In Class Free Write

This past weekend was a great weekend. On Friday I played golf all day with a few friends. After that I went home and took a quick shower and went to grill out over at one of my friend's house. We ate some smoked chicken that was absolutely awesome. Also on the menu were green beans and mac-n-cheese. The mac-n-cheese was homemade and tasted great. On Saturday, I played in a little charity benefit golf tournament put on by Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority called Kappa Kaddy. My group included three of my fraternity brothers and myself. We played golf and had some fun. Saturday night, I went back over to my friend's house to grill once again. This time we enjoyed some pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes. This was by far the best pork tenderloin that I have ever put in my mouth. After that we decided to go to another small house party followed by a trip to the bar. Both night were very enjoyable. On Sunday, I watched golf and met with my wonderful English group. We met in the library around 3 PM and left around 4 PM. All-in-all it was an eventful weekend.

Unit 3 Proposal

Well it’s about that time to choose our topic. Last week our group made the decision that we were going to argue against the bill that would allow students on public university campuses in Texas would carry handguns. Students would have to have their Concealed Handgun License and must be 21 years old. I think that this is a scary proposition. I also find this a little daunting because I would not like to be in a class with a student who receives an F on a test and has a Glock 9 mm in his backpack. I have always believed that one of the scariest situations in college would be someone with a gun on campus who is mowing down students in front of the library. Also, carrying a gun in a backpack would not be too different from the Plaxico Burress case when he was in a New York nightclub and he shot himself in the leg with the pistol that was in his pocket. You just never know when a gun may go off. For our visual argument we are planning on doing a series of signs that would be read as students walk. This message would be conveyed in five or six signs placed in a row that could reach a high amount of people because of the amount of activity that occurs on campus. Also, one argument that could really help us convey our message would be a list of student’s names that have been killed on college campuses. This could also be used in a paragraph form and may be more effective.

In Class Bloggin'

Two questions on pages 418 through 422 that I believe will really help our group in Unit 3 are: "What does the creator intend its effects to be?" and "How is the visual text composed? What's your eye drawn to first?". The first question will be helpful to our group because we will be creating arguments and will have understand what our arguments will accomplish. We will need to have a target audience and must understand what kind of controversy we will stir with each argument as well as what target outcome we will be shooting for. The next question is a question on visual texts. We talked some about this earlier in the semester in class when we looked at a picture with a young girl holding a cigarette in a somewhat dark and ominous setting. I like this question because it will help our group understand how and what kinds of visual arguments to choose. A visual text is a complex thing if you spend time working on it. We must focus on the initial argument or statement that our visual argument makes because the first impression will be the biggest factor in creating an argument with a visual text.

In Class Free Write

In last night's reading I found it very interesting that style and word choice effect arguments that we make. I am a person who deals with a lot of things through e-mail because I am always go the go or always on the golf course where I can not talk on the phone. I have an iPhone so I can just pull it out and type an e-mail when necessary. I really like the idea that style and word choice has a lot to do with the state of arguments. To me, I like this because I spent a pretty large amount of time typing e-mails and text messages because I have to with what I do. I am a college student and I have to sometimes communicate my ideas and concerns with professors through e-mail at times. I think that this chapter will be very useful to our project because it tells students how to make arguments effectively.

I believe that this information will be beneficial because I now understand how to make arguments in different ways. Say I wanted to appeal ethically to my reader; I could write in a different manner than if I wanted to create excitement. I believe that having read this information I can see how it is definitely going to help. One other aspect of the chapter's reading that I believe will help me is the portion about how arguments are not just words. I already understood this but I believe that this section will help me and my group to make an effective argument with a political cartoon or something of that nature. I think that this chapter will help our group and I will most likely be referring to this reading for guidance throughout this project.

