Author: ellaciccarone

Gun violence is a huge problem the United States faces. Gun violence is a highly controversial topic among politicians and citizens, that causes different parties of people to disagree with one another. This advertisement’s goal is to combat gun violence by bringing attention to American citizens about gun violence through evoking viewers’ emotions and force them to face the ridiculousness of the United States’ current gun laws. Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund’s, an organization that conducts research about the causes of gun violence and then generates possible ways of reducing it, research found that in November 2019, 58% of American adults or someone they care for have experienced gun violence at least once in their life. Their research also found that three million American children witness gun violence every year. These statistics are saddening but they prove the need for change.

The organization, Moms Demand Change, wants this ad to persuade all Americans to think about the lack of regulations on guns and create a want for change. But the more specific target audience could be considered parents. The organization’s name says it all, a group of moms want a change to occur so they can feel safe to send their children to school and not have to worry about getting a devastating call about their child being a victim of a school shooting. They want their advertisement to appeal to other parents that share the same fears and frustrations, while also engaging other average Americans to take action and fight for the protection against guns as well.

The use of color, or lack thereof, is another way the advertisement elicits melancholy emotions and alarmed reactions. The lighting of the ad is dark, dull, and gloomy. Which creates a sad and dreary atmosphere, reinforcing the somberness of the affect gun violence can have and how horrifying it is that children have to face it. The use of specific colors, such as green and red, were intentional in making the viewers feel certain emotions and associate those emotions with specific objects and therefore made the advertisement very powerful.

Advertisements can be a very powerful tool in persuading and manipulating an audience into wanting to buy or do something. This advertisement is not attempting to sell anything, it’s goal is to bring awareness to a nationwide problem and create an incentive for change. It does so effectively with the use of techniques such as capturing a target audience, appealing to viewers’ emotions and empathy, providing a shocking fact that is appalling, as well as using specific colors and subjects. This advertisement is for something much larger than a sale at one of your favorite stores, it is a cry for change and push towards a safer society.

The idea of privacy for American citizens is pretty much a delusion. Whether you are taking the dog for a walk down the block in your neighborhood, going to work in an office building, or shopping at local stores, you are almost always being watched or tracked one way or another. The surveillance and invasion of privacy does not stop when you reach the comfort of your own home as your “smart” devices listen to your conversations, track your movement, monitor your purchases, and share your personal messages with retailers as well as Intelligence agencies.

American society wasn’t always as security conscious as it is today but two major factors altered overall security in our society. The first incident that majorly affected the expansion of the U.S.’s security was the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The United States could never be the same after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. The attacks instilled a sense of fear in Americans that influenced the need and demand for change in the culture of security in the United States. The advancement of technology in the past two decades is the second factor that has contributed to increased overall surveillance upon the average American. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the advancement of technology since the 2000s, go hand in hand in the intensification of national security practices. September 11th, 2001 created the desire for increasing and developing security and intelligence agencies, while newer more advanced technology allowed for the opportunity to appease people’s need to feel safe again.

Those older than Generation Z remember what life was like before the drastic transition American society has faced, however much of GenZ are not aware of how different life is now than before, this paper is to help educate those who aren’t aware of how 9/11 and technology influenced such drastic change in our society in the US and all over the world. This paper will explain the changes in the security practices and policies by observing development in security departments as well as advancements in technology and technology agencies and how these evolutions have affected American citizens.

One example of how security has changed is the complete reorganization of intelligence agencies. The government undertook the enormous process of reorganizing to better operate and use their resources to prevent terrorism. The FBI evolved to focus more heavily on intelligence than law enforcement. The reorganization also included larger budgets for security agencies. “Budgets for defense-related agencies also rose. The Coast Guard, TSA and Border Patrol budgets have all more than doubled since 2001″ (Villemez). Reorganizing helped to have more structure in the process of how intelligence agencies gather and share information. These changes, though not perfect, are an improvement for coordination between agencies and how they handle and share information now compared to before 9/11.

The development of security agencies was one endeavor the U.S. government undertook in the hope of better securing the U.S., minimizing the possibility of another such attack taking place, and encouraging a feeling of safety after the attacks instilled such fear among American citizens. Technology advances and security increases post 9/11 certainly have impacted our society in many positive ways, but at what cost to privacy, social interaction and pursuit of truth and connection? That remains to be seen because it is immeasurable and unknowable at this time. But what is known, is that the United States continues to face security and privacy challenges despite all of the technological development and interagency sharing of information.

