Instructor: Keli Rowley
This is my cover letter for my English 1 class portfolio. It will discuss how I felt in the beginning and also how I felt at the end of the semester. I will also include some assignments that were given in class which I found very interesting and informative as well. Also the things that I learned and how I am going to utilize them in the future. I really hope that you will enjoy this letter but also read how the students feel about being in this class.
Before even steeping into class I was really nervous, because a lot of student at LBCC (Long Beach City College) say that English 1 is a hard course. I also feel like since the college’s staff is always saying “College level English” it’s quite frightening. I felt like it was going to be hard but also a pain, because of all the hard work we were going to do which is now “College level.” Once I went into class I saw a familiar face which always makes the transition better. Leslie and I have taken some courses together and are really good friends. When class started and we had to do the ice breaker, I was very nervous, because I’m quite a shy person. The professor really made all the students not just me feel comfortable. I never had a professor that danced hip-hop, which is pretty amazing.
As the weeks passed I was always thinking okay when is she going to give us the difficult assignments? I figured out that the assignments she gave us were as they say “College level” but weren’t difficult for me. One of the first assignments that I found very interesting and informative was when we were assign to do a letter to author. The article I chose to do the author letter to was Gloria Anzaldua author of “Cultural Tyranny” who unfortunately passed away on May 15, 2004 at Santa Cruz, CA. I was able to do some research on when she died and where, because the professor told us that she passed away but didn’t know when. Her article was on how cultures have limits for women and are not allowed to do other wise or they will be seen as a self centered person. I really enjoy this article, because it’s true and is still happening in places today. One of the thing is that the wife stays home and the husband goes to work to maintain the family. Nowadays a lot of married people don’t follow these cultural traditions, because the job that they may have is not enough for the family so the wife works too. Also some couples may decide that she works and he baby-sits the children. People who follow the traditions in culture usually start rumors that doesn’t directly affect them physically, but if they hear those rumors they can be affected mentally. This article has made me even furthermore understand how those women feel and what they go through to be someone in life and get judged for accomplishing something important. Also since the parents raise them and have already gone through some experiences, they might not want their children to go through those same experiences which might harm their children. I feel like the parents are very overprotected. I believe his is why they don not let their daughters do what they want to accomplish in life, to actually be someone.
When finishing this assignment I realized how interesting English was and informative. I learned things that I would have never imagine of knowing in a class. The English classes that I have taken before don’t use articles like this.
One of the things that really stand out for me this semester was the documentary of Citizen Four. It informed me of what was going on with the community and the government. They monitored everything we do from phone calls to the internet searches we do. I find it incredible how the government are able to keep up with all the information they are receiving daily from millions of people. Edward Snowden is now one of the people that I truly admire for what he did. He needed to have a mindset that would be capable of resisting all that was going to come his way. He was a very intelligent person for all the steps he took when he decided to did what he did. Also it took him money to travel from place to place and also the hotels. This documentary opened my eyes and made me realize we are not alone when using the internet or any electronic device.
When I first stared this course I didn’t feel confident in my writing, because I didn’t really like to write, which is why I didn’t really put effort in my writing. My weaknesses in writing were writing to much but also too less. Another thing I didn’t know how to develop a thesis and add supporting details as well as I know now. Furthermore, weeks passed and my writing showed a major improvement from when I first started the course. I learned how to create thesis that actually went with what I was writing. Some of the obstacles that I faced during the course was that I got sick and was not able to attend class for over a week which really affected my overall grade. Also once I felt better my dog got sick and I had to take care of her, which is why my papers weren’t as good as I would have wanted. I feel if I wouldn’t have gotten sick I would of gotten a B or even an A, but now I struggling to even pass. The way that I overcame those obstacles were I always went online to the class website to do all the work and turning it in online on time. Also once my dog and me got better I have never missed class anymore and always gave my 100% on all the work I did from then on. I feel like writing this cover letter was probably one of the most difficult assignments for me, because I didn’t really know which prompt to use from the examples in class. I also didn’t know had difficulties with little stuff such as not knowing id in a cover letter I should indent for every paragraph, so I followed the handout the professor gave us.
I really enjoy writing more than when I started the course. It makes me feel relax and I able to demonstrate what I capable of. It’s also shows me that if I really try to do something such as an essay I can do it and not be complete junk. I was able to use the articles as examples in other classes. Also the way all the articles were developed helped me develop my own papers without making a mistake.
