TOW #29 "Letter to a New APELC Student"

Dear Future Student,

Hey there.  I'm so glad you were able to take this course, since you are obviously a really good student and you must want to improve your skills and love English.  But, you probably have heard someone taking the class complain about the work load on occasion.  You might have also heard about getting bad grades on the summer essay or not getting the grade you wanted in a certain marking period.  You might also hear that this class was a horrible mistake, that you will certainly die before the AP testing.  However, about 50% of those things are only half-truths.

But seriously, this class was one of the most strenuous yet rewarding class I have ever taken.  At the end of the year, I have gain countless new skills.  I learned how to effectively close read, I learned how to write properly, and I learn a slew of new rhetorical devices to be used both in analyzing nonfiction pieces and in my own writing.  I have also learned a new appreciation for nonfiction, a genre of material that I have avoided like the plague before.  All in all, I ended the year with an A in the class, a new appreciation for nonfiction, and improved essays used in all my other subjects.

In this class, you really begin to acquire new skills for your formal writing.    The workload was not actually that bad.  I mean, it is an AP class, so you will have work to do.  And it will be challenging.  You will feel like it is too much to handle.  My biggest piece of advice is to do all the homework that Mr. Yost and Ms. Pronko assign.  That is a surefire way to improve any essay and see your grade in the class gradually increase.  Also, don't be discouraged by the summer essay.  You are not supposed to get an A on it.  It is used to show just how much you have grown as a student.  You will definitely see an improvement in your writing.  Remember that everyone last year passed.  So will you.

Best of luck,
Ian Wilenzik

TOW #28: TOW Reflection

I hate reflections, simply because it means that something is coming to an end.  I mean, who really likes endings?  But, as APELC comes to a close, it is time for that reflection I dislike so much.  Going back looking back at my TOWs, I started with a post which was viewed internationally, for some reason.  That was a TOW post from the summer about an essay called Insert Flap "A" and Throw Away.  As one of the first TOW post, it was pretty strong.  I did not realize how sassy and jovial I was in my writing.  Like, I do not remember writing phrases like "calling out those barons of insanity" or "obviously foaming at the mouth".  My voice was definitely strong in this TOW.  I also tried to substantiate my statements, a practice I may nor may not have forgotten to continue after about the halfway mark. However, the word and sentence choice was weak and repetitive, which made the essay seem less sophisticated.  Overall though, I thought I started off strong. 

Next, we travel to about the halfway mark, for TOW post #11, entitled Darwin's Dilemma.  It was before  I may or may not have stopped quoting the article.  One thing I noticed was that I was really trying to analyze the rhetorical strategies used in the article I read.  I noticed things like expert testimonial and the use of visual texts to augment understanding.  It seems to me that I was really using TOWs to my advantage, using them as another little practice analysis essay. My writing style seemed more varied, using a combinations of long and brief sentences, which made it seem more sophisticated.  

Finishing our tour of my APLEC year through TOWs, I go to TOW post #22 The Protein Merlin.  As one of my final TOW posts, I could really see how well my writing has come along.  Not only in this essay was my word choice better, but also my ideas were better formed.  I not only used information from the article, I also successfully tied in knowledge from other subjects (biology), which greatly built my ethos as a writer.  I also used this TOW post to work on the "so what" of the essay, which I often have trouble writing.  This so what, connecting the discovery to how discoveries, even simple ones, can have major effects to understanding in biology.  That was a pretty good way to wrap up a possible paper on the discovery.  Overall, I saw the quality of my writing improve in both content and style over the course of this class, invaluable skills as I am sure to learn very soon.

TOW #27 "2016 Political Race" Visual Text

  As we all know, the 2016 political race has begun to kick into gear.  This political cartoon addresses the states of the two competing political powers.   Recently, former first lady, Democrat Hilary Clinton announced her running for the presidency.  Since the AP mock gets closer, I will practice extrapolating the main rhetorical devices, especially for the analysis essays which often use visual texts as evidence.  The argument of this political cartoon is that although the Democrats have their candidate, the Republicans have more possibilities to run for president.

The first rhetorical device is the cards themselves.  The elephant, the universal symbol for the Republican Party, holds seven cards in its hand, representing the seven competing candidates.  However, the donkey, the symbol of the Democratic Party, holds one single card which says "old maid".  this refers to Hilary Clinton, which also suggesting that the Democratic party are putting all their eggs in Hilary Clinton's basket.  Also, the overall bias is toward the Republican party.  They make the argument that because the Republican party has a choice, they have a better chance at winning, whereas the Democratic party is worse off supporting only the "old maid".

