TOW #10 - Visual Text: These are the Things a Manic Security Security Policy Can Keep Out

After the terrorist attakcs in Paris on the thirteenth, almost every single news page is filled with information regarding this event and the reactions that preceeded. This political cartoon, titled "These are the Things a Manic Security Security Policy Can Keep Out" by Tom Toles from The Washington Post addresses the immigrant safety precaution hotly debated in America right now that uses common American cultural beliefs and humor in order to accuse strict foreign policies of doing more harm than good and to persuade for a change in this course of action.
The visual text, explicitly stating the "American values" commonly established throughout the country and what America is believed to be a foundation of, emphasizes the ineffectiveness of foreign policies. By putting American ideals of "acceptance, openness, inclusion, immigration, and tolerance" that are ruined by strict security behind a fence on the opposite side of "security," the viewer can clearly see the juxtaposition and the shortcomings of strict security measures. This evokes a feeling in viewers that puts these policies in a negative light. Toles does this by including humor in order for Americans to be able to self-reflect.
By using humor while accusing the American hypocrisy in its immigration rules, Toles is able to more gently persuade the viewers into self-reflection. Although this cartoon does sharply criticize, it approaches it in a funny way, where the politician enforcing strict security to Uncle Sam creates a funny and pathetic scene. It accuses in a way that the accused can laugh at it also, which makes them think for themselves instead of violently pounding an idea into their heads. By doing so, American viewers can reassess whether such strict safety measures are what Americans should be doing as a culture of openness and tolerance, leading them to favor more open immigration laws.
The embracing and appreciating other cultures and everyone regardless of their background is the true American spirit, as defined by the visual text by Toles. His incorporation of American core values and humor allows Americans to disfavor such strict security measures that are putting refugees at risk - so that hopefully, as Toles wants, the doors of America will open as it should to those who seek freedom and happiness like true Americans.

TOW #9 - Teaching Peace in Elementary School

Mental health is a subject that I observed has been addressed frequently, which it should be. Just as mental health affects physical health, the text "Teaching Peace in Elementary School" from the New York Times describes a learning program that strengthens mental health and social skills in children to improve their academic achievements and overall wellness. As a proponent of the S.E.L. (Social and Emotional Learning), journalist Julie Scelfo uses common, relatable experiences, quotes professionals, and uses certain examples of SEL that provokes pathos in order to promote a mental health-based learning style for elementary school children.
Scelfo, in the beginning of her text, asks questions in order to make the reader relate to certain situations. She asks, "Feeling left out? Angry at your mom? Embarrassed to speak out loud during class? Proponents of S.E.L. say these feelings aren't insignificant issues to be ignored in favor of the three R's" (Scelfo 3). Mentioning certain situations that almost everyone experienced develops a connection with the reader, and including the 'three R's' that almost every child has learned establishes ethos. By connecting such experiences to S.E.L., Scelfo attempts to persuade readers into thinking that S.E.L. can be a beneficial teaching tool.
In addition to establishing pathos by making the readers relate to the situation, Scelfo also quotes authority figures to establish credibility. She includes a research where, "...researchers from Penn State and Duke looked at 753 adults...evaluated for social competency...while in kindergarten: Scores for sharing, cooperating and helping other children nearly always predicted whether a person graduated from high school on time, earned a college degree, had full-time employment... or had been arrested or held in juvenile detention" (11). Penn State and Duke are credible universities where their researches can be trusted. Because she is not a researcher herself, she makes her points valid through quoting such figures. By including reliable facts on the impact of social competency and mental health, she makes her readers more leaned in favor of S.E.L.
She wraps up her essay through an emotional ending. She sets up an image in the reader's heads, where "the hallway outside a third-grade classroom is decorated with drawings made by students showing their aspirations for the current school year. One child hopes 'to make new friends.' Another wants to 'be nice and help.' And as for Leo...wrote: 'My hope for myself this year is to get better at math.' If S.E.L. strategies work, he will be better equipped to reach that goal" (20). Such a setting evokes pathos by imagining hopeful little third-graders whose innocent and helpful dreams should be met. Although there was a lot of research-based data in the middle, ending the text with this image in the reader's heads provokes their soft side, and that the feelings of third graders should be protected through programs such as S.E.L.
By connecting her readers to the text, using credible resources to back her argument, and wrapping it up with a sentimental and therefore powerful ending, Scelfo calls for the use of S.E.L. or other education formats that emphasize social skills and mental health in children. Scelfo has reached high academic skills, and she promotes social skills and mental health through these skills.

IRB Intro Post #2

My next IRB is a book that I've been looking forward to reading since the beginning of the year. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich explores the problem of poverty in America through an investigation where the author, as an journalist undercover, observes how the working class was affected by the 1996 welfare reform act. Poverty is not only a huge problem but also something that people outside of the working class can't fully perceive unless they have been in the poor's shoes, so this feels like a very interesting read, as I was told by former APELC students who read this book.

TOW # 8 - The Tao of Pooh (IRB Part 2)

The ride with Winnie-the-Pooh so far has been pretty uneventful and flowy...nothing too mind-boggling or completely mind-blowing but calm and slightly amusing. I can't say I've been completely blown away or enlightenened, but I've definitely learned a couple of things from this Pooh-bear, and I think that's exactly what the author, Benjamin Hoff, was shooting for. Hoff says through Taoism is - essentially - everywhere we go through quoting people and relating events to Taoist concepts in his book The Tao of Pooh.
One thing I noticed in the second half of the book that wasn't present in the first half was the concrete use of real-world examples. Although the first half mentioned many hypothetical scientists and normal people in society who act unlike Taoists, the book never really mentioned a specific real-life person or event. However, the second half of the book transitions from explaining Taoist concepts through allusions to Winnie-the-Pooh to tying those explained concepts with real-life people and events. For example, after explaining the Taoist concept of listening to one's own instinct rather than the comments of others, Hoff mentions Thomas Edison and how he became a well-known innovative genius despite the criticism from others that failed to strike him down. This creates a smoothe transition where readers can find Taoism in unexpected characters like Winnie-the-Pooh and then naturally in people that we often hear or learn about like Edison.
Hoff continues this transition from Pooh allusions to real-life figures in order to create the feeling that Taoism is omnipresent. In the first half, Hoff quotes Taoist texts and excerpts from Pooh to explain Taoism and to show in a pleasant way that Taoism exists in seemingly uneventful characters such as Winnie-the-Pooh. In the second half, Hoff quotes famous figures that we're more used to hearing from to establish an even more universal connection. Hoff quotes Claude Debussy, who said, "Music is the space between the notes" to show the Taoist concept of emptiness and anticipation. He also quotes our good old friend Thoreau, who said, "Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow," in order to explain the Taoist concept that one cannot save time and therefore should rather focus on spending time wisely. By using such figures, the reads can notice that Taoism is found in many intellectuals and in events happening around us.
Obi Wan Kenobi said to Luke, "Remember...the Force will be with you. Always." Although I doubt Benjamin Hoff is the same Ben as Ben Kenobi, they both essentially have the same message. Everywhere - even in places where we wouldn't expect it to be - Taoism exists.