Essay 3.3- do u txt n driv?

My stomach dropped to my feet, I turn to my roommate at lunch around 11:15, “I feel weird; I don’t feel like myself”. “It’s probably something you ate” she said. I blew it off for the rest of the day telling myself she was right, but knowing she was wrong. Around 4:00 my phone starts buzzing, incoming call from Ariel? Ariel has a strange case of phone-phobia, you could say she’s more of a texter, I answer thinking she must have some juicy gossip if it involves a phone call. Before I can even utter my hello, I hear her sobs and hysterical crying. “Ruffin’s dead”!
Ruffin my crazy, invincible, hilarious, charming, outgoing, sweet, beautiful friend. Gone.

My friend, Ruffin Creekmur died in a car accident driving to his community college on February 22, 2010. The accident occurred around 11, which is exactly when I had the feeling that something was terribly wrong. It is not exactly known what the cause of Ruffin’s accident was, but it is safe to assume that is has something to do with carelessness on the road. He overcorrected himself and ran into a tree on the opposite side on the road.

Ruffin was always known as a little bit of a crazy driver. He was always having some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. My friends and I would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t necessarily texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups (Halsey, par. 6). This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or risking the life of someone else by contact.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, he said “Okay Ray, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin would do anything you told him to, to me he was invincible. This is something that I loved and admired about Ruffin, he was always up for anything. But it could also be the detriment to his accident. Most teens also believe that they are insuperable and that it is nbd (meaning “no big deal” in texting terms) to text while driving. But “A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). All my friends’ text and drive, my brother texts and drives, hell, my mom and dad even text and drive. I used to text and drive.

I used to text while I was driving nearly every day. But now that I have experienced the pain of losing someone due to distracted driving, I will never do it again. It is so easy to get distracted while sending a pointless text to a friend…can’t it wait 30 minutes? According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report of the factors influencing mobile phone use while driving, text messaging while driving results in decreased detection of road signs and poorer response to changing driving conditions, impairing overall driving performance and increasing accident risk (Walsh 2). They also found that “it has been estimated that approximately one quarter of all accidents in the United States result from driver distraction” (Walsh 2). Ruffin was distracted, and now he’s gone. It can never be taken back, but there can be steps taken towards preventing this for others.

Now, 25 states have banned texting while driving ("State Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws", par. 2). “Two reasons for the legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par 2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. “The reduction in driving performance when using a mobile phone has been compared to driving with a blood alcohol content of over 0.08” (Walsh 2). It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. I used to think that the ban of cell phone use while driving would be an erosion of freedom, but I know have changed my mind completely. My hope is that in the future no one will use a hand held mobile device while driving to prevent accidents on the road.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, everything from not taking myself so seriously to living life to the fullest as he did. But the last thing Ruffin has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. Driving carefully is something I never took too seriously before. Every time I would leave my house my mom would say “Railey be careful, drive safely, and call me as soon as you get there.” I would always reply “Mom, don’t worry I’ll be fine.” Fine? How did I know I’ll be fine? Accidents happen, no one can predict them, and the only way to try to avoid them is to always be cautious while driving.






Works Cited:

Halsey, Ashley. "U.S. Teens Report 'frightening' Levels of Texting While Driving - Washingtonpost.com." Washingtonpost.com - Nation, World, Technology and Washington Area News and Headlines. 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. .

Schulte, Bret. "Outlawing Text Messaging While Driving - US News and World Report." US News & World Report - Breaking News, World News, Business News, and America's Best Colleges - USNews.com. 11 Feb. 2008. Web. 05 May 2010. .

"State Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws." Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Web. 01 May 2010. .

Walsh, Shari P. "Psychosocial Factors Influencing Mobile Phone Use While Driving." Australian Government/Australian Safety Bureau. ATSB RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS REPORT ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH GRANT REPORT 2007-06, Dec. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. .

Class Reflection

When signing up for this class I was excited to be taking a writing class. Yes it was an 8am and hard to get out of bed for sometimes, but I found it to be very productive every class and I enjoyed getting so much feedback on my work. I had never really had my paper looked at by so many of my peers but it was so helpful. I learned a lot about writing this course. I have always enjoyed to write, but with this class I pushed myself through writing much more. I began to think outside the box and realized that I want my voice to be heard in my papers. I tried being more creative and going all out on my first drafts and realizing that it's okay to have a "shitty first draft". I always had tried making my first drafts perfect, but what's the point? I liked being able to have 3 drafts for each paper and I will use that in the future even if it is not required. I have changed my mind about writing in some way by realizing it is not as hard as I thought. It can be a way to express myself and I tried to accomplish that in all three of my essays. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to be in this class because I have learned so much, and I have definitely improved my writing. I am almost excited to write papers in the future so I can continue to improve and the people will actually enjoy reading what I have to say. I learned so much from listening to the tone of papers to having sentence variation, and all of it has helped. I enjoyed this class very much and I want to continue to express myself through writing.

3.2 - txtn whl drvin

Ruffin Creekmur; a son, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson, a boyfriend, my friend was killed in a car accident on February 22, 2010. Ruffin was nothing less than an amazing person. He had it all, a wonderful sense of humor, more friends than you could imagine, good looks, and a family that he loved more than anything. He lived life to the fullest, snowboarding, surfing, paintballing, wakeboarding any chance he got; he was always up for anything. I was always ensured to have a blast no matter what if I was in his presence. Ruffin was one of my best friends but he was taken from me, as well as all of his other many friends and family.

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend hardly being able to speak behind her sobs. She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!” my heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real. She must be joking? Why would she say such a horrible thing? I kept repeating no, no, no. This can’t be true. Ruffin. Gone. But it was real. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, but the last thing he has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. We aren’t sure exactly what Ruffin was doing at the time of his crash, but carelessness was more than likely involved. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” (Halsey, par. 6), and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups. This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or rising the life of someone else by contact.

“Ray turn up the music! Let’s jam!” Ruffin, who always called me Ray, loved driving around with the windows down, listening to music and being in the car with friends. He lived farther away than the majority of our friends, so it felt like he was constantly driving to meet up with us. He always had some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. We would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

“A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. Studies say that drivers using phones are four times more likely to cause a crash than other drivers (New York Times, par. 1). And who uses cell phones more than any other age group? Teenagers.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, and he said “Okay, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin was invincible, and he stopped at nothing to prove a point.

Now, at least 16 states are considering the legislation that would outlaw or restrict texting while driving. “Two reasons for the proposed legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. They are thinking about placing a fine on those who text and drive, and I think it is a good idea.

Ruffin was such a good friend to me, and I miss him every day. I wish he had been more cautious while he was driving, and maybe if there were more restrictions on careless driving he would have.



