TOW #30- A Letter to a New APELC Student

Dear New APELC Student,

            You’re in for one crazy, stressful, and triumphant year. I guess I should start by telling you about myself and tell you about how I felt entering this class last year. Basically, I’m average. I was not a part of the gifted program, I was not in any form of accelerated learning; I was just simply a hard working honors student with a love of English. That being said, I was extremely excited to start the course!

            The first month of the class was a wake-up call for some people, including myself. Within the first 2 weeks of school, we had to turn in an essay and take our first test. And I’ll be blunt with you: I failed both. I was devastated and began to feel like I didn’t belong in APELC. There was even a time where I remember myself looking around the room, thinking that I was by far the dumbest person there. After feeling this way I knew that my best option was to go talk to Mr. Yost about what I should do. Talking to Mr. Yost might have been the greatest decision I have ever made all year! He told me that I would do well in APELC and that he would be willing to work with me until I was ready, able, and comfortable enough to work by myself.  In a way, my APELC experience was like learning how to ride a bike for the first time; Mr. Yost guided and supported me along the way like a parent would to their child learning how to ride a bike. When Mr. Yost thought I was ready he “let go” and let me ride by myself, but he was always there for support and help if I needed it!

            After that first month, I was able to bring up my grade 18%! So even though I got my first C ever in a class, it was the most rewarding grade I have ever earned! It was rewarding because I knew how hard I had worked and I was able to see my own growth for the very first time!

            The advice Mr.Yost gave me that first month has stuck with me all year: 1) What you get out of this class is far more important than what you get in the class and 2) If you work as hard as you possibly can, than you WILL succeed!

            For the rest of the year I continued to grow. My academic maturity was becoming more and more AP level every single class!  So my advice for you as incoming APELC students is…

–      Do NOT be afraid to ask for help! Heck, even if you don’t need help go and get help! Mr. Yost and Ms. Pronko are always willing to look over essays with you and there is always room for improvement!

–      Enjoy the class! You took it for a reason, so try to get the best out of it! Stay positive and just have fun!

–      Try not to let yourself become fixated on your grades. Yes, grades are important, but in APELC, if you put in the work your grade will come! Like I mentioned earlier, what you get out of the class, is more important than what you get in it.

            If you’re wondering, I will most likely be getting a B for the year! And a B in an AP class is still great! So, I wish you all the best of luck this year!!

                 From,

                         Emily Scott

P.S- Remember to enjoy every minute of APELC (I know I did!)

TOW #29

            An injury can be set back to anyone who receives one. But for dancers in particular, an injury could be the end of their careers.  In the Sundance documentary, First Position, the viewers are brought to see how career threatening an injury can be for young dancers. Many dancers who get injured choose to work through the injury, but others are not lucky enough to just work through the pain. If a dancer receives a sever injury, they may be out of training for up to a year.  Being a dancer myself, I know how devastating it is to get injured and be forced to stop working. The documentary was a great way for non-dancers to see how threatening an injury can be for dancers.

            In the film, one of the main kids they were shadowing had tendonitis in her arches.  Around the time of the finals, Michaela was worried that her tendon would snap while she was dancing and that her career as a ballerina would be over before it even truly began. Michaela also allowed viewers to see the pain dancers put themselves through to continue their training; throughout, she pushed herself to the limits and her arches were constantly in pain.  Dancers are willing to push through their injuries, just so they can have their chance at success. The devastation that comes along with a dance injury is much higher than any other form of disappointment.

            I myself have experienced a few injuries throughout my dance training. In fact, in the past year I acquired two sprained ankles and was out of training for about three months. Recovering for the injury was hard because I had lost so much of my muscle build up and both of my ankles were now more susceptible to being reinjured. These injuries were devastating to me because they both caused setbacks in my dance training and made me weaker.

            First Position was able to show viewer about the risks that comes along with a dance injury.

