Advocacy Organization Post

https://www.girlsontherun.org

The advocacy organization I found is called Girls on the Run. There isn’t any exigence that blatantly stands out, but the mission and core values subtly express that girls must be inspired at a young age to have confidence and engage in fun healthy activities. The program is about teaching girls that they can achieve their dreams, showing that there is a need for female empowerment and encouragement.

The audience is mothers and fathers with daughters, and young girls in elementary and middle school. There two different after school programs that, “encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development”. The first program is for girls in 3rd-5th grade, and it encourages teamwork as well as strength and leadership. Girls develop friendships while learning how to run long distance. The program for girls 6th-8th grade is very similar. It is called “Heart and Sole” and is more about self discovery as well as long distance running and strength and conditioning.

Some constraints are that these programs are not offered everywhere, and if one is not located in a city or close community, individuals probably won’t sign up their children for the programs. Additionally, some girls may not enjoy exercising or long distance running, and Girls on the Run may not be a valid source of empowerment for them. Finally, because the girls are younger, parents may either sign their kids up for these programs even if the kids don’t want to participate, or the kids may not be able to sign up themselves despite their desire to get involved.

The organization adresses multiple levels of stasis. They include facts about what they do, but they probably could include more background information on why girls may not feel strong and some evidence to back up why running is a good outlet for female youth. The website clearly defines the nature of the issue in a mission statement: “We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.” Additionally, core values help to explain what the issue is (mental and physical health for young girls) and what should be done about it.

The what we do page focuses on the policy level of stasis, talking about what the program does and why it does it. The physical and mental components of the program are combined, highlighting the effect that girls on the run has on female youth. The website does a good job of explaining the benefits, but it could do better at providing background on why there is a need for such a program and what the severity of the issue at hand actually is.

Overall, Girls on the Run does a great job of expressing the benefit and steps needed to be taken to empire young girls, but more exigence could be added to show parents and policy makers that female empowerment is so crucial, especially at a young age.

 

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This I Believe Draft

I don’t remember what day it was or even how old I was. I don’t remember what grade I was in, and I don’t remember if my siblings were even born. I think it is my earliest memory, but I can’t be sure. What I do know is that this, one of the simplest moments in my life, stands out the most.

I had recently gotten out of the shower, pulling my warm pajamas over my tiny body and looking in the mirror, brushing my damp mid length brown hair. I then hung my towel on the little, round, yellow rubber duck hook in the bathroom at the end of the hall. Afterwards, I took the short trek to my mom and dad’s room; one of my favorite places to cuddle or hide from the raging thunderstorms at night. I sat down on a small white loveseat, wedged behind the bed and the dresser drawers, and I put my feet up on a little ottoman, perfect for my tired stubby legs.

My mom then looked over and went into the bathroom. She came back with a bottle of fragrant peppermint lotion and a wooden foot massage.

Without even having to ask, my mom began to rub my sore feet with the moisturizer, the whole room filling with the sweet scent of peppermint. While she worked on the left foot, I massaged the right, feeling the wooden spheres glide across my youthful muscles.

A second later, my childlike self had an obscure thought, one of joy and sadness, of bliss and melancholy. I wanted time to stop. I wanted this moment to last forever. I never wanted to get out of that chair, to feel the weight of the world again, to be separated from my mom. I wanted to remain however old I was for the rest of my life, and in some strange way I was able to make that happen.

I know I’m not a young child, and I know that I’m not in my home, inhaling the scent of peppermint. The couch I was sitting on isn’t even in my parent’s bedroom anymore. It’s in the living room below, now an old scratching post for my two cats.

But what I do know is that when the pressures of the earth, bearing down on my shoulders are just too much, I can close my eyes and be transported to that little white couch in my childhood home, receiving a relaxing foot rub from one of the people I love the most.

All of this is true because a long long time ago I believed in stopping time, and I still do. The clock will still run, the seconds will continue to tick, but if a moment in your life just seems too good to let go, you can always freeze it in your heart.

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Ideas for TIB Podcast

I have a few ideas for my This I believe podcast as well as some excerpts from potential drafts.