Being my last TOW post before the mock, I anxiously await Wednesday, terrified out of my mind. 

TOW #26 "The Technology Gap" Article Post

One of the most powerful parts of this article was not the words, but instead the pictures. One picture could mean as much as a thousand words they say. These pictures, or rather, collages that embellished the article were full of "It Girls" and just at a glance you could recognize that at one point every woman up there had been idealized into an it girl. Then there's the pictures of magazine covers-most notably Vouge and Vanity Fair-which have the it girls posing. Not only does this sometimes create the "maniac pixie dream girl", as 500 days of Summer aptly put it, but it expects woman to conform to the standard of that one woman. It also pits women against each other in competition to be the "it girl" when really, we are all the It girl.

Now the It girl category is diversifying, take Lupita Nyongo and Benazir Bhutto, but this image limits the woman that it holds. Now, the media expects them to be the exact mix of sexy, demure, smart, but not too smart, different, but not too different, and they take away the power of the woman to define herself. One example of this is Clara Bow, from the 1920-30's. She was the starlet of Hollywood, until she went too much out of the box and proclaimed herself a feminist, gambling, drinking, and partying too much. But of course, the it girl mantle was passed on, as it always is. Take the quick switch from Jennifer Lawrence, to Lupita Nyongo, to Rosmund Pike. The article says, “It's another to see the term-and all its insidious, objectifying power- resurface, proliferate, and thrive nearly a centuary later. Only this time, it's saddled not on one woman, but any woman who seems primed to be more than an object-an It, passive and pliable-in the narrative of their own lives.”

TOW #25 "Depression in the Workplace" Article Post

I love to learn about mental illness, as I can use knowledge from biology and psychology and apply it to the real world.  As I have applied to the CHOP neurology program over the summer, I need to continue my research on mental illness and how everyday people live with it.  To find the answer, I turned to NPR, one of my favorite news stations, because of their balanced views on world events.  And after the Germanwings plane went down on account of a man with depression.  This article, entitled "Working Through Depression: Many Stay On The Job, Despite Mental Illness" by Rachel Martin, discusses the stigma.  In this article, Martin uses current events, the testimonies of people with depression, and expert testimonials to discuss depression and how it should not affect a persons career.

Since this is a practice TOW post, I won't go into great details about each rhetorical device.  I'll do the second one in great detail to practice the analytic style of writing.  Martin talks about an oncologist, Dr. Jay Lynch, who suffers from depression, but felt like he needed to keep his condition a secret to the point where he felt ready to take his own life.  He only stopped himself by finally talking to a very trusted patient who then turned Dr. Lynch to a psychiatrist.  It was with the psychiatrist that Dr. Lynch was able to get the help he desperately needed.  If Lynch, a highly trained professional, had not feared the stigma of getting fired for his mental illness, he would have sought help earlier.  Thankfully, he was able to save himself before he took his own life, although others are not so lucky.  Part of Martin's argument was that if people can openly discuss their problems, they will be able to live fuller, healthier lives.  Martin also discusses expert testimonial from Dr. Susan Goldberg, and the Germanwings incident to show how keeping depression a secret can have devastating affects.  These are Martin's rhetorical devices.  

http://www.npr.org/2015/04/12/398811515/working-through-depression-many-stay-on-the-job-despite-mental-illness

TOW #24 "Tusedays with Morrie" IRB Post

This book has destroyed me!!!!  It is one of the saddest, yet inspirational, books I have ever read.  There are so many lessons to be learned from the conversations between Mitch and Morrie.  There are so many quotes that I could dive into from the second half of my reading. The first quote was from Morrie, where he said "people are only mean when they are threatened".  In school, there are so many people who try their hardest to get your goat.  I have not experienced bullying or anything of the sort for a while, but I know that many people go through it on a daily basis.  It is important to remember that sometimes, the ones most mean to you are the most jealous of you. This quote reminds people to remain confident in ourselves, even when others try to destroy that confidence that we all try extremely hard to build up.