TOW# 28: First Position (Documentary)

            A career in the ballet industry is hard to come by and very short lived. Children must start training at a very young age, giving up most of their childhood, to increases their own chances at success.  The documentary, First Position, follows a total of seven different ballet hopefuls prepare to compete at the worlds largest ballet competition, Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP).  First Position was released in 2011 and it aimed to show its viewers what life if like for young ballet dancers worldwide.

             The documentary tells the stories of 7 kids: Aran (11), Jules (10) Miko (12), Gaya (11), Joan Sebastian (16), Michaela (14), and Rebecca (17).  The film -makers used each child’s personal lives as anecdotes about what it’s like to be in training to be a professional dancer.  Each child has a story to tell; each story connects through ballet. For example, Michaela is an African Ballerina from Philadelphia who was adopted from Sierra Lion at the height of the war. While being interviewed for the documentary, she talks about how both her parents were killed in the war and how everywhere she turned she saw death. At the orphanage were she was staying there was a magazine with a ballerina on the cover, Michaela told herself if she ever left Sierra Lion she wanted to become like the dancer on the cover. Ballet became Michaela’s passion and helped her recover from a traumatizing experience. Dance is such an important part of her life, and just like all of the other children in the documentary, Michaela is willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve her goal of becoming a professional ballerina.

            Cinematography also played a huge role in getting the directors purpose across. By constantly switching between all the different stories, viewers were able to understand what each dancer had to do to prepare for the YAGP competition. At the end, all the stories ended up on the same place, and all of the children had the same goal, to win.

            I found First Position to be a very moving film.  Being a dancer myself, I was able to connect with the emotions that the kids were feeling. But, the documentary  also let see a whole new side of the dance world I had yet to be exposed to.

TOW #27: TOW Reflection

            As much as I disliked the TOW assignments, I will admit that they ended up being extremely helpful throughout the progression of my English education. At the beginning of the year, I saw writing TOW’s as unnecessary busy work; but boy, was I wrong.  Who would have thought that a short 300-350 word blog post would allow me to grow so much as a writer.  After going back and reflecting on old TOW posts, I realized how much I have evolved as a writer in less than a year!

            From the first marking period to now I have noticed a huge leap in my writing ability. In the beginning of the year, my TOWs were extremely formulaic; I simply followed the guidelines that were handed to me in the syllabus. At this point in time my writing quality was below average and I struggled to accept the fact that I would not be able to be successful if I continued my black and white form of writing. The TOW posts allowed me to experiment on different ways to transform my bland writing style to more cohesive, enjoyable pieces. So now looking back, I realized how much these silly little blog posts have help me.

            TOWs also allowed me to work on specific elements of writing. For example, I saw transition sentences as a struggle in the beginning of the year, and now they flow easily and effortlessly on to the page. I also placed a large amount of focus on diction and word choice this year. TOWs let me experiment with new words without having to worry about a penalty.  But, there is always room for improvement! I still need to work on strengthening my analysis and also generating a strong conclusion that can leave my readers thinking.

            So, even though I dreaded writing my TOW post every Sunday, I have most definitely benefited from them. I only wish I would have known how much I would gain from them when I first started the APELC course. The TOW assignments have achieved their overall purpose flawlessly.

TOW #26: V-J Day in Time Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt (Visual)

Goals:

-Pick a unique piece that would challenge myself

-Try not to repeat words so often

-work on connecting rhetorical elements to thesis

         

           It’s August 14^th 1945, President Truman has just announced victory over Japan and the end of World War II.  Thousands of people fled from buildings to join the celebration in Time Square in New York City.  One American sailor’s excitement caused him to go around the square kissing anyone and everyone he saw. Intrigued by this man, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt began clicking his Leica camera for a chance to capture the perfect kiss.  Out of the corner of his eye, Eisenstaedt saw a white nurses dress being wisped into the sailor’s arms. SNAP! The iconic image was taken. “V-J Day in Time Square” photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt represents celebration in a kiss and the luck Eisenstaedt had in order to capture the joy of all American’s at the conclusion of WWII.