My first idea is about adventure and finding yourself in a new place. I have a story from one of my experiences in Austria in which I took the beaten path when I thought I would be heading down a normal road. I went to the top of a mountain, unexpectedly, terrified for my life during the drive, all in search of a few cows. At the top of the mountain, I experienced a rural life I had never even known existed. A man and his wife lived in a small lodge, sleeping in the roof of the loft, the cows below. I ate some strange (awful tasting) cured bacon and cheese, and I tried a strange shot of potent blue liquid that was supposed to “cure my carsickness”. I was with my favorite people, my mom, sister, and my host sister. During the trip I was a bit miserable, but after I realized the experience was one I may never encounter again.

I’ve always loved cows. I even milked one on my 16th birthday. So when my host sister, Marlene, asked me if I wanted to go see some Austrian cows, naturally I said yes.

It was the summer after I met my newfound best friend, who unfortunately lives across the Atlantic Ocean. My mom, sister, and I decided to visit her and her family in Austria for a few weeks. This time it was her turn to be the host sister.  

When she came to my home in America, she showed me pictures of her mountain lodge and told stories of the notorious Austrian cows, much more approachable than the American variety.

Little did I know that these cows were located in the most treacherous of places, on the peaks of the Central Eastern Alps.

My second idea is about stopping time and just making the most of the moment you are in. It also has to do with keeping your home in your heart and getting through tough times. One of my first memories involves me in my moms room after a shower, and she gave me an impromptu pedicure, using my favorite peppermint lotion that I can still smell even today. During the experience, I wanted time to stop, and I never wanted to get out of the chair and feel the weight of the world again. I can still clearly picture the memory, but I have no context to the days or time surrounding the experience.

I don’t remember what day it was or even how old I was. I don’t remember what grade I was in, and I don’t remember if my siblings were even born. I think it is my earliest memory, but I can’t be sure. What I do know is that this, one of the simplest moments in my life, stands out the most.

I had recently gotten out of the shower, pulling my warm pajamas over my tiny body and looking in the mirror, brushing my damp mid length brown hair. I then hung my towel on the little, round, yellow rubber duck hook in the bathroom next to my room. Afterwards, I took the short trek to my mom and dad’s room; one of my favorite places to cuddle or hide from the raging thunderstorms at night. I sat down on a small white love seat in the corner of the room, and I put my feet up on a little ottoman, perfect for my tired stubby legs.

In terms of my passion blog, I want to stay on the same course with fashion history, but I think I want to add a few new features and expand my realm just from American Fashion. I enjoyed how I had broken the blog up by decades, but since there are only so many decades, I would like to include maybe ancient fashion history or even Victorian as well as features on different cultures and notable designers/fashion icons. Also, I would like to examine the external influences that other countries had on America’s fashion boom as well as fashion offenses such as cultural appropriation.

Now for my civic issues blog, I am really interested in doing something regarding gender equality and women’s rights. I want to examine the role of women in the workplace and collect information about the way they are treated compared to their male counterparts as well as the proportion of pay they receive. Also, I think it would be interesting to gather some real life male and female perspectives of gender equality from men and women in the same workplace and see how their opinions compare and contrast. Additionally, it would be interesting to include perspectives from transgender individuals and see how their experiences have changed as they have gone through life as each gender.

I am also interested in writing about climate change and gathering perspectives of different individuals. I would also like to gather background on different individuals and see how their external influences affect their opinions on climate change. I want to combine scientific data and rhetorical analysis to gauge the climate change issue and its potential impact on society and well as local communities.

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Terror Attacks Response

Often times after a terror attack, mass chaos and confusion results, news media relaying false information because they do not know what else to say. For example, during almost every news broadcast immediately following a mass shooting, broadcasters report that there have been ‘reports of a second shooter’. More often than not there is never a second shooter. Also, the media never fails to call the attacker a ‘mastermind’, in attempts to appease the the beliefs of their audience. How could a person successfully pull of a brutal attack and not be a mad genius?

The ways that the news we receive is spoken to us truly transforms our beliefs of the events. For example, after reading 2 different articles about the events in Nice, France on July 14, 2016 I received different statistics about the number of people who were killed, in one 77 had died, and in the other, 84. These numbers also show that the more immediate news coverage will not accurately portray the death toll because they have simply not had enough time to count the people who have died.

While listening to news coverage, we also need to keep perspective on the events at hand. ISIS is not coming to ‘kill us all’. At first devastating events may make us feel like that, but in the end we must realize the actual gravity of the situation. ISIS especially seems to be often over and underestimated. People want to assume that they are either a major global threat achieving world domination, or a small group that we really don’t need to be worried about. We can also connect this to scapegoating. Humans tend to place a blame on a certain set of individuals, in the case of ISIS, ‘radical islam’ or the muslim faith in general. We tend to be relieved by making rash generalizations and when the truth surfaces we become confused, often denying the facts because we think what we previously believed was true. The media also uses these generalizations to show favor to the lives of those in Western Culture. Mass attacks in France are portrayed more often than those in the East such as Beruit. This setup creates a ‘clash of civilizations’ emphasizing preference for people living in Western Europe and the United States.

