E110 FA19 Class Blog

The beauty industry seems to prioritize the perfection and beauty of oneself rather than the health effects to its customers. Most notably synthetic nails are lined with a gel that have many noxious chemicals that can severely damage the human body. There have been little to no steps to help prevent or remove these toxins from the products they give to customers at all.The most notable chemical is Methacrylates. This chemical produces long term effects to consumers and is very dangerous and is found in most nail polishes and gels with in salons around the world. Constant exposure to methacrylates can give you major problems to your overall health. Studies have found that it can give you asthma due to inhaling the chemicals found in the polish and synthetic nails. Also nerve damage can also be obtained by receiving acrylic nail treatments in salons. A women lost her sense of touch due to the chemical found inside the products. What I gathered from Mya’s essay was that the Salons and the federal government have taken no steps to reduce the use of methacrylate in their products.They are more concerned with greed and profit that the safety and satisfaction with the consumer’s overall health. If the FDA does not intervene there may be more cases and people could be irreversibly injured during their lifetime.

Thesis: “it is up to festival officials to change the rhetoric and focus on absolute drug eradication within contemporary music festivals to a more hands-on, harm-reduction approach.”

• Thesis is located at the end of the first paragraph, not necessarily a very clear statement due to the thesis being spread out amongst the entire first paragraph. 
• Possibly done to provide background knowledge before just throwing a claim out there but it makes it hard to decipher where the thesis is specifically because many different claims are made and audiences targeted throughout the paragraph

Target Audience: It doesn’t appear as if there is one specific target audience rather than an informative piece meant for music festival goers, government, and the event organizers.

Ethos: The author displays her credibility throughout the article by providing statistics or quotes that back up her arguments. 

• By providing quotes from legitimate resources to back up even the smallest of statements such as the effects a drug has on the body the author establishes credibility through essentially letting the reader know that everything being mention is backed up, which does a lot for her credibility. 

Pathos: Lauryn Daniels appeals to the emotions and sympathy of the readers very simply. The article discusses solutions to the problem of drug related deaths and how to prevent these at concerts specifically, so obviously she is rooting for festival attendees by looking out for their well being. She also suggests ways for police to go about handling drug use at concerts in a way that wont make people scared of them but more open to talking to them and seeking help when needed. Lastly, she appeals to the festival coordinators because the end goal is to make the festival environment safer and more enjoyable, both of which are better for business and better for people who care about the well being of the attendees. 

Logos: By providing the reader with statistical evidence on different drugs used at festivals, what they do, why they are used, and how the drugs’ effects mix with the environment at a festival Daniels essentially makes it out to be common sense to want to have ready access to care if this is what people are doing and nothing else is going to stop them from taking these drugs.

Kairos: The topic of drug usage at music concerts and festivals is one that has been around for the past couple decades, more commonly back in the day was the use of drugs at rock concerts but now the use of illicit drugs is widespread throughout music festivals where all types of music is displayed. In recent years it appears as if the drug scene at music festivals has been on a rapid incline which is good for the timing of this paper to be released. Drug use at festivals is something that I am aware happens a lot so the second I read the title I knew I wanted to read into this topic a little more, I do not regret doing so either because the topic is something that is relevant today and has been relevant for a very long time which allows readers of a wide age range to be able to read and understand the situation.

The essay “Death, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” by Lauryn Daniels focuses on the issue of drug use at music festivals, and the lack of control for the issue. I think Daniels’ use of diction makes her essay effective and her argument is stronger because of it. Daniels uses words that are more advanced and make sense to her target audience, festival officials. She does not waste time explaining things that the audience would already know about festivals. Daniels also takes advantage of kairos in this essay. Music Festivals have been festivals have become very popular in the past couple years, and they continue to get bigger and bigger each year. This also means drugs increasingly become a problem for festival officials to figure out. As more and more youth attend these festivals, drugs become easier to access and the risk gets higher and higher. Daniels argument is automatically made stronger by how prevalent this issue has become.

Her target audience is very clearly people who run music festivals, as her argument is about controlling the use of drugs in this setting, however, I do think Daniels spends most of the essay explaining why drugs are bad rather than how festivals can improve drug control. Daniels’ paragraphs are broken up by the different dangers festival drug use can bring, and she proves her points mainly through quoted articles on similar subjects. I do think Daniels is lacking in statistical evidence, which would help her back up the claim that this issue is as large as she describes it to be. 