My job

Throughout this group project, I will be the head writer. The CWO if you will. My job will be tough but I feel like I am the right man for the job. Anyway, here's what my job entails. I will be the group member who does the actual writing when we meet. I am excited that I get to do this because I like writing and the other group members really do not want to do it. I guess that I am really the only one willing to be the head writer but I think it's a good job. When we meet I will be the one who listens and tries to put everyone's ideas into the paper. The only thing that I am concerned about is trying to satisfy all of my group members. What I mean by this is that I will have to try to get everyone's voice into the paper. After only one meeting with my group I feel like we will work well together. All of the group members seem like they will be committed to this project. They also seem like they are willing to work and function as a good group together. I am really looking forward to this project because I have had good experiences with other group projects where we were required to write a paper. I have recently finished my second group project that a paper is required for and I have had two good experiences. I believe that the way to conquer a project of this nature is to work together and always try to be diplomatic.

In Class Free Write

I have never really had a horrifying experience with group work. I have definitely beee in a few groups that needed to be disciplined from time to time. Although I do not think that this group will face my major problems, I am really concerned that we work as hard as I expect us to. I think that if we all make it to class everyday, we will obtain the grade and the success that we all want on this paper. I have worked with two of the three members of my group on other work in this class before and I like the way that they both get to class on time everyday. This have both read some of my writing and I have read some of their's. I do have one major concern which is agreeing on our topic and choice of primary texts. I know that this group is going to be diverse because there are three girls and me...I'm outnumber!

For an ideal group work situation, I would say that everyone has their own job while giving input into the other group member's work. Everyone should be here on time everyday, no exceptions! I think that if we assign each group member two or three jobs throughout the semester, this group assignment will go alot more smoothly than some of the other groups in this class. I also think that for this to be an ideal group situation, everyone in this group will have to be willing to meet outside of class if needed.

What are some of the different roles in the group?
I think that in this group we are going to need a group leader, a research team (two people), a leading writer, a gatekeeper, and a reporter. Group leaders are always necessary in group work because groups need guidance. The group leader should make schedules for the times in which we meet and should lead all discussion if needed. The research team is probably the most important part of the group because they will be finding information in which will be base our whole presentation and project on. The leading writer will be the one who explains and documents what our group is doing and where we are in the project. He or she will also write the final paper. The gatekeeper will be the one who will manage any problematic group members or situations that occur if our group begins to not function as we should. Finally, the reporter will document everything that we do everytime we meet.

In Class Free Write

Today we turned in our second essay and let me tell you, it has definitely changed my view of writing. This assignment was helpful as well as difficult for me. I really did not understand the assignment until about a week ago, five weeks into the assignment. I understood all of the Toulmin assignments but it took me a good while to grasp what I was supposed to be writing and analyzing in the final essay. Today I also read my very first posting that I did in this class and I believe that I am a changed writer. In my first posting, I could tell that I was self-conscious about what I was putting on my blog, now I could really care what I write or who reads it because they are my ideas and I think that they are great. The other writing that I have done in this class has been very beneficial to me in the sense that it has helped me realize that I am a pretty good writer, not great but pretty good. In my first posting, I also wrote about how I did not think that I was a good writer but this class has helped me either realize that I was or become a better writer. I really do not know which one. I now believe in my writing because I have had some good feedback from Amanda and some good feedback from my classmates. I also believe that I am now a better writer because I have learned to deal with the criticism from others about my writing.

In Class Free-Write: My Primary Sources

My three primary source all fit together by way of how they pertain to Alex Rodriguez and the big mess that he has gotten himself into. Thinking a little more critically about this, they are all arguments as to why Rodriguez would use steroids or what he has done to his image now that he is a known steroid user. I think that many people would say that these three articles all make an argument for why a player with this kind of talent would do something to this magnitude. All three of these article also look at when and where he used steroids and why he might have felt the need to use performance-enhancing drugs.

