Thesis: The poem “The New Colossus” written by 1883 that is embedded on the Statue of Liberty conveys the meaning of the statue through its ability to frame the United States as a place of opportunity and prosperity. 

 

 

Topic Sentence 1: The poem represents the commonplace of freedom and opportunity that the United States has to offer through inviting all types of people to the country.

Evidence:

• https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/colossus.htm
  • Poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
  • “Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
    I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
  • It is calling for all people to come and the statue is basically welcoming them with open arms.
  • The statue is a compassionate figure to those who might be lost and unable to find themselves in the world.

 

Topic sentence 2: The poem emphasizes the meaning behind the Statue of Liberty monument as a symbol of American values. 

Evidence:

• https://www.statueofliberty.org/statue-of-liberty/overview-history/ 
  • The Statue of Liberty represents a symbol of freedom, equality, and peace within the United States. It invites in new immigrants and displays the United States as a land of opportunities. 
  • The torch of the statue serves as a symbol of Enlightenment and showing the way to liberty for all.

 

Topic Sentence 3 :The historical context behind the monument promotes peace and equality, which aligns with the poem’s significance. 

Evidence:

• https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/audio-recordings/poetry-of-america/item/poetry-00001033/alicia-ostriker-emma-lazarus/ 
  • Written in 1902, the poem has continued to be a symbol for the American people. It provides hope and a chance for prosperity in a challenging world. 
  • The Statue of Liberty was given by France as a symbol of their friendship to demonstrate their alliance during the American Revolution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought I did a decent job overall, however I did notice some points where I could have improved. I thought my introduction and main points were decent, however I could have included some key words in order to differentiate between the different main points. I also thought my conclusion was not as concise or strong as I would have liked it to be. I thought the overall presentation of the speech was good as I maintained good eye contact, though there were times that I glanced at the board, even though it did not relate to what I was saying during that time. I did not realize how long the small the pauses I took as I could not figure out the right wording of what  wanted to say. This led to a slight repetition of what I was saying. I think for the future I need to practice a little more. I thought I was solid for the most part, but I felt a slight off towards the end, which practicing can help fix.

 

1. Opening

• Covid-19, the pandemic, social isolation, and finally masks. A small piece of fabric held by two strings that is supposed to cover our mouth and nose while around others. Masks became popular and essential parts of our daily lives over the past couple of years. Between the government mandates and our own awareness for the health of all of us, masks became the popular item seen throughout the pandemic, and still occasionally in the present day. A mask frames the civic by displaying the concept of community by the involvement of all of society that chooses to abide by what it stands for in relation to others. 

 

1. Body

 

1. Wearing a mask represents a person’s care for others and the overall benefit of society.

 

• Wearing a mask will barely protect you from catching an illness if you are around someone who is maskless and sick. Wearing a mask is not one-sided, rather it takes all of us wearing one in order to not become sick. 
• The obligations it conveys is that we are all a part of a community and the decisions we make can affect others when it comes to airborne illnesses spreading. Therefore by wearing a mask, it represents our belonging to a community as we care and respect others’ healths. 
• Wearing a mask shows our support for healthcare professionals who constantly put others over their own lives. We continue to remember the important people who helped move us out of the pandemic as it took society as a whole. 

 

1. The decision to wear a mask reflects on the political ideologies within society. 

 

• When masks started to become a mandatory obligation when going out in public, there was a vocal group of people who were against wearing one. Most of the people fall under the conservatism ideology, while the democratic ideology was seen to be more supportive of the masks. Though there was a small percentage of those who identify as Democrats who did not feel the need to wear one.
• Some people believe that wearing a mask infringes on their right to personal freedom. The aligning of masks versus no masks with different political ideologies, further divides the nation as a whole during a time when we needed to work together in order to push the pandemic behind us. 

 

1. The impact that masks have left in a non-crucial time following the pandemic on society has brought upon an alternative way of keeping others safe.

 

• In the present day, masks are still around, just not widely used. Masks are no longer mandatory in many public places, even some medical spaces. Society is evolving and becoming better, however masks now represent a way to avoid getting others sick while still trying to continue daily life for the common sicknesses. 

 

III. Conclusion

 

1. Overall, masks have been a daily part of our lives for the past couple of years and by wearing one during the global health crisis, it symbolizes our responsibility as a member of society. It allows us to protect others, while protecting ourselves, all while giving recognition to the notable people who continued to work carelessly to improve the state of being during a time of uncertainty. 

 

1. Masks will continue to stay around us, even if it is not physically with us, but as a symbol of the memorable pandemic we had to endure.

 

(stock photo)

     A mask represents our care to others in a community by taking the extra step to protect any illness that we might have or carry from spreading to others. This displays our want to protect others from getting sick, especially those who are high-risk for certain viruses. 

     Although in the past couple years with the rise of Covid-19 and masks being mandatory in main public facilities, it is now optional. There are several people who choose to wear one when they are sick, or just as a precaution to others if they are carrying an illness. 

     Wearing a mask is not one-sided, rather it takes all of us wearing one in order to not become sick. By participating and wearing a mask, we can all attempt to protect others from getting sick and causing the virus to pass. The obligations it conveys is that we are all a part of a community and the decisions we make can affect others when it comes to airborne illnesses spreading. Therefore by wearing a mask, it represents our belonging to a community as we care and respect others’ healths. 

     The artifact works to motivate change within society as a whole in order to stop the spread of an illness from affecting others.Without using a mask and going out into public to continue your daily life, you put others at risk if you are sick. 

     With Covid-19 in the past, people were the most contagious when they were not displaying symptoms. Covid has shown to be a deadly virus that has taken the life of many who have underlying illnesses, or in some cases were people who were healthy. 

     This artifact can be used by anyone in public or in private areas as well. Location is crucial in relation to masks as a contagious illness can easily spread to many people in a short period of time if a sick person were to go into a public place without a facial covering. 

     The mask is a normality within society in the past couple of years, but it is still used around in the present day occasionally. General population people who are sick, or others in general may use a mask to stop a sickness from spreading. This benefits the entirety of society as it better protects others from getting sick. Masks were and still are essential when dealing with a sickness, especially with the severity of COVID-19, as there were a significant number of cases of severe hospitalizations or even death.

     Masks are still around, however they are not as widely used. As the number of COVID cases went down, the masks disappeared as well. There are still a fraction of people who still use masks, whether it is to shield an illness they are facing, or those who feel the need to wear one for their own reasons. 

     Therefore, a mask as an artifact symbolizes the respect and concern that a person has for the betterment of society as by wearing one, they show responsibility and awareness to others if they are sick.