Works Cited:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/02/11/outlawing-text-messaging-while-driving.html


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111602174.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html

Refection 3.2

The second draft of my paper doesn't differ from my first one very much. It is hard to write about such an emotional topic and I'm not to sure on what I can improve on in my first draft. I thought it was a good draft but I think I need to incorporate my sources more. I used the style of writing where I wrote a paragraph with a story then a paragraph with statistics. I'm not sure if this is the best way to get my point across but I thought it was a good idea at first. I am thinking about maybe changing it up a bit to make it sound more like a story with just some facts thrown in there. Make the flow more interesting. I still also need a scholarly source which has been hard to find but I am sure I will fid something.

Sentence Variety Exercise

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend, hardly being able to speak behind her sobs.(M)(Compound) She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!”(M)(Compound) My heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real.(M)(Compound) She must be joking?(S)(Simple) Why would she say such a horrible thing?(S)(Simple) I kept repeating no, no, no.(S)(Simple) This can’t be true.(S)(Simple) Ruffin.(S) Gone.(S) But it was real.(S)(Simple) It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.(M)(Compound)

Essay 3.1 - txtn whle drvin

Ruffin Creekmur; a son, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson, a boyfriend, my friend was killed in a car accident on February 22, 2010. Ruffin was nothing less than an amazing person. He had it all, a wonderful sense of humor, more friends than you could imagine, good looks, and a family that he loved more than anything. He lived life to the fullest, snowboarding, surfing, paintballing, wakeboarding any chance he got; he was always up for anything. I was always ensured to have a blast no matter what if I was in his presence. Ruffin was one of my best friends but he was taken from me, as well as all of his other many friends and family.

I got the call on February 22nd from my friend hardly being able to speak behind her sobs. She managed to utter the words, “Ruffin died in a car accident!” my heart stopped, the blood drained from my face, and all I could think was that it wasn’t real. She must be joking? Why would she say such a horrible thing? I kept repeating no, no, no. This can’t be true. Ruffin. Gone. But it was real. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, losing a close friend.

Ruffin has taught me many things in my life since befriending him in 9th grade of high school, but the last thing he has taught me is to always be cautious while driving. We aren’t sure exactly what Ruffin was doing at the time of his crash, but carelessness was more than likely involved. One glace away from the road is all it takes for such a tragedy to happen. Ruffin wasn’t texting at the time of his death but I think it is an important issue that relates to my dear friends accident. As the use of the cell phone is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives today, it is increasing the cause of car accidents more and more as well.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “about 5,870 people died and about 515,000 were injured last year in accidents attributed to distracted driving” (Halsey, par. 6), and that drivers under the age of 20 had the highest distracted driving fatality rate among all the age groups. This is due to the fact that teens practically have cell phones glued to their hands at all times, and driving doesn’t stop them. This is a scary fact that can impact anyone’s life on the road whether being the person texting while driving, or rising the life of someone else by contact.

“Ray turn up the music! Let’s jam!” Ruffin, who always called me Ray, loved driving around with the windows down, listening to music and being in the car with friends. He lived farther away than the majority of our friends, so it felt like he was constantly driving to meet up with us. He always had some kind of problem with his car, hitting a deer, getting a flat, or the car just giving out all together. We would always laugh at him for having the worst luck…but it never bothered him. To Ruffin he had all the luck in the world.

“A quarter of U.S. teens ages 16 to 17 who have cell phones say they text while driving, and almost half of Americans ages 12 to 17 say they've been in cars with someone who texted while behind the wheel”(Hasley, par. 2). So many teens today feel just as Ruffin did, they have luck, they would never get in a car accident. But the truth is, it’s easier than you think. Studies say that drivers using phones are four times more likely to cause a crash than other drivers (New York Times, par. 1). And who uses cell phones more than any other age group? Teenagers.

Ruffin was always the kid that would try anything, if you said he wouldn’t do it, he would do anything in his power to prove you wrong. I once challenged him to eat 5 Saltine crackers in less than a minute without water telling him it was nearly impossible, and he said “Okay, only if you do it too”. So Ruffin and I tried to choke down 5 Saltine crackers without water, failing at the attempt but laughing the whole way through. Ruffin was invincible, and he stopped at nothing to prove a point.

Now, at least 16 states are considering the legislation that would outlaw or restrict texting while driving. “Two reasons for the proposed legislation: the growing sophistication of cell phones that are increasingly catered to texting and, perhaps more important, the growing number of high-profile accidents—and those always tend to translate into legislation" (Schulte, par2.). It is a growing concern and more states are taking action. It is almost as dangerous as driving while under the influence, so there should be punishment for it as well. They are thinking about placing a fine on those who text and drive, and I think it is a good idea.

Ruffin was such a good friend to me, and I miss him every day. I wish he had been more cautious while he was driving, and maybe if there were more restrictions on careless driving he would have.

Reflection 3.3

I was very happy with the final draft of my Rogerian paper. I struggled throughout all 3 drafts but I think I came up with a great last paper. As difficult as it was, it was nice to challenge myself with this essay. It took alot of research and it was very hard to find 2 scolarly sources but it had a great ending. I must say I am glad to see this paper over with because it really isnt my style of writing. I really enjoy telling personal stories but with the topic I chose I really didnt have any stories to tell. I'm excited for our next paper, it is much more my speed.

Essay 2.3- “Legalize it, don’t criticize it”

Say I asked in front of the classroom if I can see a show of hands, how many people have ever smoked Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana? I bet that I would see that no one raises their hand. Well obviously no one would want to admit to a criminal act in front of a teacher. But why is it that smoking pot is so forbidden in our society?

Numerous famous intellectuals support marijuana. Al Gore is considered to be the leading figure in climate change awareness and environmental preservation, but few people know that Al Gore also supports the legalization of marijuana. The founding father of our nation George Washington once said, “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!” (Hemp: The World’s Most Beneficial Natural Resource, par. 5). Marijuana is one of the safest medicinal substances on the planet and is even supported by many celebrity role models, such as famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp who stated, “I’m not a big pothead or anything like that… but weed is much, much less dangerous than alcohol” (Reich, par, 12). With support of some of the greatest thinkers and world leaders of all time it’s a wonder that marijuana is still illegal.

The truth is that marijuana has many benefits to society and, other than the effects of smoke inhalation, has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of marijuana often claim that with legalization of it will cause further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix; it causes health problems, or even the broad statement that marijuana will lead to more poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from, but I also think that many people just aren’t educated on the benefits of marijuana. The point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal, and is even in fact used for medicinal purposes. Another benefit is that the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana will save a vast amount of money thrown into our jail systems.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But marijuana is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. It is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, whereas overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death. It is as the famous reggae singer, Bob Marley, once said, “Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction” (thinkexist, par.1).

Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America (Linddell and Armstrong, par. 3). Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals such as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic (Liddell and Armstrong, par. 8). Both cigarettes and alcohol are very addictive trends that lead to serious health problems, mostly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is even used for medicinal purposes to actually improve health. The New York Times, Sheryl Stolberg writes in “Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits”, that “the active ingredients in marijuana appear to be useful for treating pain, nausea and the severe weight loss associated with AIDS”(Stolberg, par. 1). Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more hazardous.

Not only is marijuana a safe drug with medical benefits but it could quickly stimulate our failing economy. At its current rate of production legal marijuana generates thirty-five billion dollars per year (Beckett and Herbet 15), these profits from marijuana exceed that of corn and wheat combined. And that’s just the legal profits of legal marijuana. Revenue from illegal marijuana is considered to be around sixty billion dollars a year (Beckett and Herbert 16). That’s a total of ninety-five billion dollars each year. Marijuana is considered by many economists to already be our nation’s number one cash crop. It’s already the number one cash crop in twelve states including California, Alaska, and Hawaii (Beckett and Herbert 20). Even Thomas Jefferson once said, “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. Economists estimate that if marijuana were legalized annual tax returns would be 6.2 billion dollars (Beckett and Herbert 20). That’s over six billion dollars in the hands of the federal government rather than in the hands of so called drug criminals. This money could be spent on combating the flow of hard, more serious drugs onto our streets.

If the fact that legalizing marijuana will gain enormous sums of money isn’t enough, it is also shown that it will save enormous amounts of money in the jail systems. Approximately 7.7 billion dollars is spent annually due to the overall cost of enforcement of marijuana charges (Austin and Fabelo 5). Legalizing marijuana would eliminate all of these costs. Another taxpayer expense that would be reduced is prison expenses. A Federal Bureau of Investigation statistic shows that one marijuana smoker is arrested around every forty-five seconds (Austin and Fabelo 7), so that means by the time you finish reading this paper more than twenty people will have been incarcerated on marijuana related offenses. Also “two million of people in jail are there due to marijuana offenses” (Austin and Fabelo 10), in the case that marijuana is legalized that number will be reduced to 440,000 people, quite a large decline (Austin and Fabelo 10). The lack of operating prisons would also diminish dramatically. The cost of operating prisons comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. Currently a forty billion dollar per year expenses would be cut back to 8.8 billion dollars, still a lot but much less than what it was (Austin and Fabelo 12). With this amount of savings and profits I find it amazing that our society hasn’t already demanded the legalization of pot.

If there is one detriment to the legalization to pot, it is the negative benefits of the smoke inhalation itself. There have been studies that say marijuana smoke can even more toxic than tobacco smoke, and can cause cancer, lung damage and complications during pregnancy. It is true that the actual smoke of marijuana is toxic but, “the true benefits of marijuana would only be realized when alternative methods, like capsules, patches and bronchial inhalers, were developed to deliver its active components, called cannabinoids, to the body without the harmful effects of smoke” (Stolberg, par. 7). There are clearly ways to avoid the actual inhalation of pot, making it even safer to the human body.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that marijuana should only be sold in medical marijuana dispensaries, so they can be controlled. There are already medical marijuana dispensaries around the United States, but they are only allowed to sell to those who possess a medical card, such as a doctor. I believe that as long as there is an age limit set on purchasing marijuana, all you should have to present is your license in the same manor you would to purchase alcohol.

With the compromises I have suggested, I don’t see why marijuana can’t be legal in our society today. You are now provided with the facts and figures of how marijuana can improve our health as well as our economy and society as a whole. It is now up to you to decide whether I have persuaded you enough to believe that the legalization of marijuana is a good thing. But if there is someone who agrees with me it is the famous singer Bob Marley, who has no problem admitting that when it comes to marijuana, “Legalize it, don’t criticize it” (thinkexist, par 3).



Works Cited

Austin, James, and Tony Fabelo. "The Diminishing Returns of Increased Incarceration." The JFA Institute, July 2004. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .

Beckett, Katherine, and Steve Herbert. "The Consequences and Costs of Marijuana Prohibition." UCLA of Washington. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Bob Marley Quotes. Thinkexist.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

"Hemp: The Most Beneficial Natural Resource." The Uses of Hemp. Dope-seeds.com. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Liddell, F. K., and B. G. Armstrong. "The Combination of Effects on Lung Cancer of Cigarette Smoking and Exposure." Oxford Journals, 12 Feb. 2001. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Reich, J. "Jonny, Come Blow Your Horn." The Jonny Depp Zone. Reel.com, Mar. 2001. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Stolberg, Sheyl Gay. "Government Study of Marijuana Sees Medical Benefits." The New York Times, 18 Mar. 1999. Web. 21 Mar. 2010. .

Narrative News Pre-writing

I am looking up facts and figures about the dangers of texting while driving. Although it is not really known if my friend Ruffin was texting at the time of his death, we are all pretty sure that he wasn't really paying attention to the road at the time. He could have been looking at his phone or even changing the radio station but I am just going to use his story as an example that it is so terribly easy to loose track of the road by taking your eyes off for a split second. I am mostly going to stick to the dangers of texting while driving because it is a growing concern in the United States today. I have found some facts that driving while texting, DWT, should be treated almost in the same way as a DUI.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/ShouldDrivingWhileTextingBeACrime.aspx

This article shows that it should be considered a serious crime to text while driving and all the stats that come with that. It is very serious, and being teenagers we dont think of it that way. But it could have possibly saved my good friend's life.

Narrative Pre-writing

I was thinking about how I am going to approach this paper, and the thing is I'm just not sure. I want to write about my friend Ruffin so badly, I just hope I'm able to write about him in a way that he would appreciate. I am going to write about him in a very positive way and just talk about the dangers of driving and how easily it can be to make a mistake.

Narrative Prewriting

Right when I heard that we were going to write a narrative essay from personal experience I thought of my friend who recently passed away in a car accident. This story is so close to me and I think it should be shared. Its going to be really hard to write about my friend, because it has only been a little over a month and I miss him so much, but I think the emotion that I have is going to show how serious my topic is. Texting while driving is very dangerous, way more dangerous than any of us think. I cant help but want to cry while I am just writing this, so writing this paper is going to show just how hard it is to loose a friend, especially to something like a cell phone.

Non-Emotion

Dear Professor,
As I was looking over my test I decided that the grade I was given was a little undeserving. The topics on the test were very different from what was in the book, which is what we were told to study from. I studied the book, and I could say almost memorized it, yet none of the information related to the topics in the book. I am quite confused about my grade and would like more of an explanation on why it was given to me. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Railey Hiser

Emotion

Dear Professor,
As I was looking at my grade on my last test I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t deserve it. You see, the week before the test my dog died, very tragically I must say. She was swimming in the river and drowned. My sweet, precious, very-loved dog was taken from me and she has been on my mind ever since. Every time I picked up my book to study, I thought about picking up my puppy and how much I missed her. It is very upsetting to receive such a low score on my test because I was simply grieving over the loss of a beloved pet. If you could please consider letting me re-take the test when I am in a better state of mind and can concentrate. Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,
Railey Hiser

Reflection 2.2 again

I decided to change up my paper A LOT. I wasn't happy with my other paper, and I pretty much changed the whole thing. I kept some facts, but I just wanted to take it in a little bit of a different direction. I am much happier with this one, but I still have work to do.

