RCL prompt# 3

The passage I chose out of “It’s what I do” by Lyndsey Addario was a passage on page 92,

“Friendships formed fast in war zones.  At night, we gathered in someone’s hotel room at the more luxurious     Palace Hotel.  I knew Ivan Waterson, the NPR correspondent, ad Quil Lawrence, a BBC World Radio reporter, from Istanbul and Afghanistan.  We bought bottles of wine from the Ashti with label that dubiously read BOTTLED IN EUROPE.  Quil sometimes put on salsa music, and we spun around the hotel room for hours.”

In this passage, Addario talks about how through different things like food and wine, as well as dancing, she was able to bond quickly with the other photographers and journalists.  When talking about this she uses ethos by creating a mood that making friends can make a light in a dark time.  This makes you want to think about a time where things were bad, but having your friends around made everything feel better.

This is something that I can definitely use in my passion blogs.  As freshman, we are all going to a brand new school where we may not know anyone and are exposed to a lot of things you may have never seen before.  While not a warzone, this can be terrifying.  Addario showed that making friends can make it a bit more bearable, or even fun.  Another thing that Addario showed that food and drink can help create bonds.  Through using ethos in a similar way that Addario did, I could show others that eating at the dining commons with their peers can help them make friends, which would make their college life more fun.

One thought on “RCL prompt# 3

  1. Hi Madeline!

    I actually remember reading this passage and was so pleasantly surprised about the fun atmosphere that was created by the photojournalists even in a war zone; it’s such a human thing to make the best of the worst situations and you do a good job of discussing what details Addario highlights– food, drink, and friends– that bring about such an atmosphere. I’m not quite sure your use of the term ethos was the right choice, as it seems vague and there are other terms that could have been used to imply that ethos is used instead of using the term ethos outright. However, I think relating this idea of highlighting food, drink, and friends to suggest ways to make the college experience is nuanced and will definitely be an interesting read!

    Cheers!
    Anushka Shah

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