TOW #7- Non-Fiction: The Law School Debt Crisis

Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch

In this day in age, money revolves around the world and the world revolves around money. As high schoolers flood into college searching for a prominent career opportunity, many are disappointed to find that the jobs they put so much time into pursuing, in an attempt to either help the world or fill their pockets, are actually putting them deep into debt. Among these careers, the one draining students of their time and money the most is law. In a recent editorial issued by The New York Times, an American daily newspaper with the second highest circulation overall in the United States, the company's editorial board looked into universities and the true cost of students pursuing law. The board speaks predominantly to anyone interested in the pursuit of law in an attempt to unveil the major flaw in U.S. university preparation of students for careers in law through the use of statistics and demonizing diction to prove this ongoing problem striking America. The board is able to successfully achieve their purpose by sticking to the facts. The editorial explains that though students apply for loans covering their full tuition, this application is made with the confidence that the school they are applying to will give them the tools they need to pass their LSAT and go onto a career in law. The problem is that most of these students end up not passing these tests and as of "..2012, the average law graduates debt was $140,000". Students are now unable to pay off their loans, unable to pass the bar exam and most "..students are leaving law school with a degree they can’t use..." These statistics help guide the reader into understanding the rut many students studying to be lawyers face, it helps the message become clear, concise and easily a major problem. As the editorial describes these universities draining student of thousands, they create a menacing villain for what are American universities involved in this. The board claims this application to college and failure receive career in the end is a scam run by the universities, even claiming that many schools "...have been vacuuming up hordes of young people, charging them outrageously high tuition and, after many of the students fail to become lawyers, sticking taxpayers with the tab for their loan defaults." Describing the colleges in this way evokes a certain degree of caution, fear and anger in the reader as it makes them feel like these schools are essentially tricking students into over paying for nothing. This editorial was successful in its attempt to show the reader the horrors behind the current law school system and how to help end it. It not only helps rally the readers concerned, but it also states the horrifying truth existing right beneath American noses costing them a fortune.

TOW #6- Non-fiction Editorial: The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization

For this week’s first non-fiction TOW, I decided that I would analyze the first piece that came up on the New York Times' editorial page. A piece by the editorial board for the New York Times, a world famous, daily newspaper founded in 1851. The purpose of this editorial is fairly clear from the start, the board believes "the federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana". The board would like citizens twenty-one years and older to be allowed to consume marijuana, especially in a day and age like this where there are so many other present substances posing much larger threats. They are able to make their purpose clear to anyone aware of this current debate over the legalization of the drug through the use of statistics comparing and contrasting marijuana with other drugs and analysis of scientific study showing the lack of actual danger behind the illegal substance.

At one point in the editorial, the board steers away from opinion and turns strictly to statistics to back their point. When pointing out the excessive and unreasonable arrests made due to the laws against the use of marijuana the board stated, "There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012, according to F.B.I. figures, compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives". They are trying to show that there are so many arrests made due to the possession of marijuana that law enforcers are not focusing enough on arresting those who possess highly dangerous, addictive and often more fatal drugs.  The editorial board next shifts to what health risks may actually be behind this drug, trying to steer the reader toward believing the drug is seemingly harmless. They recognize marijuana does pose a legitimate risk for the development of adolescent brains, but ultimately it has a very small effect on adult minds. The board is essentially trying to show that the "threat of addiction and dependence are relatively minor problems, especially compared with..." the countless other health ricks Americans are struggling to overcome today such as "alcohol and tobacco". This allows the reader to see that this drug really isn’t as life threatening as many make it seem. Just like anything else in this world, as long as it is consumed in moderation, the editorial board wants readers to see that it is almost harmless.  

Although this editorial did make their purpose clear, the argument was not totally solid in my opinion. The board lacked the hard facts, relied too much on their own opinions and borderline bashing of Congress. 

Repeal Prohibition, Again

TOW #5- Liking Isn't Helping

Liking Isn't Helping. Be A Volunteer. Save A Life.

