemente was a star who played for the Pirates. He fought through discrimination as he became the first player from Latin America to start and win a World Series and to receive a National League and World Series MVP award. Tragically, he passed away at the age of 38 from a plane crash. He was on his way to deliver supplies to people in need from an earthquake in Nicaragua.

Overall, the appearance and environment of the stadium is top tier. They did a great job honoring Clemente with such a beautiful manner. Also, I enjoy how the Pirates let the city of Pittsburgh speak for itself in the background and did not add to much on the inside.

Although I do not remember as much about PNC Park as the other stadiums which I have talked about, I do remember that when I went the Pirates were an above average team who made the playoffs. Consequently, the atmosphere was fun to be a part of, since they were winning. I mention this because the Pirates have sucked over the last couple of years. I do think it would still be great to see a game even if they are not that good.

My final comment will be my last and most important. As I have emphasized in every other rating, a roof is an important factor which PNC Park does not have. However, I take into account the background, and I would determine that a roof does not matter as much for PNC Park.

I would rate PNC Park a 9.6 out of 10. The pirates have a stadium where you can just sit down and appreciate the world around you. It is relaxing, beautiful, and entertaining. I would recommend everyone to go buy a ticket to see the Pirates when you have the opportunity.