These three sources are different because they all look at different aspects of Rodriguez' steroid use. The first two primarily look at what drove Rodriguez to use steroids while the third looks at the people and players around him that possibly made him want to try and continually use steroids. The first article is by far the most benefical source that I have obtained for my second essay in this class. This article stands above the latter two sources because it goes more in-depth, looking at the ins and outs of steroids and how Rodriguez handled the steroid allegations. The first article is different from the other two because it was published in a Sports Illustrated by authors and writers who are very skilled in the field of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

The warrents or unspoken values and assumptions of these three sources are: Rodriguez knowingly used steroids to gain an edge, Rodriguez was pressured into using these drugs, and that Rodriguez only used steroids while he was in Texas. I believe that all three of these warrents can really help me in my paper. I think that each of these warrents can create great arguments. The first warrent is one the would most likely seem very obvious to outsiders. I believe that there is more to this warrent. After reading and researching many articles, it is a valid arguement that Rodriguez did not know what he was putting in his body. Some people honestly believe Rodriguez when he said that he was simply too young to know better.

These three articles definitely show the basic model for arguments in America. All three of these articles make a point and attempt to prove it. These articles also attempt to disprove someone or a group of people. After reading and analyzing these three articles I now have a pretty good idea as to what the state of argument is in the United States. I now think that most arguments in the US are made through using evidence and primary examples to prove or disprove point. In the US, it is evident to me now that arguments have two or more than two sides. I now realize that a good argument is not only one-sided. In attempting to prove or disprove, I now think that a rebuttal is a great way to make an argument.

Unit 2 Proposal

For my Unit 2 proposal I am going to research and write about the Steroid Era in baseball. This is something that has always interested me because I come from a family who loves baseball and  Instead of looking at a just the Steroid Era as a whole, I am going to look at a few players and how they tie into the Steroid Era and how they tie into the records of baseball. For example, when exactly Barry Bonds began using steroid and how many home runs he hit during the time of his use. This raises a good question, what would his statistics looked like if he had never used steroids. Other players that I am going to research because they caused so much controversy are Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada. Clemens reported lied to Congress about his steroid use and Tejada has already been indicted for lying to Congress about his use. I may also take a look at the Alex Rodriguez case but I believe that Rodriguez may not be a good topic of research because his use has surfaced so recently. The fact that his use has surfaced so recently leads me to believe that  there will be some sources that act whimsically in making judgments rather than gathering facts and statistics and writing reports with clear, thought-out research. I believe that researching this topic will be interesting because of how big the issue of steroids has gotten in baseball. I will look in baseball magazine, Sports Illustrated, and the Mitchell Report. This Mitchell Report is a paper written by a man named George Mitchell who has followed the issue of steroids since it first surfaced. In his paper he writes about specific players and their use of steroids. I believe that I will find a ton of great information in this paper because of how in-depth it goes. I am really looking forward to this because I am a baseball fan and would love to know the ins and outs of the Steroid Era in baseball.

3/3/09: Free Write

My main concern with this unit 2 topic is I do not understand the basis of a rhetorical analysis well enough to write an essay. This afternoon I am going to really crack down on what a rhetorical analysis is and then choose an essay topic. I think that I am going to choose something that has the do with a big issue in sports. Maybe I think choose the steroid era in sports or the boating accident that occured off of the coast of Florida with the two NFL players. I just need to get to a point where I fully understand this topic before I can actually begin to make a decision.

One thing that is not making me happy these days is my apartment and its management. There is early morning construction, cold water in the morning, and no cell phone service in my apartment. I can not wait until the end of school so I can move into the house that I am renting next semester. Not only does my apartment have all of these problems, it is over-priced and the management acts like it is not their position to help me out. At the going rate of this place, I should have a servant in my room.

You can not begin to think of how excited I am for spring break, I have been waiting on going on this fishing trip for months now. My dad and four other of his friends are heading down to Del Rio, Texas to go bass fishing at Lake Amistad. I love this area, it isn't exactly pretty but it is always fun.