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Jose Moreno
Professor Rowley
English 1
09 June 2015
Misinterpreted Pit-bulls
Many people believe that the pit-bull breed is one of the most aggressive breeds in the world. But, I want them to think that the pit-bull breed is very friendly and caring. People judge them by what they hear about them through TV or other people. Those pit-bull they hear about were probably trained to fight or are very territorial. It's not always the pit-bull’s fault that it's aggressive. The way I see things is that the dog is just trying to protect his/her pack.
The way a human holds his/her leash and where they position the dog has a major influence on how it reacts to certain events. If the leash has tension, the pit-bull will probably be tense as well. Not knowing how to hold a dog's leash can lead into serious problems for people and the dog itself. If a human knows how to hold the dog leash correctly, it will be easy to control, no matter the weight of the dog.
Humans have to have trust in their pit-bulls. The pit-bull will sense if the human is tense, nervous, or doesn't trust them. If the human positions the pit-bull up in front of
them, it will take the role of leader. As leader, the pit-bull will do whatever it takes to
take care of his/her pack. If the human positions the dog next to or behind them, they will
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see that the human is the leader of the pack. By doing this, many accidents can be prevented foe example: dog fights, biting humans and preventing the dog from getting hurt. It will also make the dog feel secure and relaxed in outdoor situations.
Also, the way that the dog is treated daily has a major a influence, on how the dog is behaves. The human has to put a limit on what the dog is able to do. When leaving for a walk, the human has to be the first to exit the household, not the dog. To show that the person is the leader not the dog. A pit-bull, since it's a large and heavy breed needs training, so it will not be destructive and difficult to deal with. Every human has to teach their dog manners such as: not entering areas where they are not allowed, staying where assigned, and not getting things that aren't theirs and not jumping on people. Of course every human wants to treat their canine friend with pure love and will let them get away with everything. Which is not good in the long run for both the dog and the human.
When dogs such as pit bulls are bought just to scare away burglars from a home or business, and left in the front yard tied up, they are trained to bark at anyone and anything that passes by or enters the property. One of the places I go around and always see a dog inside barking is at small business where they sale cars and also in places where they fix cars. When they are not needed for protection no more they are abandoned anywhere or taken to the SPCALA ( Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles) where they are adopted by families. Many times these pit bulls are not adopted because every time a person gets near, they do what they were thought to do all their life protect
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their home. People get scared and turn away, and look for a pit-bull that is not aggressive. These aggressive pit-bulls can be trained again so they will not bark every time something gets close. But, it is a process that will take time and patience from the pit-bull and the owner.
First, the dog needs to forget all the negative things that they were trained to do by teaching them the correct things to do. By doing, this the pit-bull will learn to do the correct things such as not barking at everything that moves, not jumping on people, not nibbling on an object, not being potty trained, and not being destructive. Second, the pit-bull will learn how to interact with other dogs without being aggressive. The first few times the dog will have a mouth piece in order for the pit-bull not to bite other dogs. When the pit-bull has no signs of aggression towards other dogs after days spending time with them, the human will remove the mouth piece. Third, the pit-bull will learn how to interact with strangers. Once the dog is not showing signs of aggression towards strangers, then they will learn how to walk on different leashes. The indoor leash, which is used to keep an eye on the dog inside the household, for dogs that do not know how to behave inside a household. The leash is used to walk the dog outside, which is shorter to keep the dog in close range. Once, the dog is trained you can teach the dog to walk off leash. By using a long leash, allowing the dog to leave further away from the owner. But, needs to be trained so when called they return to the owner without hesitating. It's a long process that requires patience from both the dog and the owner.
The pit-bull breed is often misinterpreted about being aggressive. Many times
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people get scared when such a large dog runs to them without knowing they only want to play and get affection from the human. Pit-bull have a very big heart and are easily trained. The process will be long and difficult. But, the feeling that you will get knowing that you helped a dog throughout the process will be unbelievable. Every pit-bull deserves a second chance and to have a home, where they are loved.
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Jose Moreno
English 1
Professor Rowley
T/Th 7:30- 9:35
09 June 2015
Children’s Advertising Should Be Regulated
Although kids’ advertising generates millions of dollars each year, it is brain-washing children to have and need items that are unnecessary. In Eric Schlosser’s article “ Kid Kustomers,” he says that “ advertising directed at children today has an immediate goal, “ it’s giving them a specific reason to ask for the product" (223). This is why in some cereals, for example, advertisers include a special toy inside, which they promote in commercials to get the children to see it and want it. Children will want the cereal even if they do not like the cereal because of the toy inside the cereal box. It is not just costing the parents money, but it’s also bad for the children who develop this way of thinking. Although children’s advertising is lucrative and popular, I believe that kids advertising should be regulated to prevent children from becoming consumers at an early age. It will also improve the health of the children and also the activities that they are involved in. For example, rather than staying inside and watching TV, they should go outside and play.