Crisis Relief Singapore is an organization run by Christian disaster relief volunteers. With the help of an ad campaign known as Publicis Singapore, Crisis Relief generates several ads similar to this one presenting destructive floods, wars and earthquakes along with a group of thumbs up signs symbolic for Facebook likes. This advertisement displays a young boy, the victim of an earthquake, missing a limb and surrounded by several hands showing thumbs up signs. Crisis Relief attempts to depict an extremely powerful message through this visual arguing that "liking isn't helping" and that if anyone really want to help those who are suffering, they should become volunteers to go to these countries and assist them. This organization is trying to demonstrate the ineffectiveness in liking a Facebook post, continuing to scroll through a feed and doing nothing more to help those in need. The purpose is compelling and made incredibly clear through the use of dark colors to instill a weary tone, presence of thumbs up signs surrounding the child to display inadequacy and the picturing of the child missing a limb appealing to pathos. The black and white colors throughout the advertisement shed an expression which mirrors that of the child. It makes the viewer feel sad, distraught and disconnected from reality emphasizing the surreal image displayed. The pain in the photo is stressed even further through the use of these colors and it helps the viewer understand the horrors behind what is happening to these children, making a mere Facebook like seem like a minuscule amount of effort put toward aiding this problem. There are several posts on Facebook each day that present pictures similar to this one, they often show suffering children in several parts of the world with captions such as "Click like if you feel bad" or "One like = one punch in the face for whoever is responsible for this". Though many of these posts receive numerous likes from viewers, there is rarely any action actually taken by anyone to help the children in the photos. With a suffering child represented in the center, the Crisis Relief organization surrounds him with several thumbs up signs to mimic the Facebook likes. Now the message becomes extremely clear as the viewer can see the child missing a limb laying there helpless receiving no help from the people watching and "liking" the situation in front of them. This is an accurate description of what people behind their screens liking these posts are actually doing for the suffering children in other countries. Finally there is the effectiveness in this advertisement created by the condition of the child shown. The viewer is immediately drained emotionally by the sight of a young boy, appearing to be no older than four years, missing a leg and wrapped in bloody bandages where it should be. This is ultimately the most powerful appeal to pathos in the advertisement. Not only does it make the viewer feel unsettled and upset, but it promotes a strong feeling inside to want to help the child. No matter what the situation or country, this image leaves a bad taste in the mind of the viewer with one pivital fact on the table, someone needs to do something to help this child. This definitely encourages people to want to become volunteers, by throwing the cold hard facts of life in the face of the viewer, it rapidly stirs emotions and evokes a feeling of moral responsibility.

TOW #4- Half of IRB Book: A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge

Josh Neufeld is a longtime artist whose works have been exhibited in museums and art shows in both the United States and Europe. In 2005, after hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, Neufeld published his own zine about his work as an American Red Cross volunteer in Mississippi delivering hot meals to those without power. In the summer of 2006, he embarked on a journey to document the remarkable experiences of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The result was the New York Times bestselling graphic nonfiction book, A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge. Neufeld utilizes his artistic abilities to accurately depict the lives and experiences of real New Orleans residents before and after the storm. He uses sign texts throughout the book to ensure the reader gets a realistic scene of New Orleans. There are certain points throughout the book when specific use of text signs makes a real difference in the readers ability to connect to the story. When Neufeld is introducing all of the characters, he wants the reader to see that these really are average people with normal lives. He shows some of them relaxing with family members wearing jerseys with "Saints" printed across the chest in bold letters showing the pride that so many of them had in their football team, but mostly in their home town. Other people are shown wearing college sweatshirts or in front of their own typical shopping centers, restaurants, or gyms such as "Ten Knuckles Boxing Club". In one way this is extremely useful because it gives the reader something to relate to, ordinary people just like everyone else, and it brings the whole situation into perspective as many of us can picture ourselves in a similar scene. However, he also uses these text signs to compare and further represent the destruction of the storm as later in the book he shows that same boxing club with it's roof in pieces and it's sign torn off. Neufeld introduces these signs in different places strategically to make the reader feel more connected to both the characters and the scene itself. This also appeals to logos as he finds a way to show the reader what to feel, whether it's happy when the characters who love their city find a way to rebuild or sad when what was the most popular restaurant in town ends as a pile of rubble. Neufeld also uses different color schemes which shift depending on the severity of the events. The story begins with a representation of the storm and what it did to New Orleans. He shows several jagged, frightening illustrations of flooded streets, destroyed homes and people in distress all represented in dark, menacing colors. However, once the story jumps to an introduction of each character before the storm hit, the colors are much lighter and more calm. As the book proceeds, the color becomes increasingly dark fitting to the darkness of the situation. When the storm is shown, almost everything is dark grey or black, giving the reader an uneasy, accurate feeling of what hurricane Katrina felt like to a small degree. This ability to change the readers mood toward what they are reading depending on the colors shown is something Neufeld shows throughout the book to help achieve his purpose. It brings the reader closer to the story and helps set the scene. These uses of rhetoric all contribute to Neufeld's success in depicting life for residents of New Orleans who faced the tragic hurricane that swept their worlds away. 

TOW #3- Harvard Accused of Bias Against Asian-Americans

Harvard Accused of Bias Against Asian-Americans is an article written by Douglas Belkin. Belkin is a writer for The Wall Street Journal, the largest newspaper in the United States by circulation, who covers high education and national news. This article focuses around a recent complaint which was filed by a coalition of 64 organizations against Harvard University for discrimination against Asian-Americans applying to the school. Belkin does not make an argument in this article, instead, he uses it as a summation of the dispute between Harvard and those accusing the university. In a day and age when getting into Harvard seems nearly like winning the lottery and "longtime stereotypes of Asian applicants’ being 'not creative enough or risk-taking enough'" exist, he attempts to clearly depict to high school college applicants, parents, and anyone interested in applying to Harvard, the argument of both sides in this battle. Appealing to logos and also representing the points of the accusers, Belkin discusses Cal Tech's record for undergraduate Asian Americans standing at around 40% while Harvard's remains at about 21%. Belkin explains that this was a point presented by the former of the coalition which helps the reader see this isn't his own personal opinion, just the facts. He also appeals to logos when he reveals the coalition's citing of third-party academic research of the SAT exam. This research proved that Asian Americans generally have to score much higher than other races in order to gain acceptance into Harvard University. To keep a fair account of the events going, Belkin then discusses Harvard's point of view as a general council for the school has confirmed that their selection process is well within the perimeters of the law. He reports their claims that they take into account more than just grades and scores, but they also consider extracurricular activities and leadership abilities. The way he formats the article as if it is a back and forth argument without any bias on his behalf allows the reader to decide for themselves what they believe in this situation. The use of facts and quotes from both sides, helps Belkin support his purpose, however, he ends up providing much more information from the accusing side which makes Harvard's defense weak. Because he does not present enough information from Harvard's perspective, his audience is almost left to believer that either the coalition must be right, or Belkin in bias. For this reason, I feel like he accomplished his purpose, but not in the most effective may. 