Thinking Rhetorically: 2/26/09

For my rhetorical analysis of a primary text I chose a computer animated image of Tiger Woods with a Nike swoosh as his smile. This can be viewed as a very loaded argument and most likely one that the people at Nike or Tigers Woods does not agree with. This argues that Tiger Woods is happy because of his big Nike contract and the money that he makes off of Nike. In doing further research of this image I found that this was an image made by a blogger who did not agree with the fact that Nike is using Tiger's stardom to lure people to a dinner that has not gotten a lot of coverage in the past. I understand that Nike is advertising their star but I do not agree with this blogger who says that Tiger is only there to attract. Tiger Woods is a role model to children, Nike should be allowed to use him to attract attention. Going back to Tiger's smile, I believe that this blogger is making the argument that Tiger is only smiling and acting happy because he has to be. I believe that this is a valid argument except for the fact that it is simply a computer animated image, it is a fictional image. This image does not reflect the true views of Tiger Woods or of Nike. From a rhetorical standpoint with ethos, pathos, and logos in mind, I think this image is a pretty good argument. Ethically, this appeals to the ethos because people would question that Tiger is involved with Nike for the money, not for the fact that Nike is an organization of charitable giving. Logically, this image argues that Tiger Woods is only thinking about the money. It is arguing that Tiger cares more about the money than what the company of Nike actually does. I believe that this is a semi-effective argument because it does bring up the point that some pro athletes do only care about the money and consequently, it affects their performance. I do not agree with this argument but I do respect it in the sense that it is attempting to bring up issues in pro athletics.

In Class Free Write: Rhetorical Thinking Unit 2

Rhetorical thinking differs from just simply thinking in many ways. In chapter 5 of our book it looks at what it means to think rhetorically. Here is my view on thinking rhetorically. I believe that this way of thinking looks at and exposes ideas. There is no one right way to think rhetorically but there are some questions that you could ask about a subject or an idea to think about it rhetorically. You could ask some questions that were brought up in the book like; "What is the purpose of this argument?" or "How does it try to make the write or creator seem trustworthy?" I think that both of these questions make great arguments in exploring an idea or a subject. Thinking rhetorically with the first question I brought up would be simple in my opinion. Simply questioning the purpose of an argument would lead to a justification or an answer given by someone else or by yourself. Rhetorically, both of these questions lead to arguments of ethos, pathos, and logos. A pathos argument with rhetorical thinking in mind makes a reader or someone you are arguing with think about your argument from the heart because it contains strong emotional appeal.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos of a Public Space

Today I took my first trip to Starbucks for this assignment. After reading the responses to my post last week I found that many people thought that it was weird that I was a Starbucks "foreigner". It's not that I have never been there, it's the fact that I have never caught on to the big attraction of Starbucks. I believe that the people who really know me understand where I am coming from. I love the outdoors, golf, country music, classic rock, and being active. My personality and my hobbies keep me from enjoying the peaceful feeling that people get in Starbucks. I learned today that I never liked Starbucks because I really felt out of my element because I thought that I should have been playing golf or going fishing on a beautiful day like today, not sitting in a coffee shop like the people I observed. I also realized that there were not a lot of people like me in there. Most of the people were older, I'd say that the average age was around 50. I observed many interesting thing though. I feel like I really got a good idea of what Starbucks was like and why it attracts people. Obviously people like coffee but there's more there than coffee. Starbucks sells other things like food and coffee blend. I definitely found the ethical appeal of Starbucks. They were selling coffee mugs so people could be environmentally friendly, this shows a strong ethical appeal. As for logical appeal, they sell coffee blend. They are saying that it would be logical to make your own Starbucks coffee for convenience. I find this logical because it would save you money and during these tough times, who wouldn't benefit from saving a little cash? I definitely saw my things today that are worthy to talk about. I saw an old lady (65+) sitting by herself texting and talking on her new iPhone. Think about it, it really isn't everyday that you see something like that. For an emotional appeal, I found that the aroma appealed to people's emotions for liking coffee. I enjoyed the smell although I do not like coffee. All-in-all, I think I found a lot of good ideas. I really did find why people go to Starbucks, for the atmosphere. Although I was not crazy about the atmosphere I believe that I found some answers in why people are attracted to Starbucks. I am most likely going to go back for one more observation period to really get an idea of Starbucks at a different time of the day.