Children who develop bad behaviors because of parents not buying what they want, is very stressful to parents but also to people who are around them when they have their tantrums. Some of the things that the child will do to the parents is what Schlosser calls “nagging tactics” (224) . Some example of the nagging tactics from children
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according to Schlosser are: the pleading nag, the demonstrative nag, and the threatening
nag. These are just some of the most known nags. A “pleading nag” is when the children pleads to their parents to buy them something. For example, a repetition of “please” (224). Another nag is the “demonstrative nag,” which is very high-risk according to Schlosser. This nag is where children throw tantrums in public places. They go into tears, hold their breath, and even refuse to leave the store. This nag is the one where a lot of parents are judged for their child’s behavior. Even if the parents have taught their children to behave, their kids develop these behaviors throughout time. Advertisements towards children helps develop these behaviors. Finally, according to Schlosser, the threatening nag is where the children will tell their parents that if they do not buy them what they want they will hate them forever (224). Usually, the parent knows this is not real, but some are moved by the kid’s action and buy them what they want. When they do this it is just reinforcing the kid’s actions. Therefore, every time that they want something the same thing will happen over and over again. This is not good in the long run, because this behavior develops more and more. This is why children’s advertising needs to be regulated to prevent children from developing these behaviors.
Advertisers tend to use characters that are well known during that time. They have characters do commercials for children during the times that they believe that the children are watching TV. For example, the video that as showed “ Gendered in Kid Advertising” demonstrated how advertisers used Shrek in a commercial intended to encourage kids to go out to play, but then to sell junk food. Shrek tells kids to go out and play to have fun in a commercial. Then, in another one he tells them to eat the candy to act like him, which is
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very hypocritical. Children fall in love with that character and will want anything that has his face on it. They do not care if it’s junk food or something healthy. They have not developed their mind to the full. According to Schlosser, “advertisers create imaginary characters who perfectly fit the targeted age group’s level of cognitive and neurological development.” (225)
Advertisers study the lives of children they are going to target in their next advertisement. They send cultural anthropologists to children’s houses to study the behaviors and all the things they do. By doing so, they are guaranteed to have a decent amount of sales for that product. According to Schlosser, “ advertisers study the lives of young children; they apply the finding in advertisements and product designs.” (225) By them doing this, advertisers learn how to brainwash children to get them to buy what they are advertising.
Another thing that advertisers use to catch the eye of children is the Internet. Nowadays, children at a very young age start to use the internet. Schlosser states that the internet has become another powerful tool for assembling data about children (225). The internet is using children’s websites such as Disney.com, Cartoonnetwork.com, Pbskids.com and others to get children to fill out information about themselves (225-26). I went on Pokemon.com to make my own research and when I entered the game section for some games they required me to put in my age. By, doing this it will tell them what ages play what games. I believe they did that to see what age of children prefer what game on their website. A lot of websites also require you to put in your age in order to continue on the website. Also, when playing those games in the middle of the game a pop
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up comes on and asks if I would like to give feedback on their website. I believe that this is bad for children, because they do not have the mentality to do what is appropriate. Also, they are not always asking their parents for permission. Which is bad, because they might give information that people can use to steal their identity.
This information proves that advertisements towards children should be regulated. I understand that advertisers will lose money at first, but it will prevent many diseases and behavioral problems that can be dangerous towards the lives of the children. Regulated advertisements will have a lot of positive feedback from parents. It will help children maintain a strong and healthy lifestyle. This will help both the parent and the children to live life easier without any additional problems.
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Work Cited
Schlosser, Eric. “ Kid Kustomers.” Signs of Life in the USA: Reading on Popular Culture
For Writers. Eds. Sonia Massik and John Solomon. Boston: Bedfords/St.Martin’s. 2010. 223-27. Print.
“The Hard Sell: Marketing To Kids.” 14 May 2007 CBS Evening News Video. Online Video Clip. www.cbsnew.com/news/the-hard-selling-marketing-to-kids/. 08 June 2015
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Jose Moreno
Keli Rowley
T/TH 7:30 - 9:35
09 June 2015
A New Addiction In Town
People of all ages and from all over the world are becoming addicted to technology. People are willing to isolate themselves from the community and would rather use technology to communicate with others. For example , students who become addicted to technology have a hard time focusing on things they have to do in class. Usually, their grades go down and they often have a hard time bringing them back up. They get desperate to check their phones as often as every five minutes. Just like Kira Beilis said in her article, “How Your Technology Is Manipulating You” , “We’re creating stuff that is so powerful as to be almost be supernatural.” In other words people should have a limited amount of time each day for using technology, because otherwise they are not experiencing the world around them. I don’t want to give an exact amount of hours a person should use, because they have to do studies that will show how much time people need with technology each day. Although technology makes it easy for someone to connect with others, it also takes away that face-to-face communication that is essential to a fulfilling life.