The next quote that I examined was about family, an important staple of my life and my religion.  It states "this is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there’s someone who is watching out for them. It’s what I missed so much when my mother died—what I call your ‘spiritual security’—knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame."  .  Although most people do not have strong relationships with their family, I have been close to my family.  I always feel that my family has been behind me, encouraging me to excel in life.  Even when my parents got divorced, both sides kept close to me and I never felt alienated.  The reason that Albom included this in his memoir was that he wanted to stress the importance of family.  While Morrie realized that he was dying, the people who want to be close to him would be his family.  Family and confidence in yourself are the most important things in life, brought to my attention when reading this book,

TOW #23 "The Effects of Cannabis on Bipolar Disorder" Article Post

In my interest in mental disorders has lead me to read many articles on diverse psychiatric disorders.  In one article that came out on the 13th talked about the relation between bipolar disorder and cannabis in London.  A study done by the Lancaster University said that, although only 2% of Britain's population has bipolar disorder, 60% used cannabis.  And most people assume that most use cannabis to deal with the depressive state.  This study, which asked bipolar patients to log their feelings and their drug use, showed that most people use cannabis when they are in a good mood, not a bad mood.  But, because of the drug use, it causes the manic and depressive stages to become worse. The study showed that people use cannabis to self-medicate, even though their medicine is actually making them worse. 

This article gives an implicit warning to everyone suffering from bipolar disorder.  Even though the cannabis might make you feel better short term, the worsening of your symptoms only make you more dependent on the drugs.  Even though the studies next course is to see the long term of the cannabis on this emotional disorder, the current study suggests that drug use may seem like a way to handle a hard-to-control situation, but it actually makes it worse.  This implicit argument, much like the one featured in our latest multiple choice reading, was subtle and probably going to be on the AP test.  This was good practice for May.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150313130855.htm

TOW #22 "The Protein Merlin" Article Post

One central idea of biology, which I learned especially once I got into AP Biology, is cell communication.  The idea that cells are able to not only able to regulate their own lives, but other cells around them, are fascinating to me.  I mean, it's what allows multicellular organisms, from tomatoes to scorpions to our own species, to evolve.  It also helps cells differentiate, causing the creation of complex organ systems, such as the digestive, circulatory, and immune systems.  One such system that this article concerns is the skin layers that hold our insides inside and keep the outside outside.  When this extremely important line of defense is breeched because of a puncture, the skin must heal and close the gap to not allow pathogens in to our fragile internal environment.  In this article, a protein named after the famous medieval magician, merlin, was discussed in the healing of wounds.  Apparently, the protein helps the "herd instinct" of cells to move to form the seal to heal the wound.  The protein also stops cancer cells from spreading throughout the body.

This find helps us take a step closer to knowing how our bodies work.  But, it also takes a step closer to understanding cancer and it's spread through out the body.  For some reason, this protein helps stop the spread of cancer cells.  By perfecting the knowledge of this protein, scientists might be able to isolate cancer in the body and stop cancer from metastasizing, which is often what causes death in cancer patients.  This really shows how a simple discovery can cause major discoveries down the road in biology.  

http://phys.org/news/2015-03-protein-merlin-cell-movement-effective.html

TOW Post #21 "Gillette Saftey Razor" Visual Post

As we learn about the Toulmin argument, I annoyingly start to see it everyrwhere I look, especially in advertisements.  To practice the Toulmin method, I researched some advertisements when I came across this older gillette poster, which contained both explicit and implicit parts of the Toulmin method.  The main explicit claim of the poster is "you should buy a saftey razor."  The explicit grounds is that "the saftey razor will not injure a grown man."  The warrant, which is implicit in this instance, states "you should buy a product that that does not injure you", with the backing being "even a baby can use this product without injuring themselves."  Although there do not appear to be any qualifiers or reservations, some can by made up.  A possible qualifier would by "the razor does not always injure you".  A possible reservation could be "unless you are satisfied with your currect razor. 

This advertisement does a very good job of using the Toulmin method to prove their claim.  the connections between claim, grounds, warrant, and backing all flow together well.  It is this ability to connect these points that makes this advertisement a good one.  It also makes the logical connection using the baby picture.  By saying that something is so easy that even a baby could do it is the ultimate explanation of ease.  The effective use of the Toulmin method and the underlying logical argument makes me glad to own and use gillette saftey razors myself.

TOW #20 "Tuesdays with Morrie" IRB Post

I find myself halfway through yet another book, which has been difficult to find time to read even with the relative shortness of the novel.  And what it lacks in physical length it more then makes up for in tears shed.  Normally I do not like biographies, because I know how it ends.  George Washington becomes the first president of the United States.  Marie Antionette looses her head (haha I'm funny sometimes).  Thomas Edison cuts down competition from Telsa by electricuting an elephant named Topsie to death.  The mystery and magic that comes from fiction very rarely translates over into fiction's stuffy cousin.  However, Tuesdays with Morrie has a different feel to it.  First off, I did not previously know of professor Morrie Schwartz before reading the novel.  I knew Morrie would not survive to the end of the book, butI realized that his survival was not the focus on the novel.  I realized that is was not even really about Morrie, but his legacy passed onto Mitch Albom, who then wrote everything down.