The Ethics and Aesthetics of Photojournalism essay by Author Smolens was filled with different modes of persuasion and used many reliable sources in order to support her argument. Her appeals to the readers emotions are very effective in her argument and allows for the reader to make a stronger personal connection with the topic. She uses a real example of a photograph from war and explains how this image provides true insight for the observer about the topic of war and danger. Her diction also connects with her emotional appeals by using sad words, like grotesque, broken, and scary. In addition, she talks about the media today and how that has an impact on photojournalism. This was powerful because she uses an example that the reader most likely has a lot of knowledge about, which makes this connection between media and photojournalism a lot easier. Further, she uses many different sources to obtain credibility in her essay. Sources like National Press, Code of Ethics, and the New York Times all shared their input on photojournalism and this information was able to support Smolen’s claim. It may be argued that she used too many sources, but the more sources that were provided supporting her claim, the more informed on the topic Smolens seemed to be. Lastly, two photojournalists themselves shared the reasoning for taking these photographs and how they are meant to send out a message to everyone. Overall, the author was successful in explaining her argument and provided the reader with a lot of unknown knowledge.  From this, she delivers the message that observers now need to be aware of this personal connection that occurs through photojournalism and how it is supposed to help individuals.

Hello, my name is Matteo Nally, I am 18 years old and I attend the University of Delaware where I plan to declare for Finance by the end of my Freshman year. I was born and raised in Delaware, throughout my life I moved many times but always generally stayed in the Wilmington, Hockessin, and Newark Area. Some hobbies of mine include intramural basketball, fishing and rugby which I just started playing only a year ago.

Lily Beatty

Thesis: “That’s right: internet memes played a role in my depressive spiral.” 

The author focuses the argument around how memes have normalized suicidal tendencies, which played a role in her own experience with depression. 

Target Audience: Gen Z (the generation creating and exchanging these memes) as well as possibly adults who don’t necessarily see these memes but have children who do

Ethos:

-The author establishes authority throughout the argument by providing their own experiences with depression 

– Author sites credible sources, such as a reddit post concerning the subject matter, as well as screenshots from various social media accounts and quotes from credible university and health resource studies

Pathos: 

-Using their own personal experience, the author evokes emotion throughout the piece by giving the audience a raw perspective to view the argument through

-Using memes and screenshots form popular social media accounts makes the piece relatable for an audience who has seen these sort of memes and accounts

Logos

-The author presents her own experience with depression then explains how social media played a role in it makes argument flow well and logical.

-Providing examples of these memes throughout the argument as well helps build perspective and logic

Kairos:

-The piece is very relevant in today’s times with the overwhelming presence of social media in society.

Thesis: Since Methacrylate is being used in nail products, consumers and businesses should choose between our health and our beauty because the chemical causes harmful side effects.

Ethos:

• examples on research  (“In a study conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, one nail technician experienced a loss of voice, rhinitis and recurrent sinusitis”)
• trying to educate
•  “A technician showed progressed bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma of an occupational origin, which developed only a year into her work.”

Pathos:

• makes reader feel emotional by showing the illness and harm people are getting (nail technicians + clients)
• ““In a study performed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel involving eleven people, seven experienced painful skin reactions upon contacting ethyl methacrylate in acrylic nails.” makes reader feel emotional by showing the illness and harm people are getting”

Kairos:

• “In a separate analysis examining the total capital expenditure, or CAPEX, for the U.S. nail industry, it was shown that an estimated $6.16 billion was spent in 2007 (Industry Outlook) and another $8.53 billion almost ten years later. ” — this means the industry is at its highest right now which means change has to come because more people are doing their nails
• “While a majority of clientele are women ages thirty and older, younger women and a rising number of men are going to nail salons as well to treat themselves. Some of the most popular types of nail services offered to customers, according to a survey conducted by Nail Magazine, are acrylic and gel manicures, the latter having increased in popularity by almost twenty-seven-percent within the past decade “In a separate analysis examining the total capital expenditure, or CAPEX, for the U.S. nail industry, it was shown that an estimated $6.16 billion was spent in 2007 (Industry Outlook) and another $8.53 billion almost ten years later. ” — this means the industry is at its highest right now which means change has to come because more people are doing their nails”

• Thesis
  • “That’s right: internet memes played a role in my depressive spiral.”
  • The writer gives a clear and concise thesis as to where part of her depression stemmed from
  • This thesis statement gave a great introduction for many of the facts behind memes/depression written in the journal

• Target Audience
  • People who are suffering from depression, specifically as a result from memes
  • People who participate in creating memes
  • Internet/Social media users

• Ethos
  • Showing personal vulnerability from meme depression gives the author authority
  • The author uses different examples of memes that could have effect on people
  • The author also uses sources to enhance her authority

