visual rhetoric

The picture I chose here is of a man “Ole’ing” a bull in a Spanish bull fight. In the picture the bull is obviously on the lower end of the stick. The bull is upside down, horns stuck in the ground, in mid roll. While the Matador stands there, unarmed except with a mere cape in hand, letting the bull run by and plant its horns in the ground. A picture that to some is amazing. Yet if you look further past the bull and the Matador you notice the audience all cued in on the sight at hand. They do not stand, wave their arms, or even drop their jaws as you might see at a football game. They are sitting calmly as if watching a movie or some rerun on the television set. Obviously unmoved by the bulls unnatural display. Yet with such a spectacle happening before them they seem to be un-amused by it. This may be because it has been tradition for so many years and people may be ignorant of the bull’s pain. Yet to some this picture, perhaps in America, may be considered animal cruelty. I see in this picture two stories. One a women at a conference or meeting describing the picture to her colleagues about the cruelty the bulls have to go through during bull fights. Conjuring up some story on how they can save the bulls from its eminent death. While the other story may be of an advertiser showing how great the Matador that was hired really is; using the picture as advertisement to show the Matadors skill during bull fights. Therefore I think this picture has two audiences. A picture used for a group of people trying to abolish the cruelty of bulls during bull fights, while the other is for advertising and promoting the bull fight and the Matador collectively. I feel the picture was most likely taken out of interest and of great accomplishment from the Matador, but may have unexpected repercussions because of the bulls pain.

To be or not to be, that is the question

Jason McGee
To be or not to be, that is the Question.

“Did you know 48% of U.S. presidents have been Greek? 42% of U.S. Senators are Greek. 30% of U.S. Congressmen/Women are Greek. 40% of All U.S. Supreme Court Justices have been Greek. 30% of Fortune 500 Executives are Greek, but Greeks only make up 3% of the U.S. population.” (North-American Interfraternity Conference.) Now that may seem very little indeed, but Greek students make up a very large portion of successful men and women among our nation. As well as at TCU; there have been actors, astronauts, presidents, professional football players, baseball players and many more. Yet they have not merely staked their claim by themselves. They were supported the entire way and were made into the successful people they are because they all had one thing in common, Greek.
With 28 Greek organizations and nearly 40 percent of students involved in Greek life, fraternities and sororities definitely stake their claim at TCU. Yet this wouldn’t be so if they weren’t so productive in every aspect. Once your Greek, you will help out in all sorts of ways. You will become a better, more rounded person. You will learn, experience, and love things that you may have never encountered. The first thing Greek life stresses is grades. At TCU Grades are number one for all Greek students. You must even make above a certain GPA average to even be initiated. “TCU Greek organizations have been shown to have just as much success in the classroom as non-Greek students"( The Daily Skiff). Greek life is rich in academic success. Because there are so many members in each house at different levels, therefore there are numerous people who can help you with your studies. If you need help with your class there is always someone around with the same class or who has taken the class that can tutor you or help you with any problem your having. Some fraternities and sororities even schedule study hours per week to make sure everyone is doing well in their classes. It is a great means to get things done, and be prepared for all your classes. Yet grades are not the only thing that fraternities and sororities master. They are very good at helping the community in some means.
The first way they help is Philanthropies or According to Wikipedia “the act of donating money, goods, services, time or effort to support a charitable cause.” These events are common throughout Greek life here at TCU. Once a year each house will come up with some way to raise money for a cause. It’s a great way for you to meet people out of your house as well as bond with the people inside it. During it depending on the fraternity or sorority you can expect such things as dancing, swimming, beauty contests, auctions, field events, sports and many more. Its a great way to have fun while raising money for a great cause. Another way Greek helps out people is through community service. Each house partakes in several community service projects each year. Through them you will learn life lessons with your brothers or sisters as well as take part in helping out your community here as a horned frog. Greeks also help each other by joining one another to help out a bigger cause. There are camps to attend for the school such as Frog Camp which many of the Greek students volunteer each year for the entering freshman. Greek life is all about getting involved in the community, whether it be at TCU or somewhere across the globe. Through these projects you will meet many people along the way.
Going Greek gives you a great chance to meet people old and young at TCU. It is a great way to be social with different clubs, communities, and other fraternities or sororities. If you join a house on campus you will already meet all of the actives along with the pledge class that you will be involved with throughout the year. Plus you will have plenty of chances to meet people through different events going on around campus. Some examples are Intramurals, philanthropies, community service, parties, social gatherings and many more. Joining the Greek life is a great way to meet numerous amounts of people men and women alike. Also since you know so many people this will help you in the real world as well. Since you know so many people you will be able to network and introduce yourself to different people for different positions you may want to participate somewhere in the not too distant future.
Once involved in the Greek life there are plenty opportunities to become a leader in your community. Inside the fraternity or sorority you can become a leader by joining one of the many head positions to run in your fraternity or sorority. Here you will learn discipline and determination to succeed. This will only help you in your search for success during life. People look for born leaders and with the help of a fraternity or sorority you can become one of these people in society and prosper. You will be able to lead by example and take on challenges as you become an adult and begin a life for yourself. Yet even if you decide not to join a head position, fraternities and sororities teach you the means of becoming a leader in life, by taking initiative in projects and situations according to Greek life.
Yet you will do this with your pledge class and you will learn to become one unit if need be. These people will always encourage you and help you become the leader you wish to be. You will join people who will be going through the same process as you and meet people who are much alike you. Through good and bad times you will begin to bond with one another, creating a lasting friendship. The people around you will grow with you, helping you in times of hardships and of times that will you will remember the rest of your life. Your friends will become your family. Your friends will become your brothers or sisters.
In conclusion I insist that you look into joining Greek life here at TCU, it’s a great means to become active in the community around you, meet great people, be successful, and overall have fun during your college experience. You only go through college once so why not head in the right direction from the beginning by joining a fraternity or sorority.

Reader Response 4

The central claims I found were, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) “would cause effects that would be irreversible, endangering thousands of animals and their fragile ecosystems.” Also that “once the ecosystem is disturbed, it will never return to its original condition.” It is also described that drilling in ANWR would be “a way for us to become “less dependent on fuel from the Middle East.”” Along with would it be worth drilling in ANWR since it would take up to 10 years to finally see the oil we drilled for.
The kinds of research I found in the essay were mainly secondary research. I found a lot of pre-existing information. I found websites, journals, magazines, and news. The author mainly used quotes from the passage she read and copied it into her paper to add a more informative, persuasive mood. Some of the evidence used was fact based such as “Americans use over 16 million barrels of oil per day (Kriz 2).” Where the author just stuck it in a sentence and blended it into her paper. But the author did use the facts she found quite well, she would further explain the quote, further explaining her position on the topic or even go in a different direction, showing a contrasting point of view.
To me this was a very influencing paper. It motivated me in the idea, of keeping the oil production out of ANWR , the idea of using less oil all together, and the finding of a new and better fuel as well as funding the research of it. The author used great statistics of our nation’s use of the oil and how much is actually left. Especially when she said that the oil in ANWR would only be able to supply us for about a few months. I also liked, but was a startling realization, when she said that oil is a nonrenewable resource.
My prior belief and values didn’t really affect the way I read this passage. I am actually for bettering the environment and for finding a new fuel. If anything this passage furthered my position on the topic, it also furthered my interest. I am more curious now to see, especially with the upcoming president, if they will address the topic.