Essay 2.2 revision (“Legalize it, don’t criticize it”)

Say I asked in front of the classroom if I can see a show of hands, how many people have ever smoked Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as marijuana? I bet that I would see that no one raises their hand. Well obviously no one would want to admit to a criminal act in front of a teacher. But why is it that smoking pot is so forbidden in our society?

Numerous famous intellectuals support marijuana. Al Gore is considered to be the leading figure in awareness of climate change and the environment, but few people know that Al Gore also supports the legalization of marijuana. Our founding father George Washington once said, “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!” (Hemp: The World’s Most Beneficial Natural Resource, par. 5). Marijuana is one of the safest medicinal substances on the planet and is even supported by many celebrity role models, such as famous Hollywood actor Johnny Depp who stated, “I’m not a big pothead or anything like that… but weed is much, much less dangerous than alcohol” (Reich, par, 12). With the support of some of the greatest thinkers and world leaders of all time it doesn't make sense that marijuana is still illegal.

The truth is that marijuana has many benefits to society and, other than the effects of smoke inhalation, has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of marijuana often claim that with legalization of it will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, it causes health problems, or even the broad statement that marijuana will lead to more poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from, but I also think that many people just aren’t educated on the benefits of marijuana. The point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal, and is even in fact used for medicinal purposes. Another benefit is that the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. Furthermore, with the legalization of marijuana will save a vast amount of money thrown into our jail systems.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But marijuana is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. It is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, whereas overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death. It is as the famous reggae singer, Bob Marley, once said, “Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction” (thinkexist, par.1). Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America (Linddell and Armstrong, par. 3). Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals such as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic (Liddell and Armstrong, par. 8). Both cigarettes and alcohol are immensely addictive phenomenon’s that lead to very serious health problems, mostly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more hazardous.

Not only is marijuana a safe drug with medical benefits but it could quickly stimulate our failing economy. At its current rate of production legal marijuana generates 35.8 billion dollars per year (Beckett and Herbet 15), these profits from marijuana exceed that of corn and wheat combined. And that’s just the legal profits of legal marijuana. Revenue from illegal marijuana is considered to be around 60 billion dollars a year (Beckett and Herbert 16). That’s a total of 95.8 billion dollars each year. Many economist already believe that marijuana could be our nation’s number one cash crop. It’s already the number one cash crop in twelve states including California, Alaska, and Hawaii (Beckett and Herbert 20). As Thomas Jefferson said, “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. Economists estimate that if marijuana were legalized annual tax returns would be 6.2 billion dollars (Beckett and Herbert 20). That’s over 6 billion dollars in the hands of the government instead of in the hands of so called drug criminals. This money could be spent on combating more serious drugs onto our streets.

If the fact that legalizing marijuana will gain enormous sums of money isn’t enough, it is also shown that it will save enormous amounts of money in the jail systems. Approximately 7.7 billion dollars is spent annually due to the overall cost of enforcement of marijuana charges (Austin and Fabelo 5). Legalizing marijuana would eliminate all of these costs. Another taxpayer expense that would be reduced is prison expenses. A Federal Bureau of Investigation statistic shows that one marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds (Austin and Fabelo 7), so by the time you finish reading this paper more than 20 people will have been incarcerated on marijuana related offenses alone. Also, 88% of all people in jail, meaning 2 million of them, are there due to marijuana offenses. In the case that marijuana is legalized that number will be reduced to 440,000 people, quite a large decline. The lack of operating prisons would also diminish dramatically. The cost of operating prisons comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. Currently a 40 billion dollar per year expenses would be cut back to 8.8 billion dollars, still a huge amount but much, much less than what it was. With this amount of savings and profits I find it amazing that our capitalist society hasn’t already demanded the legalization of pot.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.

-------jail systems paragraph needs citations, need to work on compromise, need conclusion------------

1. http://www.dope-seeds.com/untoldstory/hemp_2.htm
2. http://interview.johnnydepp-zone2.com/2001_03Reel.html
3. http://thinkexist.com/quotation/herb-is-the-healing-of-a-nation-alcohal-is-the/406854.html
4. http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/46/1/5
5. http://www.aclu-wa.org/library_files/BeckettandHerbert.pdf
6. http://www.jfa-associates.com/BlueprintFinal.pdf

Rogerian Reflection

I found my second draft to be a little bit easier than the first. Although it was still difficult for me to see both sides, it was more manageable. The problem for me is I don't know when to write about the other view besides my own. I have so many points to cover just with my own view that I don't know where to begin with the other one. In one of my first couple paragraphs I wrote..If there is one thing we can agree on, it is that alcohol and tobacco are a major concern in today's society. And then I go on to say that marijuana is not the same thing at all. But I don't know if this is enough to agree with the other view because I am hardly agreeing. I need to improve on this in my final draft.

Essay 2.2- The Marijuana Challenge

Under the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis is classified as a schedule one substance. Schedule one substances are defined as currently having no accepted medical use in the USA and having a high potential for abuse (Ziegler, par.1). Cannabis is the name of the category to which the plant belongs. The preparation made from the stems, buds, and leaves of Cannabis is known as marijuana. The cannabis plant has been the topic of much debate throughout the history of this country. Since the time when marijuana first became illegal it has been grouped with other narcotics as an equivalent. The truth is cannabis has many benefits to society and other than the effects of smoke inhalation has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of the cannabis plant claim that with legalization of cannabis will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, or even the broad statement that drugs such as cannabis lead to poverty, crime, and violence.

I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from. But the point is that marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol and tobacco which are legal. Also another benefit of legalizing marijuana is that it would keep less people out of jail. Furthermore the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But cannabis is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. It is established scientific fact that “marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive such as alcohol or tobacco” (Ganeva, par. 4). Today 23 million people are addicted to alcohol, and a whooping 46 million people are addicted to tobacco (Ganeva, par. 7). But in 2004 study, it was shown that only 298,317 people reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, and not because they were necessarily “addicted”, but because they just enjoy it. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.