In Class: Analyzing Visuals

My initial attention is drawn to the young girl holding a cigarette. My first thought about this young girl is that she is too young to be smoking and too young to know the health risks associated with smoking and tobacco use. I immediately thought that she must be around 12 to 13 years of age. I feel like the young girl is possibly depressed because of the look on her face, the frown, and resorting to smoking. You never stopped to think that she my be doing a photoshoot for a child tobacco use campaign.

When I begin to look at the image as a whole I first see another little girl who is smaller in stature than the young girl smoking a cigarette. I believe that the other little girl may look up to the girl smoking and she looks disappointed. The second girl has her hands placed at her hips which could symbolize that the second girl is mad or in shock that her companion is resorting to smoking. As I try to look at the other parts of this image I find myself searching for another image to act as an answer as to why this picture is like it is. I can't seem to find an explanation.

I believe this image is about child tobacco use. I believe that this could be used at an ad campaign to stop child tobacco use. This image could have been taken to show to the public that there are children who are this young who smoke or use other tobacco products.

This image is intending to function as a message to inform. This is an argument to inform on the tobacco use in the world among children. This is a very effective image because the little girl looks young and people do not want to see their own children smoking or using tobacco products. This little girl serves as an example because she looks sad and this image could show how tobacco use could be a way out for some children.

In Class: Logos

After reading Chapter 4, I was very interested in the Surveys and Polls portion of the text. I was interested because it made me think about how a survey or a poll is normally hard evidence and can reflect a society or a whole group's opinion. But what if the poll is taken only in a certain part of the country or only taken by a certain ethnicity? What if the only people who took the poll were age 18-25? I believe that the results could be very misinterpreted. Many people would agree with me that a poll is hard evidence but it could be hard evidence that is very inaccurate. I believe that if you asked people age 18-25 in New York City what there political views were their views would be different than the political views of people age 45-55 living in rural east Texas. These two polls could be compared and could make a number of different arguments. The people who designed a political poll like this could say that 65% of people believe that Barack Obama will do a good job in Office but where are the people living? What are their political views? Who are they? I do believe that it is true that "Some of the most influential forms of statistics are those produced by surveys and polls" but they can also make an inaccurate argument in my opinion. I believe a poll or a survey can be a very valuable argument tool but could also be a persuasive technique.

In Class: An ethical appeal

My item that I brought with me to class today is an empty rifle bullet casing. I believe that this has an ethical appeal because there are many people in America who say that hunting is unethical. I am a big hunter but I can see where they are coming from. What scares me when I look at hunting from their point of view is the fact that some hunting is actually unethical in my opinion. I am all for hunting if I can eat the meat that I kill. I do not think that it is ethical to go to Africa and go on a safari hunt and never eat the meat. This makes me sick to my stomach because there are a lot of animal rights activist out there who do not know this and could use this against us hunters who hunt ethically. This object also holds a strong ethical appeal because it is represented of gun control. Gun control is becoming a big issue politically here in America. I believe that all citizens should be entitled to owning a gun for hunting or protection. This is a very charged issue because you can not give a hunter a gun or a person a gun for protection and then not give one to someone else who could potentially use it to harm someone. I think that this object holds a strong ethical appeal because of the issues that can be brought up when talking about hunting ethically or gun control. One issue that I have with hunting or gun control is that people may be getting the wrong idea about hunters. Most of us are ethical and you can't let a few unethical hunters ruin our outdoor experience.

