TOW #7 - H.I.V. Arrived in the U.S. Long Before 'Patient Zero'

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/27/health/hiv-patient-zero-genetic-analysis.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

I read an article from the New York Times entitled "H.I.V. Arrived in the U.S. Long Before 'Patient Zero'". In this article, the arrival of the Aids epidemic in the United States is explored, and the original hypothesis of how it spread is proven wrong. Donald McNeil Jr., science and health journalist of the New York Times, wrote this. In 1975, he graduated summa cum laude from University of California, Berkeley (with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric!). McNeil is a critically acclaimed expert on this subject, being featured in the documentary Fire In The Blood, which focused on AIDS and drug use.

One thing the author does to achieve his purpose is giving background information. He defines the alleged 'Patient Zero': Gaetan Dugas, a French-Canadian flight attendant who was blamed for bring HIV from Haiti and Africa over to the U.S. This is valuable information, as if readers needed clarity on the meaning of the title, it is introduced if the opening statements of the article. Later, he tells about how there was flaws in the earlier investigations, as Dugas was labelled 'Patient O' for 'Outside California', NOT '0'. This is crucial to refuting the fact that Dugas was the "founder" of AIDS in the U.S. Through this, we are able to have an enhanced awareness of why the recent discovers described are so groundbreaking.

I think McNeil achieved his purpose. He cites credibly sources (scientists, doctors, historians), whose researches are recent and up to date. In this way, we are able to understand the fundamental facts behind the recent discoveries of how AIDS infected up to 500,000 Americans. He emphasizes numbers and years as a way to put things into perspectives for the readers, helping them to better understand the complex ideas in the article. Overall, McNeil’s use of the rhetoric was effective.

TOW #6 - Outliers: the Story of Success (IRB)

Recently, I finished my IRB, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I enjoyed it! This book, labelled as a "Psychology Non-fiction piece", was written for the purpose of analyzing various situation in which people defied lines of becoming accomplished. Most of Gladwell’s books are academic works, often focusing on areas of sociology and psychology. Outliers was published on November 18^th, 2008, and is deemed one of Gladwell’s better works.

One rhetorical device that was quite evident throughout the book is Gladwell's allusions to previous ideas. Each chapter discusses a different study that explores the examples of "outliers" seen in society. Gladwell aligns previously mentioned studies to demonstrate how there are common patterns at which guarantee success. For example, one study that showed up frequently was that of the proof kids born into privileged households are better advocates for themselves as compared to lower-classed children. He referenced the two children who were part of this study by name in order to make a more lasting and memorable idea. By referring to this study multiple times, and by strategically placing this chapter before ones that could be connected back to it, Gladwell better enforces his argument onto his audience.

I think that Malcolm Gladwell makes an effective and consistent argument in Outliers. I especially thought his concluding chapter, in which he uses the anecdote of his mother’s journey to the United States, was a good tie in of all the things he discussed. From the surface, if you just observe the facts, Gladwell’s mother may seem to be a complete outlier to the system; she is an immigrant from a poor part of Taiwan, whose parents had no money to send both her and her twin sister to university. But, as Gladwell refuted, these were not the only factors that took a role in Joyce Gladwell’s success story. I would recommend this book to any of my peers who are looking for an intellectually stimulating, quick read!

TOW #5 - The 21st Century Playgraund

This cartoon is by Mike Keefe, an American political cartoonist whose most credited work has been published in The Denver Post. In 2011, Keefe won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. He was educated at University of Missouri-Kansas City and Stanford University. I found his cartoons on the AAEC, or the Association of American Editorial Cartoonist

In this cartoon, the issue of Internet use at a young age is depicted. Keefe displays the harming effects of Mobile devices via dialogue. There is one kid that 'texts' another, "Yo, Dude, Waddup widat round thing next to your foot?". He is referring to the soccer drawn next to him. Keefe illustrates a confused child looking at the ball in awe in response to the text. The kid obviously was too busy looking at his phone to even release it was there. This demonstrates the carelessness and distraction brought on by phones. Further, the fact that he thinks "?" shows that he is unfamiliar with the object. A soccer ball, a symbol of the American childhood for athleticism and playfulness, is being identified as foreign, showing the loss of activeness and childlike enthusiasm brought on by technology.

The 21st Century Playground is adamant at displaying its purpose. Keefe wants to show that as technology begins to effect younger and younger age groups, soon children will no longer pursue regular "kid-friendly" activities. In my opinion, the audience this is most relevant to is parents of Elementary-aged kids. Keefe wants us to recognize that mobile devices are more than just a piece of equipment; they offer a different world of social media inside of them. If I were a parent, I would take the warning of this image and not allow my child to be consumed by this world at such a young age. It is scary to imagine that kids these days are more interested by screens than they are of games and physical interactions with other kids.

TOW #4 - How To Recover After a Half Marathon

I choose an article from a running blog for my TOW this week. Although I came across this own Pinterest, I found it suitable for this assignment. The blogger, Laura, is a distance runner and RRCA certified running coach. She has run numerous 10Ks and half marathons, as well as the Portland Marathon. Her half marathon PR is 1:38:40. She wrote this article to explain her remedies and recovery tips after completing a half marathon. Her audience seems to be anyone who has just trained for the half marathon themselves, catering to rookies like me who are not aware of ways to have sufficient recovery.

One rhetorical device she uses to achieve her purpose is showing a sample recovery schedule. It is common for runner blogs to share their personal schedules when giving out tips and ideas. In giving a general guideline as to what activities can be done on a given day, Laura aids the reader’s comprehension as to what recovery looks like. She also is able to show the gradualness of the recovery process by showing a span of days. Her central argument of showing that the recovery period is essential for your muscles and should be taken seriously is supported by this general plan. It also gives her a sense of credibility, as she has been through this process enough times to have an outline of what this stage looks like to her.

I think that Laura achieves her purpose well. She earns automatic ethos when you see that she is a certified running coach, so the facts she gives on muscle injury are reliable and give a cautionary tone to her work. I also appreciate her anecdotes about her own recovery experiences and feelings (another device at which she gains integrity). I will keep this article in mind when I finish the half marathon in 2017.

http://www.thisrunnersrecipes.com/how-to-recover-after-a-half-marathon/