Ultimately, media and society needs to avoid easy rhetoric such as Radical Islam and tell the story as how it truly occurred. In tandem, listeners must rationally judge what they are listening too and realize that immediate news coverage following an attack will more often than not contain false information. So, keep a sense of perspective and view the situation as a whole.

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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Anastasia Hale

English 137H

Dr. Rosenberg

June 29, 2016

US War Sentiments: From Nationalism to Desertion

Throughout American history, citizens for the most part, have supported war efforts they believed (or were led to believe) are in defense of noble causes, such as freedom from oppression and tyranny. America’s role in World War II is widely regarded as just and noble, as it was necessary to oppose despots who desired world domination and sought to exterminate groups of people. For these reasons, Americans felt strong sentiments toward their country, conserving food and utilizing rationing stamps, also due to previous fears brought on by the great depression. Advertisements were placed in women’s magazines, encouraging women to make use of leftover food and purchase items that contained less waste. These images featured smiling mothers and wives, happy to support the war effort and the troops, who were probably their husbands and sons.

While World War II inspired strong nationalistic sentiments, other momentous events in history, such as the Vietnam War, brought about division and animosity. During the Vietnam War, many Americans discouraged the war effort, creating posters that denounced the decisions of the government in sending troops overseas to oppose a less tangible threat in order to protect our national interests. Through imagery, kairos, tone, and theme these posters exemplify the tactics of the US antiwar movement, revealing the dissatisfaction of the youth with the US government.

Most posters reflecting the US antiwar movement contain vivid and harsh imagery, making use of bold colors as well as dark pictures. One specific advertisement states in bright red capital letters, “STOP THE WAR!”. It also includes a navy blue peace sign on the left, and an ominous grey and black soldier wearing a gas mask and carrying a gun. First, the vividness of the text reveals the urgency of the message, showing importance that members of the US antiwar movement attached to their cause. The color red symbolizes strong emotions such as determination and aggression, uncovering the anger felt by members of society opposed to the Vietnam War. The color red is also associated with the physical manifestation of war, namely blood and fire.  Also, the dark colors of the soldier represent the supposed untold evils of foreign combat, especially because of the addition of the gas mask. Chemical warfare, a method first used during WWI, was heavily used in Vietnam, and a vast majority of US citizens opposed the idea. The negative portrayal of the gas mask reveals this ideal, showing the soldier not protecting himself from a weapon from the enemy, but instead using it to shield himself from his own violence. The gas mask also conveys a sense of anonymity, on one hand portraying soldiers as cold and impersonal killers and on the other hand making it easier for the artist to vilify human soldiers who were merely instruments of policy. The large gun held by the soldier assists in fortifying this concept, appealing to the emotions of the American people. Weapons of destruction instill fear and alarm within members of society, causing them to carefully consider the reality of the situation at hand. As citizens feel emotion, the artists fulfill the purpose of the poster, adding a stronger anti war sentiment at home and abroad. Additionally, the blue peace sign on the left side of the poster symbolizes the need for harmony in Vietnam, a country located to the west of the United States. In showing its desire for peace, the US antiwar movement shows that it does not only focus on the negative effects, but also the positivity that could be happening without the mass destruction and chaos. The peace sign also addresses exigence, an opportunity for change, encouraging the American people to band together in order to end the lengthy war and stalemated conflict. Ultimately, the vivid imagery calls attention to the poster, evoking pathos within the audience.

In addition to imagery, kairos also assists in furthering the objectives of the US antiwar movement. The specific poster mentioned was put on display between 1958 to 1975, the time of the Vietnam War. By placing the poster in front of the American public during this time, the members of the antiwar movement were able to convince members of society to think twice about the war, persuading some to change their stance on the conflict and galvanize the opinions of some pro war supporters. Also, by advertising in places such as colleges and universities, the creators of the text logically appealed to the more liberal youth. Historically, students tended to become involved in more riots and active protests, an audience to which the US antiwar movement hoped appeal. Also, young men were being drafted into the battle, sent to kill and die in the jungles of southeast Asia. The anger and frustration toward this process was felt by not only those of draft age, but also their friends and those who would soon be of age to fight. By playing to the emotions of volatile individuals, citizens against the Vietnam War banded together, physically and emotionally supporting their cause.

