About Class

The class has been very interesting because Mr. Garrison has brought up some issues that I have never thought about. For example, the Rhetoric thesis that Garrison states about persuasion. I never knew language could be a big part of our society. I enjoy the class because it seems to me that I learn something new and the topics that Mr. Garrison brings up is something that the whole class can relate to and it's not a difficult discussion to talk about. I feel comftorable displaying my thoughts to the class and not recieving bad comments toward my judgements. It's nice to know that the proffesor can relate to our answer and see where we are coming from on the different discussions that are talked about in class. Even though some of us may be skeptical, the professor does not tell us "we are wrong" he lets us have our own opinions.

The class is very helpful for me because I see why people act the way the act and do the things they do. It's based on persuasion, even though some people may not know this. Also, the class has helped me to view other student's perspectives and the way they think. I like how other students get to voice their opinion because sometimes I don't view the topic the same as them and it's nice to see another view that I have never thought about. Their ideas help me to come up with more ideas about the topic and see the topic in another perspective.

I really don't know if Rhetoric can change the composition classroom, I think it depends on how Rhetoric is used. I think it may change some of the classmates, but not all. Their will always be those that are skeptical. I was never skeptical and always looked at the discussion very open minded.

Rhetoric

Respond to the idea that language is persuasion as rhetoric suggests. Do you see the benefits of viewing the world through the lens of rhetoric? Do you see problems with the "rhetorical worldview"? Maybe discuss how you see rhetoric being a beneficial starting point for a composition class. How can understanding rhetoric make your students lives better? Does it help yours?

Yes, I do see that they are benefits through the lens of rhetoric because persuasion is in our everyday language. I really didn't think of persuasion being a big part of language, but when Mr.Garrison gave an example of how we use persuasion by drinking some type of drink and wearing clothes that best suits us, showed me how persuasion is very common in our everyday lives. This lens of rhetoric help us to be who we are and the way we think of things and how we talk to others. We even pursuade ourselves to do things as well. One example it benefits us to do is wear some type of clothing we like and persuade someone else to like it as well and wear it. Persuasion is not just verbal.

I think their might be some problems with the rhetoric view because say a person is trying to persuade everyone to recycle by wearing a shirt, another person might see his shirt and interpret the wrong persuasion he is trying to get across. All I'm saying is sometimes in life some people get confused in what the other person is trying to say and misjudges them, due to their lack of information or them not just understanding.

Rhetoric can be a benificial factor for a composition class because you can express your views on how Rhetoric is used by revealing its pros and cons. Also, you can dress in a certain way to prove to your students some type of statement you are making without having to say much and this will help the students interact with one another. I really don't know about this question, I just made an educational guess.

One way it can make my life better is by knowing how to read other people by their actions, the way they dress, and how they talk. This will help me to see how I would need to act in front of them. And it does help my life to be much more simple.

Blog 1

In class discussion Professor Garrison brought up the issue on Humans are born with the gene to be cannibals. I really don't believe that we where born to be cannibals, but some humans may choose to be cannibals in order for them to act upon their selfishness. For example, when I was watching Lock Up a TV show their was this man who killed his whole entire family and ate parts of their body. He said he did this to satisfy himself and he found it very amusing. After I watched him give his interview to the show I found it very disgusting. I couldn't believe someone would do this to their family. But there are humans out there that have issues and choose to be cannibals because it's something that interest them. I believe these people that are cannibals need help because in our society today cannibals are not considered the norm.

Also, in class discussion we talked about language being the reason why we are not cannibals. I believe that language does have a big impact toward humans not becoming cannibals. Well for the most part most normal humans are not cannibals, but there are those outside the norm that are cannibals. We humans see cannibalistic as an evil thing to do, but is it really an evil thing to do when you are starving to death? As for chimpanzees, it's not an evil thing to do it's considered the norm. Some people may say that they are not cannibals, which some I would believe, but if they where put in a position where they had to eat someone for their sake of their life would they eat them? I believe that's when they will know if they really are a cannibal.

Garrison also, brought up the topic about humans being evil by nature. Well I really don't want to say all humans are evil by nature because for the most part everyone has good in them. It depends how you define evil. Humans can act in an evil manner in a good way and in a bad way. Such as, the Nazis killing all of the Jews because they where forced to and if they did not their own lives would be taken. Some people tell a small lie to help them better themselves, which is considered evil, but it was not considered evil to them. So you would have to justify the word EVIL.