Should Cursive Be Taught In Schools? (SSR)

Today's society is becoming increasingly dependent on technology. The uses of technology in schools range from researching for an essay to taking an entire test on computer. With this in advancement, there seems to be less writing and more typing. Without the need for hand written assignments, the necessity for cursive writing appears to have all but vanished.So the question remains, should cursive writing still be taught in school?

In order to answer this question I thought back to when I was taught cursive in the third grade. The whole process was enchanting to me and I craved the thought of learning more each day. Just knowing how to write my name in cursive at the top of my papers instead of printing it made me feel accomplished and like I was actually learning something. While remembering my thoughts on the topic I felt the need to ask my brother, who is in the third grade, what his thoughts were. However, his did not mirror my own. He told me that he "had learned all of the upper case and lowercase [letters] that I know of" and that he "only uses cursive some of the time." I was surprised to hear those so I continue to ask how he felt about cursive. He replied by stating the following:

"I don't like cursive because we always have to write it twice in cursive. It's kind of hard because it's hard on my hand. I would rather write in print because it's easier and faster."

I thought about what he said and looked deeper into the issue. Cursive has more advantages than I think most people realize.

Four instance, a signature is required for many things such as receiving a registered letter at the post office. How can you sign your name if you were never taught cursive? In addition, cursive, according to research, help students to comprehend more information. As if these two examples aren't enough to persuade schools, cursive also helps students with disabilities such as dyslexia. These students have trouble writing and print due to the fact that some letters look similar. Chris it offers a different view of letters for the students so that they can hopefully become more confident in their abilities.

Given these points, and my personal experience, I would have to say that I firmly believe that cursive should continue to be taught in schools. The advantages are too valuable to just cut the lesson out. It would be depriving young children something they will need in their futures. In order to form a compromise, I believe that students should be taught cursive, and be able to write in it, but it is up to them if they choose to write in it during her high school years. Cursive is an important part of our history and will surely be a part of our future so keeping it a part of the school curriculum only makes sense. 

Rhetorical Strategies of Roosevelt in "The Proper Place for Sports" (CRR)

Recently in class we discussed Theodore Roosevelt's "The proper place for sports". The letter is a response to his son explaining that he is willing to allow him to partake in sports. However, Roosevelt cautions his son not to "sacrifice standing well" in his studies because academics are just as important as athletics.

Mainly in the first paragraph, Roosevelt uses pathos to get his point across. Roosevelt is trying to convey the message that there is more to life than athletics. In order to do this, Roosevelt expresses his concerns and later explains that his son, Ted, can be successful with his academics. When Roosevelt says that he doesn't want Ted "to run the risk of being laid up for the sake of playing in the second squad" he is building his pathos. Roosevelt is worried that Ted will get extremely hurt when he is second string, which could possibly hinder his ability to achieve other things or even his chance to become a part of first squad. This is effective because Roosevelt is voicing his concerns, as a father, for his sons well-being. Another example of pathos is when Roosevelt mentions that he "had consulted Mother and thought the matter over." By mentioning Ted's mother Roosevelt shows that he values his family ties. This also shows Ted that his parents are unified on the matter. In addition to mentioning Ted's mother, he also mentions Ted's brother Kermit when he says he has qualities "resembling Kermit's" rather than Ted's as well as mentioning the jumping performance of the family horse. These examples further enhance Roosevelt's pathos and showcase the importance he places on family. Finally, the pathos seen in Roosevelt's close family ties can also be seen when he strays away from the initial topic of football and states "By the way, I am working hard to get Renown accustomed to automobiles." This shift in topic shows a strong relationship between Roosevelt and Ted because he is taking advantage of this letter to talk with his son about personal details unrelated to the letters original topic.

Another major rhetorical device in this letter is Roosevelt's tone. Roosevelt's tone can be characterized as warm yet authoritative. Roosevelt grants Ted's wish to play football, but he also clearly states that he must not allow sports to distract himself from more important things such as academics and character. It is clear that Roosevelt has a tremendous respect for sports but believes that they may distract people from issues going on in their lives. This tone is effective because Roosevelt is speaking to his son as a father while also inserting authority when he warns his son not to allow sports to be his sole focus and consume his life.

Finally, Roosevelt effectively builds his ethos in this letter. This can be seen when Roosevelt offers the example of Plinty's letter to Trajan.  The letter "speaks of [it] being advisable to keep the Greeks absorbed in athletics, because it distracted their minds from all serious pursuits". In this case, Roosevelt argues that sports distracted the Greeks from important issues at the time, such as the Romans. Another example Roosevelt offers are the British officers and the Boer War. Roosevelt firmly believes that their "efficiency partly reduced because they have sacrificed their legitimate duties to an inordinate and ridiculous love of sports." This example also shows how an intense love of sports has distracted one from their other obligations. These examples are effective because they further prove Roosevelt's message that one should not solely focus on sports. Roosevelt appeals to ethos easily to Ted because he looks up to his father for advice. On top of that, Roosevelt is the president of the United States and has earned his fair share of credibility.

The three rhetorical strategies of pathos, tone and ethos are all effective in conveying Roosevelt's message. The three collaborate and work together to produce the message that one should not let athletics rule their life. By using pathos, Roosevelt is appealing to Ted in order to point him in the right direction and offer fatherly advice. By using a warm yet authoritative tone, he is showing that he cares and worries about Ted so the offers cautions for him to follow. Finally, by utilizing his ethos Roosevelt is proving to Ted that he is reliable and has his best interest at heart. Roosevelt is able to effectively work each of these devices into his letter to enhance his overall message.