I enjoyed reading the first half of Tuesdays with Morrie for many reasons.  For instance, Morrie was Jewish, a trait shared by both him and myself.  In fact, Morrie comes from the Jewish word meaning "my teacher".  Also, Morrie has ALS.  And even though ALS has not affected my family so far, my family suffers from a variety of mental disorders, which I cannot name to keep privacy for my family.  Knowing just how hard it is to stuggle through life with either physical or mental disorders made me connect to the character.  The fact that Morrie can still function as an incredibly intelligent and functioning member of society gives me hope for my future.  And I believe that was the point of the book, at least so far.  That even though we are told that we won't accomplish our dreams because of how our bodies are broken, we can still touch the lives of others greatly.  And I plan to go out tomorrow and inspire just as Morrie had.

TOW #19 "New Years Resolutions" Visual Post

As the new year of 2015 has gotten off to a less then spectacular start.  But, it's nice to know that some have decided that they need a change.  In this political cartoon, we see all sides of the political spectrum making claims of change in the coming year, along with the voters saying that they will no longer be listening to the politicians.  The humor comes from the fact that the resolutions' date is not specified.  These are the same promises we hear every year from politicians and voters alike. But, along with calling out the lying politicians, the author calls out the voters for believing the lies yet again.  This author calls out everyone in their own lies.

This author uses inductive reasoning to reach the conclusion.  By saying that politicians lie, and that we will start being more selective in what we believe, and still nothing has changed, the author concludes that we are still not as discerning as we previously believed.  Because we want to change and because nothing has, it means that the both the politicians and the voters are lying.  The politicians are not going to be more positive, bipartisan, or truthful. The voters are not going to stop believing the politician's tales.  In order for the problems of politics to be fixed, both the voters and politicians need to open their eyes and stop lying to themselves and each other.

TOW #18 "Fact or Fiction?: The Ebola Virus Will Go Airborne " Article Post

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-the-ebola-virus-will-go-airborne/

In these set of articles, the author, in this instance Dina Fine Maron, health writer for Scientific America, intends to address a rumor or myth circulating the scientific community and question their validity. I this article, Maron discusses a claim made by Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, who said that Ebola's transmitttion through the airwas a real possibility. Maron asks other infectious disease experts who all claim that though the neccessary series of mutations to make Ebola airborn is possible, it is extrememly unlikely. Also, Ebola would have to adapt to thriving in the respitory system if it were to become airborn, because Ebola in its current state thrives in blood vessels.

This articles structure was very helpful in terms of following her argument. Maron starts off with an introduction to the issue, mainly asking "Could Ebola go airborne?" Next, she tells an anecdote about Osterholm and his New York Times op-ed peice. Following, she gives a point-counterpoint for the validity of airborn Ebola. Even though she concludes that its very unliekly that Ebola will spread through the air, her counterpoint is that it is possible, although extremely unliekly. Then she cites studies done where Ebola was able to be transmitted through the air, although neither study could replicate their data again. Her conclusion deals with the fact that even though Ebola is unlikely to dpreadthrough the air, it is still an extremely dangerous disease that needs massive humanitarian and medical attention. By showing that Ebola is still dangerous without being airborn, Maron dispells the myth without dispelling the danger. It really helps you remember that sometimes, just because something is not as bad as it could be, things can still be pretty bad.

IRB Intro #3 "Tusdays with Morrie"

Like most books in this world that end up on my shelf, the desire to read them came from my parents.  My mother loves the boo "Tusdays with Morrie", a memior of a college student and his professor with ALS.  I decided to read this for my IRB, since I have not read a memoir for my IRB yet.  Also, with ALS such a hot topic from over the summer, I thought I might get some insight into what it is like to interact with someone who has ALS. I want to see how the author, Mitch Alborn, deals with the idea that his beloved professor is dying before his eyes.  It sounds like a fun and interesting read.