            Propaganda played a large role in any war. Kissing in war advertisements was seen in a very positive light during wartime because it made the war seem lighter than it truly was. Although V-J Day was shot after the declaration of the war’s end, it still played a large role in persuading the American public.  An American sailor who had most likely predicated in WWII is seen kissing a nurse. This image was published in Life magazine, along with a few other kiss pictures in order to generate a new sense of hope in American citizens. This captivated many and brought out more excitement about the war’s conclusion.

            If Eisenstaedt turned around 5 seconds later than he did he would have missed this iconic moment. His luck made him and his photograph famous. Eisenstaedt recollection of the event is as followed: “I saw something white being grabbed. I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse. If she had been dressed in a dark dress I would never have taken the picture.” Without luck, America would have never witness this celebratory action.

            Almost every person in America knows of the image of the sailor kissing the nurse in Time Square.  This spontaneous event led to the iconic image that reminds America of the hope that comes after war. Eisenstaedt will be remembered forever for just a simple push of a button.

TOW #25; Dog Yoga by Jilly Gagnon

Goals:

1) Make stronger word choices

      2) Try not to repeat words so frequently  

      3) Tie body topics to thesis

            As the saying goes: A dog is a man’s best friend; and man will do anything to keep their best friend happy and healthy. When it comes to medical treatments for dogs, more and more owners are trying to avoid using drugs. Alternatives for medicine include dog yoga (doga), pup-lates, acupuncture, and animal detoxes. In the article, Yogi Doggie by Jilly Gagnon, human connections, quotes, and statistics are used to inform dog lovers everywhere about alternatives health options for their beloved dogs.

            In the article, many alternatives are elaborated on; and most of the alternatives are very similar to human activities. The author mentions doga, pup-lates, acupuncture, and a detoxe. All of these alternatives are alternatives used by humans. When dog owners see a medical option that is similar to a task them have performed themselves, they may see it as a fun way to better their puppy’s life.  These alternatives are useful information to any owner who is not a fan of putting their pet on medications.

            To give dog lovers more information on the topic, Gagnon quotes multiples sources. One source in particular was a veterinarian named Louise Murray. Her take on the alternatives are more negative and hesitant. She believes that most of the options have not been fully tested for effectiveness. But if an owner does choose to try out one of the alternatives they should be done by a professional or with a veterinarian. Murray’s view gives readers a fresh view on whether or not to use alternative medial treatments for their dogs.

            Another element that informed readers was the part of the piece that displayed the costs of the alternative treatments.  A doga class can be as expensive as $25 a class and acupuncture can be as high as $120 a session. The price of the alternatives gives readers another factor to consider while learning about these medical options. Most of these alternatives tend to run on the more expensive side.

            Although a little disorganized, Gagnon did a solid job showing her readers the pros and cons of alternative medical treatments for dogs, while also informing the dog lover about how each alternative works. Man’s best friend is living the life.

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/02/dog-yoga-248520.html

TOW #24: Racial Equality Loses at the Court by the Editorial Board at The New York Times (Article)

     Goals: 

-find a topic for article that I wouldn't normally choose

-pick stronger words throughout

-adequately tie each piece of evidence to thesis

         The discussion of whether race and sex should be considered in the college application process has always been a controversial topic. Many see the selection of students by their race as extremely unethical. Personally, as a high school junior preparing for the college application process, I find it unsettling that another applicant may be chosen over me just because they are of a different race. In the New York Times article, Racial Equality Loses at the Court, the issue of racial inequality is addressed. An act was passed that took away the racial and sex –based bias from high education admittance system and brought about a great amount of controversy. The Editorial Board at the New York Times wrote this article to express how racial inequality should be confronted in order to obtain actual equality in the United States.

            The authors incorporated multiple court cases that revolve around the validity of the amendment that took away the consideration of race and sex. A ruling was made that took away this amendment for a short period of time, but “In Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, the Supreme Court reversed the ruling and allowed the amendment to stand”. By incorporating the rulings of court cases like Schuette v. Coalition, the NY Times is able to show the controversy surrounding present day racial inequality.