Unit 1 Proposal

As I said in my in-class free write, I have a very structured life. I go to class, the library, and the golf course on a daily basis. On weekends and sometimes during the week when I do not have a lot to do, I may go out with friends but overall my life is structured. I find it kind of funny how closely I follow a daily routine like my father does. He goes to the office, the YMCA, and then possibly to the golf course after work. My parents will go out to eat but not very often because my dad loves to cook. I am going to branch out and observe people at Starbucks. I am going to do my observations on a weekday afternoon when there may be college students studying or people out running errands coming into Starbucks. This public space is appealing to me because it is mostly foreign to me. I really do not like coffee and I really have never liked to atmosphere at Starbucks but, I want know why people like the environment at Starbucks. I am very curious as to why people study there. I tend to only study well in seclusion, somewhere quite and always alone. I believe that my studying habits are like this because I am always around others so I like the change of pace when I study. I expect and hope to find reasons why people like the atmosphere and environment at Starbucks. Maybe they just like the coffee but maybe they find it relaxing. Some of my pre-conceived ideas that may influence my objective observation are people at Starbucks do not serve the same views as me or they may be very different from me. I believe that for me to be successful in my findings, I must put aside some of these pre-conceived notions and simply observe the people and workers in Starbucks. Maybe I will find a new place to relax, study, or simply hung out but maybe I will find some answers and some inspiration for my first paper.

In Class: Ideas for 1st assignment

This first assignment will be very interesting for me because there are only a few places that I go on a daily basis which can make this a very interesting topic for me. On a normal day, I go to class, then to the library, then to the golf course, and if I don't have a lot of homework, I may go to a party or to eat with some friends. Having such a structured daily life could really lead to me having a very different experience with a place that I never go. I have also thought about going to one of these places that I have listed above and simply seeing what it is that I do not notice every day with I go to these places. Some of the places that I never go to which might lead to me really branching out would be Starbucks, I really don't like coffee, the Rec. Center, I work out in the Athletic Complex, or maybe the Music School, I'm so far from good at any instrument. These three places would definitely be a change of pace for me. Having to observe people in different situations might just open the world up to something different for me. I bet I would see people that I have never come into contact with before and I think it would be beneficial to me for this project.

In Class: What a beautiful day

So I woke up this morning, looked out my window and I realized that I just had to get out and play golf today. The past few days I have been locked up either in the library or in my apartment studying. On the way to class I called my best golfing buddy and we decided that today we'll go out and play some golf at River Crest. Before I play golf today though, I need to go to the Bookstore and the also to the grocery store because I don't have any food to enjoy after my round of golf. So back to the weather and how nice today is going to be. I think it's going to be almost 80 degrees this afternoon. This is crazy!! Almost 80 degrees in January? I believe that today will also be a wonderful day because I only have about an hour of homework to do. All I need to do is blog and then read a little for my geography class. Tonight I'm planning on going out with some friends because tomorrow will not be that bad of a day in the classroom, not a lot of stuff to do in class tomorrow. I should have gotten up early to eat breakfast so that this posting would be more interesting but I decided to step until 8:45 and didn't have the time to eat anything. This weekend I am going to practice some golf and possibly play. I do have some homework that I need to work on but that will probably get taken care of on Sunday when I am bored because there will be no football on. Speaking of football, I can not wait until the Super Bowl. I think that the Steelers are going to win but I am really pulling for the Cardinals to win. I believe that it would be such a great story if the Cardinals pulled off the upset. I almost feel bad for them right now because of the lack of respect that they are getting.

The Inaugural Address: Types of Arguments

Granted I am only 20 years old and have only been old enough to remember just a few Inaugural Addresses, I believe that this address was very compelling. I think that it gave Americans hope. One of Barack Obama's main campaign messages was hope. I am not a Democrat, but this speech has given me hope that we will come out of this crisis that we are in right now. Like many public speeches, this speech had many arguments in it. So of which argued with hope in mind and some of which argued some ideas that will help us come out of this crisis. A few types of arguments that I noticed were arguments to inform, convince, and arguments of the past and future. I also saw arguments that evaluate everywhere in this speech. One argument to inform was stated early in the speech, Obama said, "44 citizens have taken the oath...yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms." This was very compelling to me because Obama was arguing that we have been here before and that we can get out of this situation like we always have. President Obama also used an argument to convince, also could be an argument to convey hope, when he said, "The challenges we face are real and they are many...but know this America, they will be met." This did a lot for me and my view of our new President because it convinced me that there was hope in this changing our Presidents. There were also many arguments of the past and future. I think that you will find many of both of these in almost every speech you listen to because they are arguing for either a change or for a continuation to events. I noticed two argument of the past. They were, "I thank President Bush for his service to our nation" and "For us, they (the soldiers) fought and died." These two arguments both stated by President Obama are not the most compelling, but they argue that the past events have changed history in some shape or form. The two arguments of the future that I picked up by on President Obama were two statements that argued America's role in international peace. These two arguments were, "America is a friend to each nation" and "America must play it's role in ushering in a new era of peace." President Obama also made many arguments of evaluation. One example of this type of argument came when Obama said, "Our economy is weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility by some but also our collective failure to make hard choices." This was a great argument in my opinion because President Obama cut to the point and stated why we are having problems. This address was definitely one of hope but also one of argument. It outlined a few things that we need to do to better our nation as well as argued for change. In my opinion, I believe President Obama made the right arguments and stuck with his overall plan of change very well.