TOW #17 "Atypical Features in Bipolar Disorder" Text Post

As the second semester starts, my schedule placed me in Psychology class.  And since I am very interested in different psychological disorders and I'm trying to expand my knowledge of different scientific articles, I decided to read an article on a disorder.  This article discussed the mood disorder bipolar disorder.  In this article, the author, Shreeya Nanda, who is the head writer of medwire, talks about the large number of people with bipolar disorder with atypical symptoms.  The criteria is a patient showing two or more symptoms not normal to bipolar under the DSM-IV.  The study, done in China, found that 11.8% of people with bipolar show atypical symptoms.  That number jumps up to 33.8% when the patients take antidepressants. Since many people in China with bipolar are treated with antidepressants for their depressive states, they begin to show symptoms.

The article makes the argument that the treatment of bipolar patients in China makes it worse for the patients.  There is no scientific evidence that antidepressants help bipolar patients.  In fact, antidepressants might make the bipolar disorder worse.  According to the article, antidepressants raise the likelihood of a person to develop atypical symptoms.  With the development of atypical symptoms, the patient will no longer be able to be treated under the DSM-IV.  The treatment might actually be hurting the patients.  The argument of the essay is that China needs to start treating their patients better.  Instead of putting the people with bipolar on antidepressants, they need to start using more modern and up-to-date methods of treatment.  The article also claims the need for better education of Chinese physicians on mental disorders like bipolar.  Maybe we as American citizens also need to be better educated on matters of mental disorders too.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150130/Atypical-features-common-in-bipolar-disorder-subtypes-associated-with-therapy.aspx

TOW #16 "The Blind Side" IRB 2

We have now reached the final TOW post of the 1st semester of my junior year. Kinda sad, isn't it?  Anyway, I have finished The Blind Side.  And, to get a comparison, I also watched the movie, which was as good as I remember.  First off, The Blind Side was written like a fiction book, making it very easy to read, being the great fiction reader I am.  The story of Oher was written as if the author, Michael Lewis, had made up the character of Michael Oher.  That makes me question some things about the story.  First off, although I’m sure Michael Oher was a very good person, he was human.  It seemed like the only aggression Oher had was on the football field.  But, did he have any other problems?  I also felt like they brushed over Oher’s acclimation, other than his problems with school.  In the movies, however, I could see the almost shyness and awkwardness from Quinton Aaron, the actor who played Michael Oher in the movie.  He seemed overwhelmed by the kindness of the Tuohy family. 

One part I really liked was the analysis of the “quarterback” and how Oher revolutionized the importance of the offensive line on the left side.  The explanation was that since most quarterbacks are right handed, their backs are turned against the left side.  If a defensive player broke through the left side of the line, then the quarterback would never see the person coming.  This “blind side” became important to block after Oher began playing, since Oher was not only huge, but fast. This idea of the protectiveness of Oher, both on the field and off, was worked extremely well into both the movie and the book.  Even though I don’t fully enjoy sports, this book of success against the odds really was a great read.

TOW # 15 "Caro Emerald" Article Post

As the take home essay looms closer, I am putting some final touches on the paper.  But, I still feel as if it could be more like a review and less like a strict, slightly boring essay.  To get more of the feel of a review, I went to the Guardian, where I read up on one of my favorite singers of all time, the Dutch singer Caro Emerald and her preformance at the Royal Festival Hall in London.  You will remember, last time, I read an article about Evanescence.   There, I determined that diction in a review is key.  I saw this repeated in the Emerald reivew, with the writer Caroline Sullivan writing "the salsa-hop My 2 Cents was even written about the floppy-fringed guitarist, apparently – she's [Caro Emerald's] too cracking a singer to fade into the background."  While reading these words, mainly "crackling" and "floppy-fringed", I begin to form a picture about Miss Emerald's preformance.  I imagine the crisp insturments, the dynamic singing of Miss Emerald as her long-haired guitarist jams tothe song about himself.  These descriptions make me both feel like I was there and make me want to listen to her on a day to day basis (let's pretend I don't already.)  For my Gotham review, I have to use flowery language to describe something.  Saying something is good does not cut it.  I need to say "dynamic", "intreging", or "ground-shattering". 

The next thing I noticed was the comparisons used in the article.  Sullivan compared Caro Emerald's preformance and songs to many things, saying "Emerald is perhaps the most easily digested of the retro-jazz/soul vocalists that have followed in Amy Winehouse's wake".  By comparing a relatively unknown singer to a widely known and loved preformer, the audience gets a better feling for the argument Sullivna is trying to make.  In mine, I would probably benefit from comparing Gotham to other famous forms of Batman, like the "Dark Night" franchise or the animated TV series.  Since Gotham is darker, I think running parallels to the Dark Night would greatly benefit my argument.  With these things in mind, I retire to finish my essay.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/15/caro-emerald-review