            Many court justices were quoted in the article to allow readers to see the contrasting views of the issue at hand.  Justice Arthur Kennedy supported the amendment and saw it as a basic use of democratic power; while Justice Sonia Sotomayor disagreed. She believed that “while the Constitution does not guarantee minority groups victory in the political process, it does guarantee them meaningful and equal access to that process”.  Both opinions help all readers interested in this topic that there are many opinions on how to deal with racial inequality.

            The Editorial Board did a wonderful job supporting the idea that racial inequalities need to be confronted and gave insight into the recent racial issue in the field of higher education.

IRB Post 4: Bossypants by Tina Fey

                How boring could an autobiography written by a comedic genius be? Hopefully not boring at all. For my fourth and final Independent Reading Book of the year, I have chosen to read Tina Fey's Bossypants.  Tina Fey is well known for her involvement on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and many other hilarious programs. Not only does Fey act but she also helps write and produce most of the projects she works on. By reading her autobiography I hope to learn about what life was like for her as a child and how it felt to climb the ladder of fame. I chose to read this book because I have been a fan of Tina Fey for along time and have heard from my friends and family that it was a funny yet insightful look into the life of the brilliant Tina Fey. I can not wait to start reading!

TOW #23: Hand Sanitizer Advertisement (visual)

Writing Goals:

     1)   Make stronger word choices

     2) Try not to repeat words so frequently   

     3)   Focus more on the analysis than the summary

  

             

Germs are everywhere and nearly impossible to avoid. Hand sanitizer companies, such as Dettol, use play towards the viewer’s emotional side by showing everyone what they are touching. Dettol’s ad in particular focuses in on the germs that are on public transportation. Many people use public transportation daily and know how unsanitary it can be; so this advertisement can be see as relatable and a wake up call to avid users of public transportation.

            Firstly, the Dettol advertisement pictures a girl on what looks like a bus, holding on to a hand. This hand and the other hands hanging from the bar represent the germs that lie inside buses and also how unsanitary public transportation is. This image alone can convince viewers to go and purchase Dettol’s hand sanitizer in order to keep ones-self germ free and health.

            After noticing the hands in the advertisement, most people would read the words at the bottom of the ad: “Whose hand are you holding?” Phrasing like this makes the audience wonder who’s germs they have acquired throughout their day and if they should start carrying around the Dettol hand sanitizer to prevent bad germs from spreading. Underneath the bold wording, there is a statement that says, “Dettol instant hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs.” Statistics like that make the audience even more compelled to purchase Dettol’s product.

            Finally, an image of a mini Dettol sanitizer bottle is placed on the advertisement. The image will allow potential customers to know what the bottle looks like so if they end up purchasing the hand sanitizer they will know what they are looking for.

            Although it is not stated in the advertisement, most germs are seen as bad, especially those found on means of public transportation as depicted in the ad. By appealing to this idea of germs and how unsanitary public transport can be, the Dettol hand sanitizer company is able to successfully lure viewers into purchasing their product; which as we know is the goal of almost every advertisement.

TOW #22: Day by Elie Wiesel (IRB Part 2)

            Every day must come to an end; but in this case I mean the conclusion of the book, Day, by Elie Wiesel. The book main focus is around the accident of Wiesel. After being struck by a cab, Wiesel is hospitalized for weeks in a full body cast, so close was he to meeting his life’s end. He has so much to live for, but Wiesel only cares about one thing, Kathleen.  Much of the book revolves around Wiesel’s experiences with Kathleen and the others he has encountered through his life. All of these people are from different events of his existence, both past and present.

            Wiesel wrote Day to continue to tell his saga. All readers of his book can easily become addicted to the text due to its interesting topic and brilliant author.  One way Wiesel keeps his readers hooked it through the organization of the book.  He is constantly switching between different points in his life. He could go from his recover time at the hospital with Doctor Paul Russel to the years of complicated love him and Kathleen have for one another in one chapter alone.  He also switched between dialogues with the people around him to conversations he has with himself in his head. His organization keep readers hooked to the end because all the events he recollects come together in the end.