Are Psychology and Sociology Worth Your Time?

Right now students are being pressured to finalize their schedules for the upcoming school year. One of the many decisions that we are faced with is whether or not to take the psychology and sociology courses. Luckily for my peers, I am taking both courses this year. That is why I have often been asked questions such as "is it hard?", "should I take it next year?"  and "is it worth my time?". So, should you take them? Well, in my personal opinion the answer is yes. These courses are most definitely worth the time you would spend and I strongly recommend taking the courses if you have the opportunity. 

A large amount of students have asked me if the courses are hard. I'm not going to lie, they aren't a walk in the park. However, they aren't extremely hard either. As long as you have a strong work ethic and you have no problem taking an exorbitant amount of notes, you should be great. This isn't a class that you can just show up, sit down, and walk out of while absorbing all of the lesson. But what class is? This is just like any other class only more interesting. 

Before I explain the courses I would like to offer one piece of advice. On the first week of psychology/sociology, whichever one you take first, Mr. Ruane was kind of intimidating and scared me a little. After that week at least four people dropped out of my class. Don't be one of those people. This class is worth the time you have to spend and you won't regret it, I know I don't. 

To me these classes are more than just a grade on a report card. You learn things in these classes that pertain to everyday life. For example, psychology is about the mind. By taking this class you will be exposed to what goes on inside the minds of individuals. You will learn about what it is that causes you to think certain ways, learn about nature v. nurture, and learn about certain expedients that may just blow your mind. One of my favorite chapters we were taught this year was about the development (physically and mentally) of infants. Although, if that doesn't interest you don't worry. Throughout the semester you also learn about the development of teens and ways of parenting which are both things that you can relate to your life, as well as many other things. 

On the other hand, sociology is more about groups. Have you ever wondered what caused you to do something that was so far out of your comfort zone? Have your parents ever asked you why you did something you weren't supposed to? Well, the answer to this might be the the people you hang out with, or your peer group. This is something that we are taught about in sociology. This course is more about explaining the connections between an individual and the works around them. And, if you're like me, then you will be happy to know that there is an area about infants in this course as well. 

I can't begin to describe the amount of interesting things I have learned about these subjects just this year and I can't express my passion enough. When I'm older I plan on going into the field of psychology. However, I feel as though anyone, no matter what you choose to do in the future, you would immensely enjoy these courses. 

Now, let's just assume that the previous paragraphs haven't persuaded you to take the courses. What if I told you that most people have to take courses like these in college? Mr. Ruane, the psychology and sociology teacher, told us on day one that these courses were going to help prepare us for college. Anything that will help me in college is definitely what I would call worth my time. 

This is my freebie!

I had a lot of homework this week and a sociology project that I had to do tonight so I sadly didn't have time to do my blog this week.

Bieber Roast Taken too Far?

This past Monday, pop star Justin Bieber was Comedy Centrals target. However, Bieber volunteered to be the guest of honor so that he could own up to all of the things he has done in the past and start fresh. Comedians Kevin Hart, Natasha Leggero, Snoop Dogg, and Pete Davidson were only some of the many people there to "roast" Bieber.


Many of the jokes made at the expense of Bieber involved jabs at his religious tattoos, his music, and his former relationship with famous singer Selena Gomez. Each of these jokes and more got a laugh from the audience and even Bieber himself. Nonetheless, some jokes left the audience in shock and Bieber stone faced. What were the topics of these jokes? Abortion, "Beliebers", and the one and only Paul Walker.

The first topic that failed to arouse many laughs from the audience was about Bieber's fans. Natasha Leggero was the first to poke fun on this topic by saying:

"Justin's fans are called Beliebers, because these days it's politically incorrect to use the word retards."

This joke hit a nerve in the young star as he sat there with a straight face, obviously unamused. If Bieber was clearly upset about this joke, imagine all of his teenage fans out there! How did they react? Not so well according to all of the tweets sent out after the joke was made.

As if calling Bieber fans retards wasn't harsh enough, Leggero also made a joke about Bieber's mother deciding not to abort him. Although abortion is a touchy subject, that didn't stop Snoop Dogg from joining in and saying:

"When your mama was 17 years old, they were trying to convince her to get an abortion, and they are still trying to convince her now."

Bieber also failed to see the humor in this joke much like many other people. Considering that Bieber is "pro-life" and very religious didn't help matters much.

Finally, Pete Davidson made a joke about Paul Walker. This young star died in 2013 when he tragically lost control of his car and ran into a tree at over 90 miles per hour. Davidson joked that:

"Just this past year, Justin got arrested for drag racing. Unfortunately it wasn't with Paul Walker. What? He's doing great! He's got a movie coming out."

In my opinion, all three of these jokes went to far but the Paul Walker joke was the harshest joke of the evening. Bieber was a gentleman and laughed at all of the jokes directed at him but the Paul Walker joke was hardly about Bieber. Do I believe that these jokes crossed an unspoken line of sorts? The answer is yes. I believe that there are plenty of things Bieber has done that you could make a joke out of without bringing up such personal and touchy topics. 

I also agree with the decision to cut out jokes, such as the Paul Walker one, from the official airing. Why? Well, as I stated before, the comedians took these jokes a step too far. Calling teenage girls retards, saying Bieber should have been aborted, and making jokes about a man who tragically passed away was uncalled for. Keep in mind that "Beliebers", Bieber's mother, and the family of Paul Walker could have been watching. How would they react? Would they find these jokes particularly funny? I don't know about them but I do know that if I were one of those people I would be deeply upset.