Along with imagery and kairos, the abhorring and outraged tone of the poster also contributes to the purpose of the US antiwar movement. Initially when viewing the poster, the bold, red words and exclamation point attract the audience, causing them to question the message confronting them. The prominent phrase brings light to the purpose of the author, persuading American citizens to denounce any war efforts and actively proclaim their opinions on the controversial war. The tone also invokes some anger or confusion within the reader, emotionally swaying them to one side of the argument. By invoking pathos, the US antiwar movement successfully works to morph the opinion of the American people, especially the youth. Additionally, the contrast of the hollowed looking soldier with the bright blue peace sign brings about a sense of hope versus static uneasiness. The dead looking serviceman symbolizes the continual loss of lives overseas as well as the pointlessness of war. Through this comparison, the US antiwar movement encourages its audience to choose peace in order to conserve the lives of not only soldiers, but innocent women and children in Vietnam. Ultimately, the horrified tone of the poster brings about a commonplace surrounding the brutality of weapons, arguing that war is an unnecessary measure.

Finally, the theme of the US anti war movement poster advances the cultural conversation, revealing the political dissatisfaction held by much of the nation. The strong images paired with tone and kairos all work together to highlight the message that anti war protesters wanted to send; one promoting an end to the violence and the beginning of a new peaceful era. The theme of the poster establishes somewhat of a background for the anti war movement, rebels serving a seemingly just cause. The idea of a positive rebellion also attracts the youth who have been searching for a principle to pledge their support. Moreover, the overall shift of American attitudes from patriotic pro-war conservatives to disgruntled anti war activists underscores the corrupt nature of US politics as perceived by the people as well as a low satisfaction rate for presidents who served terms in the latter part of the Vietnam War. This can be seen through various examples of riots, more specifically the Kent State protest on May 4, 1970 in which the national guard shot into a crowd of anti-war students, killing four. Connections to these events evoke a feeling of hatred, either for or against the war, views depending on political perspectives held at the time.

Thus, through imagery, kairos, tone, and theme, US anti war posters persuaded members of society to act out against the Vietnam War, spreading a sense of dissatisfaction with the government. By continually evoking strong emotional reactions from the audience coupled with nightly news coverage, the creators of the advertisement effectively convinced people to consider the negativity of the war efforts. During the time period, youth responded with much intensity, causing the numbers of people in the anti war movement to proliferate. As the war came to an end in 1975, many people were doubtful, considering America’s true duty within civilization. These views have since shifted, society perceiving war with mixed emotions but always willing to support our troops.

 

 

 

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Civic Artifact Ideas

My first civic artifact is an advertisement from the World Wildlife Foundation.

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It shows a cheetah, once a prominent and strong creature, now dissipating into dust due to predation and possible extinction. This artifact speaks to me because it calls members of society to attention about threats faced by endangered species, and it shows them that their actions have an effect on many aspects of nature. The artifact also challenges people to think about the reason for the endangerment of species, and makes them realize what they could do better to prevent the further destruction of animals. I pose the question to my class- what does this civic artifact make you feel about your future and the future of the environment?

My second civic artifact is from The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

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It is a poster for the get out the vote campaign, giving people the opportunity to create a poster encouraging others to spread the word and vote in the 2016 election. I enjoy this artifact because it serves two purposes. It encourages people to actively participate in government and vote, but it also urges Americans to make others aware of their responsibility to vote in the upcoming election. The artifact poses a few challenges, some being for those who are not permitted to vote and also for those who are either not willing or not artistically inclined to design a poster continuing the thread of voting encouragement.

My last civic artifact is a poster made by the Ladies’ Home Journal in 1943 in order to support the war conservation effort.

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This artifact supports a direct civic cause, the conservation of food through the resourcefulness of women in America during World War II. This artifact was necessary in order to provide people with enough food while supplies were scarce. Over time the need for advertisements like these has decreased due to the absence of a current World War and the present abundance of food. The artifact encourages the commonplace of nationalism and patriotism as well as providing for one’s family, an important task of the American housewife. The artifact is civic because it unites people to accomplish a common goal and purpose. The artifact poses questions of the role of today’s American women as well whether the civic duty of conversing food still applies.

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