            But one cannot help but feel sorry for Wiesel and all he has had to overcome throughout his life. Fans of Wiesel’s memoir Night already understand the struggles he faced as a child in Nazi concentration camps; but Day allows his readers to see that his struggling at yet to cease. Appealing to his reader’s emotions is just another way that makes Wiesel’s book impossible to put down. The whole book revolves around him being struck by a cab. But, Wiesel’s story is far from over, and one can tell just from the end of the book that thing are finally starting to turn around for Elie.

TOW #21: Inside the Pixar Braintrust by Ed Catmull (Article)

           Pixar is known for its endless amounts of animated successes, but none of these movies would have made it big if it wasn’t for Pixar’s Creativity inc. and their Braintrust.  Ed Catmull, a Pixar employee who emphasizes the importance of candor while collaborating, recently wrote an article explaining the importance of the Braintrust. The Braintrust is a meeting that occurs every few months at Pixar studios to help improve the up-and-coming movies. At theses meeting, people from all areas of the company come to evaluate, criticize, and help movies become a beloved classic.

            Catmull stresses the importance of candor throughout the entire article. Candor is the quality of being open and honest in expression and is what makes Pixar’s Braintrust so successful. By including the idea of candor at the beginning and end of the article, Catmull is able to show how candor is not only important for Pixar, but for any form of collaboration. He emphasizes how candor is the reason why Pixar is triumphant in what it does and is what keeps Braintrust functional. Candor is also brought up many times through out the article, especially after Catmull gives examples of how Braintrust works.

            To fully allow his Pixar loving readers to understand how Braintrust works, Catmull uses examples from meetings about old and new Pixar movies. His first example was about a new movie entitled Inside Out (which is planned to be released in 2015). In the Braintrust meeting, Catmull recalls how the creator of the movie, Pete Doctor, starts by introducing his idea and plays a short clip; after it is finished, other members begin questioning parts and brainstorming what the audience should get from viewing the film. Other examples of how the Braintrust works including helping write a new ending for Wall-E and creating a reason for the Big Baby to turn again Lotso The Bear in Toy Story 3.

            Pixar movies are well known around the world, but would they be as successful as they are if Braintrust did not exist?  Catmull reveals the importance of candor and how it helped make Braintrust tell unforgettable stories.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3027135/inside-the-pixar-braintrust?src

TOW #20: Miley Cyrus Wreaking Ball Music Video (Visual)

Writing Goals:

     1)   Make stronger word choices

     2)   Summarize less in the beginning (I usually use more than 100 words!)

     3)   Focus more on the analysis than the summary

            When most people think of Miley Cyrus they think of the innocent Disney Channel star who has turned into a poor role model for children today. One of the most controversial topics involving Cyrus is about her music video for the song "Wreaking Ball". Many see it as inappropriate and scarring, but underneath all the nudity and hammer licking is powerful story.  

            Cyrus wrote the song Wreaking Ball about her break up with ex-fiancé, Liam Hemsworth. The video’s purpose is to express the distress of her loss love. Each individual element incorporated in her video reveals a deeper feeling of Cyrus’.

            When fans first tuned in to watch the Wreaking Ball video, many were anticipating the appearance of an actual wreaking ball. But what a good deal of people do not know is that the wreaking ball is meant to reveal the destructive nature of love. Although love is not always destructive, Cyrus uses this piece of construction equipment to express how wreaked she felt after the collapse of her relationship.

            One of the most questionable props in the video was the sledgehammer. Cyrus begins the video by licking, kissing, and caressing the hammer and concludes the video by using it to smash the concrete walls that hold her emotions in.  This may come across as strange, but with a closer analysis of the item, one can see that Cyrus uses the sledgehammer to represent how she is in love with the pain of her break up.  The use of the hammer is a unique way for Cyrus to express how her love for Liam is still present even through her suffering.