There are so many people in jail today for possessing, using, and selling marijuana. This causes users of marijuana to be more susceptible to punishment by law. It is said that 27,900 inmates are imprisoned solely for marijuana crimes and that 64,000 have some drug conviction linked to marijuana which represents 4% of the US prisoner population (Austin 3).
That doesn’t seem like much but it would save billions of dollars in prison systems. Further, legalizing marijuana would actually stimulate the economy since it would be the number one cash crop. By placing a tax on the drug would create much revenue and more jobs. Medicinal marijuana is legal in California and that is responsible for $14 billion a year in sales. One economist even estimated the state would also save about $1 billion per year by not arresting and imprisoning those caught with small amounts of marijuana (Austin 7). There are many benefits to the economy that comes with the legalization of marijuana. It is something to really think about.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.


Works Cited:


http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487894?seq=5

http://www.druglibrary.org/medicalmj/positive_effects_of_marijuana_.htm

http://norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Rethinking_Decriminalizing_Marijuana.pdf

Reflection 2.1

In the first draft of my Rogerian Argument paper, I found it very hard to write. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to argue “nicely”. I found myself having to go back and make my words sound more kind. My topic was on legalizing the use of marijuana, there is so much to write about on this topic. I narrowed it down a bit by talking about how it would keep less people out of jail, it’s not an addictive drug such as alcohol which is legal, and how taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs. All of these points support the legalization of marijuana. It was easy for me to do that, the hard part was trying to incorporate how it would be bad. My opinion is that it should be legalized so how am I supposed to talk about the other view too? It was difficult. So I still need to work on that part of my paper a lot. Making a compromise wasn’t as hard as I thought though. My compromise was to set an age limit on being able to purchase marijuana like alcohol. I also compromised by saying that there could be a limit on how much you have at one time like how they already made that legal in California. I still have a lot of work to do on my paper, but I believe that I have a good start.

Essay 2.1

Under the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis is classified as a schedule one substance. Schedule one substances are defined as currently having no accepted medical use in the USA and having a high potential for abuse (Ziegler, par.1). Cannabis is the name of the category to which the plant belongs. The preparation made from the stems, buds, and leaves of Cannabis is known as marijuana. The cannabis plant has been the topic of much debate throughout the history of this country. Since the time when marijuana first became illegal it has been grouped with other narcotics as an equivalent. The truth is cannabis has many benefits to society and other than the effects of smoke inhalation has very few negatives. Those opposed to the legalization of the cannabis plant claim that with legalization of cannabis will come further problems. Some think that legalization would lead to greater drug use, or that tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix, or even the broad statement that drugs such as cannabis lead to poverty, crime, and violence. I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from. But the point is that legalizing marijuana would keep less people out of jail. Also marijuana is not considered an addictive drug, such as alcohol which is legal. Furthermore the taxation of marijuana can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs.

If there is one thing that we can agree on it is the fact that tobacco and alcohol use cause many problems in our society today. But cannabis is not the same as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is not a lethal drug; it is much safer than those two addictive drugs. It is established scientific fact that “marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive such as alcohol or tobacco” (Ganeva, par. 4). Today 23 million people are addicted to alcohol, and a whooping 46 million people are addicted to tobacco (Ganeva, par. 7). But in 2004 study, it was shown that only 298,317 people reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, and not because they were necessarily “addicted”, but because they just enjoy it. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.

There are so many people in jail today for possessing, using, and selling marijuana. This causes users of marijuana to be more susceptible to punishment by law. It is said that 27,900 inmates are imprisoned solely for marijuana crimes and that 64,000 have some drug conviction linked to marijuana which represents 4% of the US prisoner population (Austin 3). That doesn’t seem like much but it would save billions of dollars in prison systems. Further, legalizing marijuana would actually stimulate the economy since it would be the number one cash crop. By placing a tax on the drug would create much revenue and more jobs. Medicinal marijuana is legal in California and that is responsible for $14 billion a year in sales. One economist even estimated the state would also save about $1 billion per year by not arresting and imprisoning those caught with small amounts of marijuana (Austin 7). There are many benefits to the economy that comes with the legalization of marijuana. It is something to really think about.

The way to compromise the two views would to be to set an age limit on the possession of marijuana, like there is on alcohol and tobacco. They are both considered drugs as well, so why wouldn’t it be the same rules? By setting a limit on the age of possessing marijuana, it will make people become more responsible and less likely to end up in jail. I also think that there should be a limit on how much you can have at one time. This would limit any problems by not having too much at one time.

Works Cited:


http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487894?seq=5

http://www.druglibrary.org/medicalmj/positive_effects_of_marijuana_.htm

http://norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Rethinking_Decriminalizing_Marijuana.pdf

Pre-writing Essay 2

I'm not sure what I want to write my Rogerian argument about yet. But I have several ideas. Making marijuana legal, rasing the driving age, abortion, legal drinking age lowered, or global warming. There is just so much that could be talked about with any of these subjects. I want to write something I take an interest in, but it also has to be something that I can see two opposing sides to. If it is something that I have a very strong opinion about and I am not going to be able to see the other point of view, then I should't be doing a Rogerian argument on it. It needs to be something that I can truthfully see both sides, because that will make my paper stronger.

Reflection 1.3

In my third draft I really tried to incorporate more sources and examples than my other drafts. I added a couple more solid examples and used my citations to back them up. I also tried to improve the flow of my paper. I added better transitions so that my paper wouldn't seem so structured. I also now have a longer works cited page. In my other drafts I was more concerned with the actual content and not so much sources, but I realized that is now an essential part of my paper. It makes it sound more reliable than just having my opinion being told. Having every ones feedback in the class was such a huge help. Many of the things that I changed in my paper was due to the feedback of my classmates. I am so glad I had the opportunity to have my paper talked about during class, because it made me see that some of my sentences were confusing and that i needed better citations. I am happy with my third draft and feel I improved a lot.

Essay 1.3- Behind the Make-up

Dear Anita Elberse,
Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you would do anything to have it in your possession? Has that something ever happened to be a product endorsed by a celebrity or athlete? As you pointed out in your 2009 article “Risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements”, today more and more companies are relying on famous people to sell their products. As an associate professor in the Marketing unit at Harvard Business School, you stated your opinion on how essential it is to have celebrity endorsements to be successful. You claim that endorsements are flourishing in three major ways. Celebrities help tap into the companies fan base, endorsements trigger sales by reassuring consumers of the quality of the endorsed brand, and that an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Although endorsements, according to you, may seem like a positive incentive for most major companies, you fail to also note the risks involved. By endorsing celebrities, companies are potentially portraying a bad image causing a smaller fan base, false advertising on the quality of brand, and gaining a negative reputation.

