The World is Doomed

Annie Mema

Mr. Felder

AP English Language P.8

4 January, 2017

The World is Doomed

Humans; we are the cause of all of Earth’s troubles. Our spectacular brains have constructed ways to damage our home without even realizing it. We live in an imagination where we think the world is going to heal itself and all problems will be resolved. How are we supposed to expect our ragged world to heal when we’re constantly destroying it?

The reality of it all, is that we live in a world full of hatred. With countless opinions and numerous beliefs, disagreements are bound to happen, but they happen to an extreme. Nowadays, people live in fear that by saying one wrong thing, they’ll be hurt or even die. In addition,we also live in a world where war is constantly occurring and thousands of people's lives are sacrificed. Terrorism is the greatest fear people have because no matter where you are, anything can happen. Just recently, there was a terrorist attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on New Year’s Eve. This tragic incident unfortunately killed 40 people for no evident reason.  If people are dying for no reason, how is there hope for a world filled with hatred?

Also, we occupy a world with such advanced technology and pollution. The world has numerous of factories that work nonstop that also have constant waste coming out of them. These waste products aren’t cared for and end up in oceans, lakes and even on land that result into hazardous living conditions. Millions of species have become endangered because of the horrid pollution that wrecks their homes. If the rate of pollution continues to increase, it will become toxic to live on a planet where radiation could kill us because of the poor care we take of ourselves. We are quite doomed if there isn’t a quick solution to help save the planet. War weapons have always been known to have deadly chemicals in them, and one of the best known chemical battle is the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan during World War 2. Imagine if every country had that same access; we’d all be exposed to radiation and mutations in our DNA, and possibly wouldn’t exist.

There’s a loss in humanity. We’ve lost all perspective of what life is really about. If you were to survey people and ask what was most important in their lives, they would reply with answers such as, “Make-up, video games, my phone, computer, etc.” I don’t believe that people would answer saying that their parents, friends or education are the most important things in life. They don’t know about the real problems going on in the world because they are so consumed in their own lives. The lack of awareness is crucial to saving humanity. Some may say that saving the world isn’t their job, and although it’s true, our bloodline may not last very long because of the way we left the planet for our kids, grandkids, and generations that follow. World peace is inevitable, however trying to making a difference is what counts.

There’s only so much we can do in our lifetime, but the smallest change can have the greatest ripple effect.

Me Talk Pretty One Day Rhetorical Analysis

Annie Mema

Mr. Felder

AP English Language P.8

November 20, 2016

Rhetorical Analysis

In the essay “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” by David Sedaris, one rhetorical device used is pathos. The forty-one year old author allows all readers to have a glimpse of his life when he was learning French and what it was like having a language barrier. In the beginning of his essay, Sedaris writes, “Have you ever been in a situation where you did not speak the prevalent language - for example, in a foreign country, a language class…?”Asking this rhetorical question makes any reader think back to their own personal experience and makes a personal connection. After describing how his french professor interrogated his classmates, Sedaris states, “My fear and discomfort crept beyond the borders of my classroom and accompanied me out onto the wide boulevards… there was no escaping the feeling of terror I felt whenever anyone asked me a question”(Sedaris, 284). The author shares how daunted he felt whenever people asked him questions in French because of the way his professors tough teaching lessons, and this appeals to emotion because it is something that has happened to someone in their lifetime or eventually will happen.

Another rhetorical device Sedaris uses in his essay is dismissive diction. It was evident that the author’s French professor was demeaning, by the way she treated students and how she spoke to them. When talking about an encounter with a young, optimistic Yugoslavian girl who loved everything, and the professor, Sedaris writes, “The teacher licked her lips, revealing a hint of the sadist we would later come to know. She crouched low for her attack, placed her hands on the young woman’s desk, and said, ‘oh, yeah? And do you love your little war’”(Sedaris, 293). The words ‘sadist’ and ‘attack’ have a negative connotation and give them impression that the professor is an awful woman who sees her students as her prey.

An issue brought up in the essay was with the author having a language barrier and in today’s society, it’s still pretty evident. The author shares his experience of going to France and being able to only understand half of what everyone was saying, and with his sadistic professor, learning the language was even more difficult. People today have the trouble of speaking another language because they fear they will be mocked and made fun of. In New York, a great majority of people are bilingual because of the great diverse place we live in. If a foreigner were to move somewhere less diverse, like Alabama, there’s a greater chance that they will be mocked for having an accent and not speaking English clearly. There’s a reason that schools require learning a foreign language so when traveling or encountering a foreigner, there's a slighter gap in the language barrier. If there’s ever an opportunity to learn another language, everyone should take advantage of it.

School Unifroms

Annie Mema

Mr. Felder

AP English Language and Composition

26 September, 2016

School Uniforms

For decades, public and private schools have required students to wear school uniforms every day, following strict regulations and never questioning them. As society has modernized, school uniform requirements have drastically declined and are mostly found in private schools. However, is this the right course of action? The freedom to choose any type of clothing is claimed to give students a way to express themselves and be comfortable in their own skin. Although true, this freedom has also been a great key to bullying and taunting, based on different styles and budget cuts. It is evident that all families have different salaries and annual incomes, so some kids wouldn’t have luxurious clothes as others. Parents also argue that their children shouldn’t be focusing on what types of shoes to wear or what brand their clothes are, and should focus on their academic success.

School uniforms may seem as boring, but it is a safe approach for students. They can live out of fear from bullying, teasing or any sort of body shaming. Having a unison of school uniforms can also help parents limit certain clothes and have a set budget on the clothes. When I was in elementary school, all students had to follow a certain dress code for assemblies and concerts, and everyone looked so nice and classy. If we were to wear the same thing everyday, the school would look very proper and students would all seem very punctual and scholarly. Uniforms keeps things simple and really change school environments, saves time and money and should definitely make a comeback. 

According to Zinsser’s strategies in Chapter 10, I’ve used Little Qualifiers, Mood Changers and Paragraphs. Zinger states that it’s very important to keep things clean and simple and use words to dilute your style. I used little qualifiers because I wanted to from my own style and write about what I believe in. I also use mood changers, such as “however” and “although” to let readers know the process of the argument and to make it easier for them to understand my opinion. Paragraphs are also important because keeping them short and straight to the point really helps your writing. I used it to space out the writing and keep things simple and straight to the point.