            Why is she naked? This is a question that has been asked by many viewers. What comes across as unnecessary and scandalous is actually a way for Cyrus to show how stripped and naked she truly feels after her break up.  Her nudity also indicates how exposed her personal life is to the public. Media has exploited her heartbreak for everyone to see.  If one takes a second to realize the true intentions of the music video, they will agree with me when I say that Cyrus was able to achieve her purpose in a unique, revealing way. 

TOW # 19: Day by Elie Wiesel (IRB Post)

The Holocaust is a topic everyone will come across at least once in his or her lifetime, but author Elie Wiesel actually lived through it. The third and final book of Wiesel’s Night Trilogy is titled Day.  Day is about life after living through one of the most devastating events in history. The book begins with the narrator being struck and drug by a taxi in Time Square and the plot only grows from there. Wiesel uses Day to display his search for the answer to his thought: will it ever be possible for a holocaust survivor to create a new life for himself or herself after experiencing an unforgettably haunting event?

The unique layout of the book constantly flips from him in the hospital after his accident to when he first met his girlfriend, Kathleen.  The organization of the book first came across as confusing, but the further engrossed I became in his work the more I understood his reasoning behind this creative style choice.  This layout allows Wiesel to express how life after the holocaust has been effecting in ever situation he encounters; whether that be in the hospital or on a silent walk with Kathleen.

Wiesel’s writing style makes the book impossible to put down. Day reads like a story; it has a captivating plot line, a daunting purpose, intriguing characters, and so much more. The way Wiesel writes is different from so many other writings out there today, which is one of the many reasons I find myself drawn to this trilogy. He takes the well-known topic of the holocaust and makes his readers realize how mystifying his life truly was before, during, and after the holocaust.

At this point, I am haft way done the book and the only answer I see to Wiesel’s question is that he is struggling to forget. He is also no longer scared of death or love. But how could anyone fuller recover from something as life changing as the holocaust?

TOW #18: The Lost Art of the Condolence Letter by Saul Austerlize (Article)

     Goodbye is one of the hardest words to say. The word goodbye can have many meanings that vary from a 'see you later' to 'until we meet again' to 'goodbye forever'. No one ever hopes that their goodbye is forever; but under some circumstances they are. After a death of a loved one or friend, goodbye is that last thing you wanted to say. In his article "The Lost Art of the Condolence Letter", Saul Austerlize writes about how condolence letters are becoming less and less common but should be required. At the beginning of his piece, Austerlize mentions a few losses he has been forced to deal with over the past few months.  He continues by addressing the condolence letter and explains his idea of what the true purpose of this letter is.  A condolence letter may be sent to love ones of the desisted but, as Austerlize states, a condolence letter is his way of “preserv[ing] something ephemeral, endangered. Emotions were pinned to the page like rare butterflies, no longer flapping around indiscriminately, glimpsed only as they fluttered off, but preserved for future study”.

         Austerlize intention of writing this article is to show his readers the true importance of a condolence letter; it is, in a way, a final goodbye. He uses his own personal experiences of writing condolence letters to show his readers his connections to the letters and why he finds them important.

         Rhetorical questions are another element used by Austerlize to support his purpose. During the process of writing a condolence letter after the loss of one of his close friends, he questions,  “How do you summarize a life? A friendship? What words can do justice to the entirety of a person?” These questions help Austerlize tweeze out the memories and transfer his final thoughts to paper.

         Austerlize states how “the letter is a lost art” that has been taken over by email and social media. But the words of a letter will last forever. The article made me understand the true importance of a condolence letter, not only for the dead but also for ones self. The letter is a way to say goodbye.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/the-lost-art-of-the-condolence-letter/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=opinion&_r=0

IRB Post 3: Day by Elie Wiesel

         After reading Night by Elie Wiesel last year in english class I have been planning to read the sequel, Day. In Night, Wiesel writes his recollections about life in the concentration camps in Germany during the reign of Nazism. The sequel to the book, Day, is about life after Wiesel's escape from the camps. I want to read Day to finally get the answer to my questions: What happened after Wiesel escaped? and What was life for Wiesel like after the Holocaust?  Night was my favorite out of the four core books we had to read last year and many have recommended the sequel to me. Also, I have always thought the Holocaust was an extremely interesting topic and Wiesel writes in a way that makes his books nearly impossible to but down. He makes his life seem like a story; and I can not wait to find out what will happen next in the never-ending saga that is Elie Wiesel's life.