In Class Free Write: 1-20-09

Like I said in my posting last night, after reading the first chapter, I have a new view on what an argument is and could be. When Andrea Lunsford says that everything is an argument in her title, she really means it. In my last posting I did not go very in-depth about examples from the text but I would now like to talk about a few of the argument types that I read about. The emotional appeals argument type on page 38 really argued a message to me. When I say the picture of the sick child in Sudan, I realized how easy it is to argue and persuade when you have the a powerful image like this one. I think that with images like this it makes an argument easier. One argument type that I did not think was an argument was the argument to inform on page 9. The picture of the hurricane shelter sign seems like a simple sign to inform and help the public if the instance of a hurricane. Although I did not believe that this was a strong argument, it makes me think that everything is an argument. I believe that the first chapter helped me to realize that I don't need a powerful political or medical argument to state an argument.

Everything's an Argument

After finishing the reading for tomorrow's class, I can't believe how in depth the first chapter is. I started thinking about some of the "arguments" I make every day. The clothes that I were are an argument. I wore my TCU Golf sweatshirt today in public. I am making an argument that I am good at golf. Another golfer who could be better or worse than me at golf might also argument back that they are probably better than me. I also thought about how I act is an argument. Most people would describe me as calm and collected in most situations. I believe that this is how you are supposed to act in most situations. Others may think that this is not true. They may think that you must be more extroverted and even rowdy to act how you are "supposed to act".

In Class: Tiger Woods is the greatest athlete ever

Watch any sports show, game broadcast, or sports news channel and you will probably hear the words; "the greatest ever". I am a big golf fan so I always try to make the argument that Tiger Woods is the greatest athlete ever. I believe this to be true because he as been the most dominant player in his sport. I think the only way to truly find the greatest athlete is to compare the athlete to others in his/her sport. I understand that many people will say that Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps or a number or other athletes are the greatest ever but how can you argue with Tiger Woods. He won a U.S. Open with a torn ACL or two fractures in his leg. Now that's impressive. I'd like to see Michael Jordan win an NBA Championship with a torn ACL and two fractures in his leg. When you talk about Tiger Woods you must look at his records that he holds. He was the youngest to win a major championship at the age of 21. He is currently chasing Jack Nickalaus for the most major championships. Jack has 18 and Tiger now has 14 but Tiger has gotten to 14 majors in quite a fast-paced fashion. His dominance may never be seen again in the game of golf. I understand that it takes a golfer to recognize some of the shots that he hits that makes him great but let me tell you, he hits some of the most amazing shots ever!

All about Will

Hey guys, I am Will from Midland, Texas. I am currently a sophomore at TCU and a Communications major. I  am also an working on a Business minor. When I arrived at TCU last semester I walked on to the golf team and I am starting my fourth semester on the team. My other interests other than golf include hunting and fishing. I have always enjoyed the outdoors because it allows me to get away. Last semester I took English 10803 with Dr. Thapa and enjoyed our final essay which was an argument essay so I took this class. I consider myself as a writer who needs improvement and I am looking to improve. I have always enjoyed writing but I would not consider myself a good writer. I think this course will help me improve my writing skills and help me become a better writer. I have also read, understand, and agree to the terms of the syllabus, which I see as a contract for our course.