I’m writing my research paper about the positive effects exercise has on mental health. I always have a hard time starting a paper because I get stuck on the introduction. So, my plan for this paper is to start with proving my points in my body paragraphs. Then I will work back to the intro and conclusion. I’m anxious my paper will be repetitive and won’t be long enough to meet the length requirement.

In my research paper, I am going to explore the positive effects exercise has on a person’s mental health, especially when they experience depression and/or anxiety. I’m curious to learn if exercise can be a completely alternative option from going to therapy or taking medication to try to treat depression/anxiety, or if it is only beneficial in addition to the more “traditional” treatments.

Transhumanism is a controversial topic that faces a lot of criticism. The controversial aspect that I will focus on is the idea that transhumanism creates a loss of human identity. It is believed to do so by the hope of creating a way to alter human genes to essentially construct human beings into more perfect versions of themselves. Bill McKibben, an environmental ethicist, argues in support of transhumanism being unethical. “He claims that it would be morally wrong for humans to tamper with fundamental aspects of themselves (or their children) in an attempt to overcome universal human limitations, such as vulnerability to aging, maximum life span and biological constraints on physical and cognitive ability.” As Bill McKibben states, society would be weird if everyone could alter themselves to overcome natural limitations. If we could alter ourselves to be perfect, it would eliminate the need for us to strive to be better which would produce an unmotivated society. The aspect of altering ourselves in Transhumanism is not what our society needs.

In his essay, Progress Built on a Wasteland: Electronic Consumerism & the Dangers of E-waste, Ben Schlusser writes about how the consumption of electronics is negatively affecting the environment. Schlusser establishes a strong sense of authority and credibility through his paper by always supporting his claims with evidence from highly regarded sources. As well as building credibility through evidence, Schlusser effectively appeals to the readers’ emotions by making them feel overwhelmed and saddened by the state of the environment as well as a sense of responsibility to create change. He does this especially well in the opening paragraph when he instills a sense of fear in the reader which catches their attention and creates a want to know more. “‘In Ghana, fires smolder and spew thick smoke across a blackened landscape littered with shiny green circuit boards and the emptied plastic shells of laptops (McElvaney).’ These scenarios seem apocalyptic, but they are real, and they are cropping up around the world every day.” 

Schlusser’s essay is successful in educating society on the problems caused by E-waste. His use of evidence is effective in supporting his thesis and inspiring the want and need for change. Overall, Schlusser writes a very moving and well-written essay.

Thesis: society’s constant consumption of electronics is having bad ecological effects on the environment
Audience: society, the people who are the consumers
Logos: uses a lot of evidence and stats from reliable sources to back up the claims
Ethos: strong, clear, confident tone – can tell they know what they’re talking about which gives them authority over the audience
Pathos: gives examples of what the waste/pollution is doing to the places it is dumped in – makes the audience feel sympathy

It was a rainy Thursday morning when I was called into the principal’s office. I was a terrified sixth grader that had never been called to the principal’s office before. I sat across from my principal as she told me my horse riding instructor, Ms. Frances, had been killed the day before in a horrible accident. She was crossing the street to get her mail when she was hit by a car and killed instantly. She gave me a few minutes to gather myself before sending me back to my class. I was in shock and as I walked back into my first-period class puffy and red, I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I then had to go through the entire day of classes in a numb and shocked state. I was then filled with so much frustration, confusion, and sadness that such an amazing and genuinely good person could be taken so suddenly. 

Experiencing loss is never easy, and almost never happens in a way that you’re expecting. Experiencing significant loss for the first time can feel absolutely impossible to overcome. As hard as it was to lose someone so special and meaningful to me at a young age, I learned a very valuable lesson from it. I learned to never take time with loved ones for granted because anything can change in an instant. Once your time with someone is gone, you can never get it back. However, I also learned that once someone special is a part of your life, you carry them with you even once they’re gone. 

Although no one wants to experience loss, a lot can be learned from such a difficult experience. After losing Ms. Frances, as hard as it was, I’m thankful I learned to not take time for granted before I was old and it was too late. Before the accident, I didn’t realize or care how much time I spent cooped up alone in my room on my phone. I’m now more conscious of what I do with my time and who I to spend it with, trying to never take the time I have/had with the people I love for granted. This lesson has been especially relevant since beginning college and being away from my people.  

Hey everyone! My name is Ella Ciccarone and I am from Baltimore, Maryland. I’m majoring in Psychology and think I’ll eventually minor in Business Management or Marketing. I’m technically an only child but my parents consider our dog to be their favorite child. Some things I like to do include hanging out with my friends and family, going to the gym, watching Netflix, and eating food. I’m looking forward to this year!