TOW#17: NJ gives NFL Super Tax Break for Super Bowl, and Pays for Security By Ted Sherman (article)

For football fans everywhere the Super Bowl is the most important night of the football season. From finding out who won the fantasy football league to enjoying the game itself, the Super Bowl is a spectacular night for all. But preparing for this extravagant night of football takes time and money. This year the Super Bowl is being held in New Jersey. In the article “NJ gives NFL Super Tax Break for Super Bowl, and Pays for Security” by Ted Sherman, attention is moved from the two final teams to the eight million dollars being exempted from the NFL’s Super Bowl taxes. 

Sherman begins the article by stating that the NFL got an eight million dollar gift from New Jersey because of the major tax break given to the NFL from NJ. This hook grabs any avid sports enthuses and money interested reader attention. 

As the article continues, Sherman uses quotations from important people associated with the Super Bowl/ New Jersey tax exemption issue.  He quotes Christopher Santarelli, a spokesman from New Jersey’s Treasury Department: "One of the standard conditions that the NFL asks of all host communities for Super Bowls is to provide sales tax relief on the sale of tickets to the game and certain associated events as well as parking at those events," and how "New Jersey agreed to provide this tax relief to the NFL". Quotes like these and many others used in this piece helps Sherman achieve his purpose of informing his readers about the tax exemptions given to the NFL from the host state.

         In the end, Sherman again uses quotes to show how even though New Jersey has to pay eight million dollars towards taxes and security for this years’ Super Bowl. This eight million should be easily remade through hotels and other public, NJ owned facilities. "You give up $8 million, but look what you’re getting", said Mitchell Fillet, a professor at Fordham University. Sherman concludes his article with statics that show hoe many find it ridiculous that the NFL is exempted from paying certain taxes. It’s hard to believe that so much drama can erupt from one football game.

http://www.nj.com/super-bowl/index.ssf/2014/02/nj_gave_nfl_8_million_tax_break_and_pass_on_security_costs_to_land_the_2014_super_bowl.html

TOW #16: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (IRB)

      They were going to live in a glass castle, that was the goal. The memoir, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls shares the story of her life to the world. Growing up, Jeannette and her three siblings (Lori, Brian, and Maureen) had to deal with an alcoholic father who could not hold a job and a whimsical, free spirited mother who rarely fulfilled her parental role. The Walls family never stayed in one place for too long, they were constantly on the move whether it was because Rex (Jeannette's father) lost another job or because they felt like outcasts. Throughout the memoir, Walls recalls her fathers plans to build a house he called their Glass Castle. After years of putting up with and even admiring her parents Jeannette realized the true status of her life. So her older sister Lori and herself devised a plan to move to New York to escape their hell of a life. Soon after they moved the girls were able to convince their other two siblings to move to New York as well. In the end, Rex dies of a heart attack. His death made Jeannette rethink her new life; and with these thoughts came the divorce of her and her first husband, Eric.

      I believe Walls wrote this memoir in order to show readers the lessons she has learned from her life while also being able to express (and maybe even release) the feels and experiences she had gone through. These lessons adds character too the book in a unique way. For example in one part of the book, Jeannette was trying to learn how to swim but continuously drowned, Her father told her “If you don't want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”. Although it's not the best way to teach a lesson, it does make a strong point. 
        Overall, I enjoyed this memoir and believe that Walls was able to achieve her purpose in a unique, inspiring, and even heart-wrenching way. Although she had an extremely tough life, Walls was able to make the best of it and in the end (well at least the end of the book) was able to make peace with herself and her life.