• Pathos
  • Emotion is the biggest strength of the article
  • The author uses emotion to grab readers, using herself as a victim of meme depression was the start
  • Using meme examples of certain emotions that we go through as people was a great way to connect with the reader

• Lagos
  • Again, the writer does a great job of making her situation logical to the reader by her meme examples. (A screenshot where an official Twitter account suggests to a person that memes are more beneficial than seeing professional help)
  • The way that the situation is explained throughout the journal brings logic. Simply, for people suffering from depression, memes can cause an added promotion to unhealthy behaviors

• Kairos
  • A sensitive, common, and dangerous topic such as depression itself brings about an urgency to help the issue
  • Memes are very frequent and viral. There is a sense of urgency to fix the problem because of how fast and widespread they are

Thesis: “While photojournalism may be exploitive, this exploitation is not always unethical and sometimes even necessary in creating an image that is both beautiful and impactful. This allows for photographs to reveal truths about human activity and humanity as a whole, as well as encourage compassion and reflection within viewers.”
The thesis appears at the end of the introduction paragraph, summing up her entire argument before she goes more in depth in the body paragraphs.

Target audience: The target audience is the general public, but more specifically people who view these photos.

Logos: The author uses logic/ reasoning to point out that the benefits of photojournalism and why it is important while also giving validity to counterpoints. She refers to photographs from Sebastiao Salgado and Paolo Pellegrin to support her argument, who both use editing/ the addition of artistic elements to their photos to leave a deeper impact on the viewers.

Ethos: Smolens’ quotes reputable sources on photography, specifically photojournalism, such as the NPPA and their Code of Ethics, author of “Photojournalism” David Finkelstein, The New York Times, and more.

Pathos/Kairos: Arguably Smolens’ most prominent method of argumentation, she oftens appeals to the audience’s emotions by referring to the emotional impact of photos and how viewers feel when they experience these photos, whether it be horrified or in awe.

Moral/rational argument: Her argument is focused on the morality/ethicalness of photojournalism.

Thesis: “Protest does not signify the absence of patriotism; rather, it is an exhibition of patriotism. Protest provides all people with an equal opportunity to raise awareness of the issues that plague their country and argue for ways in which it can be made better.” This excerpt shows the thesis of the article, which is that protest shouldn’t be viewed as “unpatriotic,” and the author continues further to explain that it is necessary in a democracy.

Audience: The audience of this argumentative piece are those with the same views as Hillyner, who was quoted in the article. Hillyner believed that modern day protests are “hideously rude” and unpatriotic, which the author is trying to persuade the opposite.

Ethos: In the opening paragraph, the author creates a comfort in credibility, as she continuously is up front and states her knowledge on the subject, as seen in the qutoes, “Despite the fact that our country was founded based on a protest,” or “Past movements for change, like the Civil Rights Movement, had each received a fair share of backlash from the public when they began.” By bringing up these topics, it gives the reader a sense that the author has researched the topic in depth, as these are setting up the themes for the argument and will be present throughout its entirety.

Logos: The use of logos in this piece explains the magnitude of situations, as shown in “with transit services logging 275,000 metro riders at 11:00 that morning,” and “By 1967, 15,058 Americans were killed; 109,527 Americans were wounded; the cost of the war had risen to $25 billion per year; and about 40,000 troops were being called to service each month.” This data allows the reader to digest the information being given, which makes it easier for them to keep following along with the article. Another area that logos is used in the article is related to a survey in which “61% of adults who were part of a national sample disapproved of what the Freedom Riders… 51%, of adults who responded to an online survey… Only 35% of people approved of what Kaepernick was doing, and 13% had yet to form an opinion.”

Pathos: The major area where the author includes pathos involves the Civil Rights Movement, specifically Martin Luther King Jr. The author describes how King “was portrayed as a troublemaker with ill intentions, which proves that it takes time for people to adjust to the positive change that is so often brought about by protest.” This quote relates back to the beginning idea that protests are not always widely accepted at first, but are eventually seen as something that was desperately needed. The events of the past are then directly related to the present, in the quote “As citizens of a free country, if we desire, we have the right to raise our voices, make a speech, march in a rally, or take a knee in protest.“ Bringing American rights into the argument influences the targeted audience, as they believe that they are taking advantage of them.

Kairos: The topic being discussed in the article is one that is very old, but comes in many different forms. The author gives modern day examples, however, as seen in the quote “The past decade has seen a rise in the number of movements for change, as well as in the number of participants. Events like 2018’s March for Our Lives and 2017’s Women’s March on Washington called upon marginalized groups of people to stand up for the fate of their future in this country.” This inclusion of specific events helps it to stay relevant, as the readers have a reference for what time period the author is referring to.