Final Writing Assignment

This year has had its ups and downs. Within the composition atmosphere I especially had to rediscover myself. Aristotle distinguished proofs by logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion). According to Essentials of Argument, "proof that establish ethos appeals to the audience's impressions, opinions, and judgements about the individual stating the argument. Arguers who demonstrate competence, good character, fair-mindedness, and goodwill toward the audience are more convincing than people who lack these qualities". Having good credibility will help people to be more trusting of my work and therefore they will take me more seriously.

I showed my credibility, or ethos, in a few different ways. One way was showing fair-mindedness in my Healthier Eating paper; I took an interest into the reasons people ate unhealthily and did not attack them. "According to WebMD the top reasons for eating fast food meals goes as follows: they are quick, easy to get, taste good, and are inexpensive." This was part of what I wrote in this paper which shows how I acknowledged the other side. I played both sides of the argument so they would not be frightened.

Another way I showed ethos was with my good character. In our website assignment we were required to "relate an ethos that helps us understand your projects" according to the guidelines set by our instructor. My groups website called Better Decisions has an about us page that depicts our ethos very well. My status says "I am interested in improving people's lives from the inside out. For my most recent English paper I researched healthy eating and how to incorporate it into our daily lives. In order to be happy we must first be at a healthy state of mind and body to enjoy life to its fullest." This shows that I have good character because I want to help others and I have good intentions.

I think the instructor was successful in letting us put ourselves into the paper. He did not make it solid black and white, but left room for us to color in gray. Every paper I wrote I had the opportunity to choose my topic. This helped me in the writing process because I already had some background knowledge on what I was writing. I think this helped to step up my ethos as well. I was a more credible source because I knew what I was talking about.

As I am writing this blog I notice my eyes are glancing at the clock because I know I need to hurry up. I am on a race with the clock to see who can get done first. I also note that my fingers are flying across the keyboard trying to get this all typed out, but making mistakes and having to go back and correct them. The reason I point this out is because I know I am not perfect. There is always room for improvement, and I plan to keep improving throughout my accademic career. I am unstoppable!

A Soldier's Love

Recently I had a conversation with a good friend of mine about our American soldiers in Iraq. She told me about a young man from her hometown who had died due to a suicide car bomb. There was the usual funeral with full honors. I figured this was the end of the story, but then she continued to say that a group of rioters came and tried to ruin this already miserable and somber day. The people rioting were called Westboro Baptist Church. I was pretty confused, thinking "why would a church riot at a funeral?" This did not make sense to me.

My friend began to explain to me what they were about. They are a hate group who is against anybody who is gay (liking somebody of the same sex). They also believe that everybody who is in the service is gay. You can find more information at their website www.godhatesfags.com.

However this was not the end of my fury; we watched a video online with Julie Banderas from FOX NEWS who argued quite well with a representative from the group.

This video infuriated me a great deal. I do not know what your beliefs are, but I have many friends and family who give there time to protect this great country. I do not know how this person can sleep at night. I have never been so outraged at everything somebody has ever said until now. What are your feelings on this? Do you feel this is un-American? I would really like to know your thoughts on this because this is something that I would like to spread word about. This hate group out of Kansas travels to funerals all over the country to protest. If I ever come into contact with them, I do not know what I will do, but I can guarantee it will NOT be pretty.

Calf Fry

Last week the annual Calf Fry was held in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It is an outdoor country music festival with fried cow testicles as a specialty. There were many musicians there througouht the week. The even promotes Red Dirt Country music that has roots in Oklahoma. The big acts of the weekend included Cross Canadian Ragweed and Miranda Lambert.


I had the privelege of going to the festival and experiencing the wonderful atmosphere. While trying to enter I felt like I was a cow being herded in through the gates. It was kind of odd, but once I got inside the complex I realized that it was much bigger than I had anticipated. There were so many people there, and once Miranda Lambert took the stage it was packed like sardines. I worked my way up to the front and boy did I get a show. Sadly so many people there were drunk that they probably don't remember, but one man (who I hope was intoxicated) ran up on the stage causing a seen and started running from the authorities. They ended up getting him, but it was pretty funny to hear what Miss Lambert had to say. She speaks a mind of her own and she didn't let the crowd stop her from speaking her mind.

Below is a video I took of Miranda Lambert at Calf Fry 2010 singing White Liar.

All in all it was a very good showcase of musicians with a very good turnout, and I'm sure much revenue. Who do you think the Tumbleweed should invite to perform next year? Would you try their odd delicacies?

Sooners in Person

Going to a big university there is always a chance that some big athlete will be in your class or at the same place as you. They seem like royalty or even superstars at your college. Recently I have had the experience of getting to know many of them in person. Deep down we all know they are "just like us", but still they always seemed more special to me.

One of my best friends has her own apartment that I go to a few times a week; much of the basketball team lives right next to her. Big names like Willie Warren, Omar Leary, and Ryan Wright, and Tony Crocker live there. After seeing them so often it seems normal to say hi.

Not only have I gotten to know the basketball team, but the football team as well. After meeting two of them through a friend I have hung out with quite a few now. They are very fun to be around, and are very happy go lucky.

I also had the opportunity to meet Danielle Robinson who is a very sweet and humble young lady. We talked for about twenty minutes, and I came to learn that if you set the bar high and not let anyone get to you, dreams can come true.

Two other people that I had the privilege meeting were Whitney Hand and Landry Jones. It was pretty cool to talk to them because they have come so far. The reason I felt to write about meeting these athletes is because I feel that it is a part of the college experience. As I finish up my first year at Oklahoma I realize that it is great to be a Sooner instead of a Cowboy or Longhorn. Red will always be better than orange!