Tow #2- Is There a Santa Claus?

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

In the late 1890's, an editor and publisher, Francis Pharcellus Church, wrote an editorial piece for a politically conservative, very well respected, New York newspaper called The Sun. This piece, Is There a Santa Claus?, soon became his most famous editorial as he addressed the simple question of the existence of Santa Cause with a deeper, more philosophical answer. Church starts the editorial with a representation of a letter that a young girl named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote him explaining that she is eight years old, her friends said that Santa Clause does not exist and that her father told her "'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'" O'Hanlon writes to The Sun with one simple purpose, to find that truth. Starting this editorial with that letter does a number of effective things for Church. It first gives the reader something to relate to as most people can imagine a childhood filled with "Santas", "Easter Bunnies" and "Tooth Fairies". A time filled with imagination and faith, but also filled with evident splashes of doubt. It is easy to remember being a child, believing in something you have never really seen and having people around you tell you it is false. This letter also establishes a certain sense of ethos. The fact that this girl's father told her that if it is in the Sun it must be true shows how much faith and respect people had in this newspaper at the time. Church's purpose in responding to that letter with his editorial is to answer whether Santa Claus exists, but more accurately, explain that anything we believe in does exist as long as we have faith in it. He wants O'Hanlon and anyone else reading the editorial to understand that just because you don't see something does not mean it isn't there. Church very effectively achieves his purpose in many ways. He starts his response by blatantly saying that O'Hanlon's friends are wrong. He uses a metaphor toward the beginning comparing humanity to insects, so small and clueless to the boundless world around it. By doing this, he helps the reader really put things into perspective, to understand that human beings tend to rely on logic and the apparent facts too often. This gives O'Halon and anyone else reading the piece hope that maybe there truly are things that exists beyond the realm of reason. Church also tries to explain that a world without belief in things like Santa Claus is not a world worth having, it is a world filled with dreary facts and a strong lack of emotion. This encourages the reader to believe and continue to hold fast to what others may doubt. Church even uses an analogy to draw parallels between the existence of fairies and Santa Clause. He explains that though you may never see fairies, "that doesn't mean that they are not there". Once again he desperately aims to help the reader understand that no one has the ability to imagine all of the wonders the world holds. In Church's opinion, the world is absolutely nothing without belief in the things beyond our ability to see. Through human faith, love, generosity and imagination, anything exists in reality that one desires.

TOW #1- State Farm® commercial - "Never"

State farm is one the country's leading distributors of insurance and financial service to this day. While the company exceeds in it's business services, it also exceeds in it's advertisement appeal crafting some of the most famous commercials out there. This commercial, entitled "Never" starts with a man, most likely in his mid twenties, at a party. He looks over his shoulder at a girl smiling at him and turns back to his group of friends proclaiming "I am never getting married!" He laughs along with his friends as they nod in agreement, however, the scene suddenly switches to the same man at a later date in a jewelry store purchasing a wedding ring. At this point it is clear that State Farm is trying to show viewers that we often don't expect certain things to happen in life, but they still do. The man continues to contradict himself throughout the commercial. He tells his wife, "we are never having kids" only for the scene to suddenly switch to her giving birth. He says that he will "never move to suburbs" only to be shown moments later on the front lawn of his typical white picketed fence suburban home. State Farm is aiming a powerful message toward everyone that underestimates the possibilities in life on a broad level. However, they are also trying to get a much more specific message across directed toward insurance holders or those who need it. They want these people to understand that you can't possibly predict what will happen to you in life, so it's best to be covered, in this case, by a loyal, reliable insurance company. To even further reiterate their point, State Farm even ends with a bold line, "for all of the 'nevers' in life, State Farm is there". The use of repetition and irony in this advertisement makes the purpose totally clear. The viewer is able to understand that everyone must expect the unexpected and things that that may seem like they will "never" happen are right around the corner. Even though the man depicted in the commercial's "nevers" consisted of children, a wife, a home in the suburbs, etc., State Farm wants people to eliminate the "never" factor in events such as a car crash, a robbery or an unexpected death. Furthermore, they want them to understand that these events occur time and time again, and when they do, State Farm will ensure their protection, safety and preparation.

"Never"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Z91YkPatw