First off you explain that celebrities help tap into the companies fan base. This can be seen in a negative light though. In 2005 Paris Hilton did a very risky commercial for Carl’s Jr., a fast food chain. She was wearing nothing but a bathing suit and heels, washing a car, eating their six dollar hamburger. How does this tap into Carl’s Jr.’s fan base? What does washing a car have to do with their new burger? This poses a problem for the younger Carl’s Jr. fan base. Although this commercial was intended to catch the attention of the male crowd, that doesn’t mean that children aren’t going to see it on television. Some kids idolize Paris Hilton, and seeing her scarfing down a greasy burger in her bathing suit gives them the impression that they should too. Parents seem to be picking up on this, though, and are not happy. The Parents Television Council even stated their opinion on this commercial, saying that it is “soft core porn” (Caldwell, par 3). You say that celebrities “open new markets”, but after that commercial, will those parents ever let their kids eat Carl’s Jr. (par. 10)? They could have potentially lost customers because of the dirty image advertised, instead of gaining new ones. This commercial has nothing to do with the product trying to be sold. Obviously, recruiting Hilton had a negative effect on their fan base, at least according to the angry parents, because the commercial was only on air for a limited amount of time. Commercials have become so farfetched that any celebrity can end up misrepresenting any brand.

Endorsements could also be seen as successful because they reassure customers that the quality of the brand is good, but just because a celebrity is endorsing a brand doesn’t mean they know anything about it. A great example of this is Maria Sharapova, a 23-year-old female tennis star, endorsing the camera brand Canon. Sharapova is a phenomenal athlete, but what does she know about the quality of cameras? This just seems to be false advertising. People who are looking for a camera probably aren’t going to buy one based on what the tennis star endorsing it says alone. Eli Portnoy, a branding strategist, states that; “The reality is people want a piece of something they can’t be” (Creswell, par. 11). But in reality using a product endorsed by celebrities isn’t going to make you become a celebrity. Furthermore, celebrities also use their endorsers as a way to promote themselves. Pop star Rihanna has been involved in about a dozen endorsement and licensing deals in the few years as a celebrity. Her commercial for CoverGirl lip gloss, begins with scenes from her latest music video, and then moves into a close-up of her wearing the lip gloss and ends with a shot of her album cover; this leaves viewers wondering if they just saw a commercial for lip gloss or for her newest album. Some celebrities, such as Rihanna, use endorsing as a way to promote their career, and could care less about the sales of the product being endorsed. “Her representatives say they vet every offer for two key criteria: how does it support the brand known as Rihanna, and will it help sell more albums?” (Creswell, par. 17). To me this just seems to be false advertising, masking the truth, because she is clearly more concerned with her album than the quality of CoverGirl lip gloss that she only has to wear for a day.

You also state that celebrity endorsers are successful because an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute which helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Tiger Woods had a six year partnership with Accenture, which is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. While with Accenture Woods “emphasized the attributes such as strategic focus and discipline, the payoffs of its risk-taking behavior, and its ability to recover from setbacks” (Elberse, par. 11). These qualities described Woods, so it was an obvious choice for him to endorse them. But after his affairs with several women were publicized, “the firm decided to cut ties with him to limit a negative impact on its reputation” (Elberse, par.11). They believed that this public affair would put their brand in a negative light, and that he no longer obtained these qualities, so they decided to do away with Wood’s altogether. Reputation is everything to major companies, and if it is in jeopardy they will recover in any way they can. The same thing happened to basketball star, Magic Johnson, in 1991 when he announced that he contracted HIV. He lost nearly twelve million dollars worth of endorsement deals, and companies such as Pepsi and Converse wanted nothing to do with him (Smith, par.7). You are correct that companies use celebrities to try to differentiate from other companies similar to their own, but you fail to note that they have no problem dropping them as soon as their endorser makes a bad judgment just so their reputation isn’t tarnished. Although the endorser may have been loyal to the brand for several years, that means nothing compared to their reputation. When a company signs a celebrity endorser they are signing and image, and under any circumstance they will do anything to salvage it.

As you can now see, endorsements are not all they are cracked up to be. There are risks involved such as creating a smaller fan base by only appealing to a certain crowd, not gaining repeat customers because the quality of the brand isn’t up to par on how celebrities hyped it up to be, and attaining a negative reputation due to the mistake of an endorser. Celebrities are used to trick consumers into buying their endorser’s products, and “Years from now, our descendants will look at us and say, ‘God, these were the most gullible people who ever lived’ “(Creswell, par. 11).

Sincerely,
Railey Hiser







Works Cited

Caldwell, Melissa. "No Apologies for Sexy Paris Hilton Ad." CNNmoney.com. CNN, 1 June 2005. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

Creswell, Julie. "Nothing Sells Like Celebrity." Media & Advertising. The New York Times, 22 June 2008. Web. 15 Feb. 2010.

Elberse, Anita. "Risks and Rewards of Celebrity Endorsements." CNN Opinion. CNN, 16 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Jan. 2010.

Smith, Erin G. "10 Celebrity Endorsement Deals That Went Way Wrong." Law Review. Business Insider, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2010.

Rebuttal Exercise

Dear Dr. Walter Williams,
As I began to read your “Nazi Tactics”, it became very clear your position on the government banning smoking, by comparing anti-smokers to Nazis. You wrote in 2002 in Ideas of Liberty that 40 million Americans smoke cigarettes, but do you know how many have quit? Or if any of them are legitimately addicted (par.4)? This claim just seems to be numbers with no information backing it up. You also state your concern about the “widely successful vilification of cigarette smokers and tobacco manufacturers”, but this is due to health care costs and concerns, not about just the pure hatred of cigarettes like you make it seem (par.5). These people are just looking out for the health of Americans now and in the future, and they have done plenty of research to know that this is of great concern. You claim “These people who control our lives are almost finished with smokers; but never in history has a tyrant arisen one day and then decided to tyrannize no more”, just solidifies the fact that this isn’t over and second-hand smoke is a problem that we will have to face in the future (par. 7).

Link

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/16/elberse.athlete.endorsements.tiger.woods/index.html

Reflection 1.2

In my second draft I really tried to focus on the flow of my paper. My first draft sounded pretty choppy so I wanted the second draft to just sound better. I did that by taking out words like "another example". By doing this the transition from paragraph to paragraph sounds much better. I also tried to incorporate my sources more. I had plenty of examples in my first essay but didn't really back them up or say much about them. So in this essay I used my sources and more quotations to make my paper seem more researched than the previous essay. This makes it sounds like I know more what I am talking about, because I have done the research and now it shows in my paper. In my next draft I hope to take that even further and incorporate my sources in an even better way by making it more apparent that I really took the time to do research on this paper.

Essay 1.2

Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you would do anything to have it in your possession? Has that something ever happened to be a product endorsed by a celebrity or athlete? Today more and more companies are relying on famous people to sell their products. Anita Elberse writes in “Risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements”, how essential it is to have celebrity endorsements to be successful. She states that endorsements are flourishing in three ways. Celebrities help tap into the companies fan base, endorsements trigger sales by reassuring consumers of the quality of the endorsed brand, and that an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Although endorsements, according to Elberse, may seem like a positive incentive for most major companies, she fails to also note the risks involved. By endorsing celebrities companies are potentially portraying a bad image of themselves, false advertising and gaining a negative reputation.

