Study journal and testing calendar

8/1/21-Now, we are starting up a new section. We are doing books about justice! The book I selected is called In the Time of Butterflies and it is about a political assassination. I am excited to read it and get out what I need. Additionally, we are beginning the argumentative section of this year, and we will begin writing argumentative pieces, instead of analyzing them now. I believe that first deconstructing arguments in the rhetorical analysis section certainly helped me begin in the argumentative section. We were simply working backwards! Everything in life is an argument, so this is going to help me in more ways than one.

17/12/21-I finished up my final, and I wrote an amazing essay and did alright on the multiple choice! The curve fucked my ass up but I generally did very well and I got a 92% overall score!! :) I'm so proud to be done, finally.

11/16/21-Most weeks in this class, we write essays analyzing the rhetorical choices of argumentative pieces. We analyze what the author is doing to convey their message to the audience or to convince them to take xyz action. The one thing that this work has taught me is how much of my life is argumentative and a negotiation. From one moment to the next, I make choices to influence people to do things for me, communicate, and many other actions- from asking someone to pass the salt at the dinner table to arguing why we should have soup (delicious) for dinner instead of pork tenderloin (gross). And for the record, I absolutely believe that making these sort of analysis essays helps me understand and break down the choices I make in my own life. If I would like someone at the dinner table to pass me the salt, I can go about that many different ways with many different attitudes and implications. The choice I make of how I ask and what I do to ask for the salt will affect the outcome of the situation- I may or may not get someone to pass the salt. But what we are doing in these essays is analyzing HOW the author asks for the salt. Does the author ask nicely for the salt- saying please and keeping in mind that the person they are asking is their parent or family member, or ask more sternly- commanding someone to listen to them? Do they educate the other about the benefits of adding salt to the dish, and include facts and figures? It is all in the how's. While writing essays may not always be the most interesting thing to do, it certainly is helping me be both a better writer and a better human. If I can argue better and know how my choices affect my intended audience, I can resort less to aggression and more to reason and patience. That is the goal, at least :) but for now, as I am still articulating this language and these ideas. For now, I am writing these essays and improving more and more each time I put my pen to the paper. 11/3/21- Today, I wrote an essay on unionism and nonviolent protest. It was an interesting topic, for sure.