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!