Elberse explains that celebrities help tap into the companies fan base. This can be seen in a negative light though. In 2005 Paris Hilton did a very risky commercial for Carl’s Jr., wearing nothing but a bathing suit and heels, washing a car eating their $6 hamburger. How does this tap into Carl’s Jr.’s fan base? What does washing a car have to do with their new burger? Let’s face it Paris Hilton will probably never eat a $6 burger. This poses a problem for the younger Carl’s Jr. fan base. Kids idolize Paris Hilton, and seeing her scarfing down a greasy burger in her bathing suit gives them the impression that they should too. Parents seem to be picking up on this though and are not happy. The Parents Television Council even stated their opinion on this commercial saying that it is “soft core porn”. Will those parents ever let their kids eat Carl’s Jr? Have they potentially lost customers because of the dirty image seen on the commercial? This commercial has nothing to do with the product trying to be sold. Before Paris Hilton, Carl’s Jr.’s customers could care less about who is representing it; the burgers still taste the same. Obviously, recruiting Hilton had a negative effect on their fan base, at least according to angry parents. Commercials have become so far fetched that any celebrity can represent any brand.

Elberse also believes endorsements are successful because they reassure customers that the quality of the brand is good. A great example of this is Maria Sharapova, female tennis star, endorsing the camera brand Canon. Sharapova is a phenomenal athlete, but what does she know about cameras or the quality of cameras? This just seems to be false advertising. People who are looking for a camera probably aren’t going to buy one based on what the tennis star endorsing it says about it. These endorsements make people believe that the product must be good if celebrities are using them, but just because they are being paid to endorse them so it doesn’t mean they are using them. Another example is actress Eva Longoria endorsing L’Oreal Paris hair color. Do you really believe the millionaire actress Eva Longoria goes to Wal-Mart just to pick up her L’Oreal hair color? Just because someone buys the same hair dye as Eva Longoria doesn’t mean their hair is going to look like hers. L’Oreal Paris’ website says that “Eva’s talent and charm make her the perfect choice to represent L’Oreal Paris as an international spokesperson”, what does her charm have to do with the hair color she is using? Just because she is a popular actress the brand knows the hair color she is endorsing will sell. These commercials put images in people’s heads that the product must be good if celebrities are using them, but the fact is that just because they are endorsing the product doesn’t mean they are actually using the product. They are being paid to “use” these products, so of course they are going to say it is the best out there. But it is just false advertising, masking the truth.

Elberse states that celebrity endorsers are successful because an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Tiger Woods had a six year partnership with Accenture, which is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. While with Accenture Wood’s emphasized the attributes such as strategic focus and discipline, the payoffs of its risk-taking behavior, and its ability to recover from setbacks. But after his affairs with other women were publicized, the firm decided to cut ties with him to limit a negative impact on its reputation. They believed that this public affair would put their brand in a negative light so they decided to do away with Wood’s altogether. Obviously Accenture cared more about their sales than all the money that Woods had previously brought in and had no problem dropping him. Reputation is everything to major companies, and if it is in jeopardy then they will do anything to salvage it.

Endorsements are not always a good thing. Yes they sometimes bump up profit, but there can be negative effects in the long run. Such as children not thinking on their own because they are programmed to want to be just like celebrities and athletes. The quality of a brand not as good as the endorsed celebrities promised so they don’t gain repeat customers. Also, certain brands reputation meaning more to them than the actual product and the satisfaction of their customers. Celebrity endorsements play up image in order to get customers. Most of the time they are successful, but that doesn’t mean that the customers are going to be happy with the outcome.

Reflection 1.1

The feedback I received from my group members was extremely helpful. It was most apparent that I need to incorporate my sources better. I have plenty of information I just need to make better use of my sources and also put some quotation s in my essay. Also there was helpful advice that the flow of my paper could be improved by leaving out “Although” and “Another example”. I think once I do this flow of my paper will be much better and it will sound more put together. In my next draft I hope to achieve better incorporation of my sources. I used my sources in this draft but I didn’t really point out where my sources came from so I want to do that. I also just want my paper to feel more put together. I think I could move sentences around or come up with new sentences entirely to do this. So far my process has just been to write everything down, whatever thoughts come to mind. Now is the time to clean it up a bit. I want to improve my conclusion paragraph as well. I think conclusions are very important because it summarizes the whole paper. I feel as though mine does not, I want the reader to read the final paragraph and completely and fully understand my paper. So I have a few things to work on, and I think I can really improve my second draft.

Essay 1.1

Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you would do anything to have it in your possession? Has that something ever happened to be a product endorsed by a celebrity or athlete? This is the case for many people today. Anita Elberse writes in “Risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements”, how essential it is to have celebrity endorsements to be successful. She states that endorsements are flourishing in three ways. Celebrities help tap into the companies fan base, endorsements trigger sales by reassuring consumers of the quality of the endorsed brand, and that an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Although endorsements may seem like a positive incentive for most major companies, there are risks involved and they are not always a good idea, not necessarily for monetary reasons but for the reputation of the company.

Elberse explains that celebrities help tap into the companies fan base. This can be seen in a negative light though. In 2005 Paris Hilton did a very risky commercial for Carl’s Jr., wearing nothing but a bathing suit and heels, washing a car eating their $6 hamburger. How does this tap into Carl’s Jr.’s fan base? What does washing a car have to do with their new burger? Commercials have become so farfetched that any celebrity can represent any brand. The younger generation look up to celebrities such as Paris Hilton, so if she does it is it okay to walk around in skimpy clothing? Younger children may think that whatever Paris Hilton does is cool, so they follow suit. But the case is that it has nothing to do with the product trying to be sold. Are these younger girls buying Carl’s Jr. burgers just because Paris Hilton represented them? The answer is no. This commercial failed to tap into the fan base of Carl’s Jr. because the fact is that people who buy that burger could care less about Paris Hilton.

Another reason why Elberse believes endorsements are successful is because they reassure customers that the quality of the brand is good. A great example of this is Maria Sharapova, female tennis star, endorsing the camera brand Canon. Sharapova is a phenomenal athlete, but what does she know about cameras or the quality of cameras? This just seems to be false advertising. People who are looking for a camera probably aren’t going to buy one based on the celebrity endorsing it. These endorsements make people believe that the product must be good if celebrities are using them, but the fact is they are being paid to endorse them so it doesn’t mean they are using them. Another example is actress Eva Longoria endorsing L’Oreal Paris hair color. Eva Longoria had millions of dollars and she is using hair color that can be found at Wal-Mart? Just because someone buys the same hair dye as Eva Longoria doesn’t mean their hair is going to look like hers. These commercials put images in people’s heads that the product must be good if celebrities are using them, but the fact is that just because they are endorsing the product doesn’t mean they are actually using the product. They are being paid to “use” these products, so of course they are going to say it is the best out there. But it is just false advertising, masking the truth.

The final reason Elberse states that celebrity endorsers are successful are because an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Tiger Woods had a six year partnership with Accenture, which is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. While with Accenture he emphasized the attributes such as strategic focus and discipline, the payoffs of its risk-taking behavior, and its ability to recover from setbacks. But after Wood’s affair with other women was released, the firm decided to cut ties with him to limit a negative impact on its reputation. They believed that this publicized affair would put their brand in a negative light so they decided to do away with Wood’s altogether. Obviously Accenture cares more about their sales than all the money that Woods has previously brought in and had no problem dropping him. Reputation is everything to major companies, and if it is in jeopardy then they will do anything to salvage it.
Endorsements are not always a good thing. Yes they sometimes bump up profit, but there can be negative effects in the long run. Children growing up not thinking on their own because they are modeled after celebrities. Quality of brand not as good as expected so they don’t get repeat customers. Brands reputation means more to them than the actual product and the satisfaction of their customers. Celebrity endorsements play up image in order to get customers. Most of the time they are successful, but that doesn’t mean that the customers are going to be happy with the outcome.

Rhetorical Analysis

In Anita Elberse’s opinion article, “Risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements”, she explains how essential it is to have celebrity endorsements to be truly successful. Her claim is that the rewards of relying on endorsers very likely far outweigh the risks. She goes on to give evidence saying that she found that sales for brands jumped an average of 4 percent in the first six months following an endorsement deal. Also that endorsed film’s can be expected to increase nearly a quarter percent and they continually increase every time the athlete secures a major victory. The audience of this article is just anyone who takes an interest in the topic. She is trying to sway her opinion that celebrity endorsements are good for all those who think they are not and saying it to anyone that will listen. What motivated Elberse to write this, the occasion of the article, is mostly the partnership between Accenture and Tiger Woods, how Woods had a negative impact on its reputation so they decided to drop him after a six-year relationship. The purpose is to explain that even though Accenture dropped Woods, endorsements are overall successful. Elberse’s argument could have been stronger if she had used all three rhetorical appeals instead of just logos which is the only one expressed in this article. Despite that flaw she is still very adamant that the idea of celebrity endorsements is booming, and gives several reasons why.

Elberse says that endorsements work as well as they do because 1) celebrities help firms to tap into their fan base, 2) endorsements trigger sales by reassuring consumers of the quality of the endorsed brand, and 3) an alliance with an endorser can convey important information about an attribute that helps differentiate a brand from its competitors. Her reasons very well portray the basis of endorsements, but what she leaves out are the negative effects of celebrity endorsements. Elberse doesn’t explain any other views. She does say that “marketers who rely on athlete endorsers know they can be in for a rocky road…and they need to adapt accordingly.” She acknowledges the fact that having an endorser can be tough at times but ultimately it is worth it because of all the success the company gains from them. What about the negative effects? This article clearly neglects any possibility that endorsements can be harmful. In my opinion, even though Elberse explains very well all the positive points of endorsements, there are also negative views, and I am going to explain them in my argument.

Rebuttal: Pre-Writing

Media effects way people view things. Can change your mind. Make you feel something you wouldn't have felt without it. Celebrity endorsment sells. Just by having a celebrity in an ad can up sales. Many companies use this. TV commercials, magazines, etc. Changes the way people think...So this is cool? I need to have these new shoes? This will help me become more popular? When looking at the media people take on different views of the world. They become obsessed and feel they need to have certain things. Media uses this to their advantage, they try to make people feel as if they need their item.

My Editorial Topic

Risks and rewards of celebrity endorsements
By Anita Elberse


http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/16/elberse.athlete.endorsements.tiger.woods/index.html

Editorial- Pre Writing

I viewed The Breeze when trying to find editorials that I took interest in. I found that I prefer the type of articles that relate to my age group such as “A Perfectly Planned Pregnancy” or “Darts and Pats” rather that the articles on Health Care and Democrats. Although the articles that I prefer are harder to come by, it is worth it because they are something I can write a lot about and seriously take an interest in. There were many articles on Haiti, since that is such a hot topic right now. This is something I also see myself writing about, because it is so recent and I would actually like to learn more about it. But this topic is also a little intimidating to me because I feel as if I would have to do a lot of research because I am not that familiar to what is going on with everything, so there would be a lot to learn prior to even writing about it. So if I had to choose an article, based on the ones I have viewed so far, I would probably choose “A Perfectly Planned Pregnancy”. This article is the opinion of Elizabeth Baugh on the realities of teen pregnancy. She has a very strong opinion about how a movie about teen pregnancy highlighted all the good and now the downfalls of getting pregnant at a very young age. She used negative words such as “getting knocked-up” and had a totally negative view on teen pregnancy. If I was to respond to this I would try to make people look at the positive perspective. Out of all the articles I viewed, this type is what I would take most interest in. I feel that I could really express my opinion because it is something would keep my attention enough to write a paper on.

Madeline: Childhood Reflection Assignment

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline.” As a child I watched the movie Madeline religiously, whenever I heard those words I would get into the mindset that I was one of the twelve girls living in the boarding school together. I wanted to be with them as they brushed their teeth in unison, and when they all slept in the same room whispering in the night, and I wanted to wear the same blue cloak and hat tied with red ribbon as the twelve little girls living in Paris. Madeline was the fearless, outspoken one that I had always aspired to be like; because she was the opposite of me as a child, I was very shy. This movie made me realize how important it is to stick together with your friends for something you’re passionate about, just as these girls did to save their beloved boarding school.

Madeline and her 11 friends lived at a school run by Miss Clavel in an old house in Paris. The future of the school was in jeopardy when its domineering owner, Lord Covington, decided to sell it. But with the help of the devilish son of the Spanish Ambassador who lived next door, the resourceful Madeline hatched a plot to save their adored home. But along the way the children encountered some adventures including being saved by the dog Genevieve in the Seine River, kidnappers on a visit to the circus, and eventually saving the boarding school as they all had so dearly wished. Madeline never lost hope when trying to save her home; she was never less than bold and confident, and would do anything to stay with her friends that she saw as her sisters.

Looking back at this movie now I can see why it was so special to me. These girls had such a special bond, and loved each other very much. They made me see what it like is to be a true friend, that being shy wasn’t the way to get something you truly want. I looked up to Madeline because she wasn’t afraid of anything, as I was afraid of so much as a child. She taught me to not be shy or scared and to go after what I desired no matter what, and I still live by that today. In the famous words of Madeline “That’s all there is—there isn’t anymore.”