People who use technology aren’t having the same communication experiences as people who don’t use technology as much. By communicating face-to-face you learn how to act in certain situations. For example, if you find a person a person who has a flat tire
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on the streets and ask you for help. If you do have communication skills you will at least go help them or at least respond that you don’t know, but if you don’t have communication skills then you will probably just pass them by without answering them or just stand their looking at them. Also, you can see how other people act in certain situations, which you may learn from. Many employers look for people who know how to communicate with customers, not someone who just knows how to communicate with someone using technology. All the situations you experience when communicating with people face-to-face makes you knowledgeable about customer service and also helps you with life. The world is not going to adapt to your needs. You have to adapt to the world. Just because you only know how to communicate with people using technology doesn’t mean you’re going to get hired in a job that requires using technology. Of course, people will learn many things while using technology. For example, how to use it, find shortcuts, and how to use the ability of the technology to the max. There are many jobs that require people to know a lot of technology and software, but it would not matter if you do not know how to communicate with people. Just like the AARP Foundation stated in their article, What Skills Do Employers Look For? they say, “You need communication skills to sell yourself during the interview.” You won’t be able to inform the clients of all the features and techniques you can do with certain technology without communication skills.
There are so many ways to use technology that it pretty much distracts a person from doing their work. People are even using technology at work instead of working. Rob Walker had an experience with people addicted to technology. He stated in his article “Colleges Addicted to Tech,” “I have worked at a small architecture firm for about eight
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years. Almost a year ago we hired a number of new people, and several of them surf the Internet up to half of the workday — shopping, watching YouTube videos, you name it. When not on the computer, they resemble swans, heads bent over their personal devices, texting or whatever.” It just shows how people get bored using one thing on their phone
like YouTube and immediately find something else to do on it. He also said, “We’re in an
“open” studio space, and those of us who actually work can’t help but notice. We also
pick up the slack and fix the mistakes that these people make because they are constantly distracted.” In other words, technology isn’t only distracting people addicted at work but also those who are surrounding them. You can hear them laugh at something they saw online or even get mad at something they didn’t like. It has a negative effect on everyone in the workspace, not just the person using technology.
Technology also has a major affect on couples when one or the other is addicted to technology. Matt Richtel told a story about a couple in “ Attached To Technology And Paying A Price”, about how a guy named Kord Campbell missed a very important email from a person who wanted to buy his Internet start-up. He found the email and replied, but he was not able to sell it for the price he wanted, because he delayed the response. The reason he missed that email and not getting the price he wanted was all the technology he was using at that point. He had not one but three monitors on his desk. He pretty much spent all his day there. His wife Brenda said, “It seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.” She’s seriously tired of all the technology her husband is using. Which I find very interesting because if you go to the website you can clearly see a photo of how both, not just Kord is using an I-Pad during breakfast. There’s also another link
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after the fourth paragraph in parenthesis, a link that takes you to the work space Kord has. He has three monitors and all of them have different tabs that have a whole bunch of information. To me personally I would be in such stress having to keep up with all the information coming in. People like Kord have to have all this to keep everything they want within a click, but having a setup like this doesn’t mean you won’t miss an email that could pay you 1.3 million dollars.
The younger you start to use technology the greater the percentage you will be addicted to technology. Also, greater the risk of the child to get exposed to information or images they are not suppose to see. Nick interviewed Steve Jobs and wrote an article, “The New York Times Which is called “ Steve Jobs Was A Low-Tech Parent”. Here after a series of questions about his kids using I-pads. A very interesting topic came up on children being exposed to many stuff. Steve said, “ exposure to harmful content like pornography, bullying from other kids, and perhaps worse of all, becoming addicted to their devices, just like their parents.” Being exposed to material of this kind can traumatize the children. Nowadays many parents give their children their phone or tablet so that they would stop crying or bothering them. This is such a big mistake, because the older the child gets they will want more and more, and also won’t be quiet until they get what they want. Children who get addicted at an early age to technology have a more difficult time to get rid of this addiction.
Technology is very helpful with connecting and keeping up with people and information, but it is also very addicting. Once you use it is very easy to get addicted. This addiction can bring you many problems such not getting a job for lack of
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communication skills, not knowing how to react to certain situations and also issues in your own family. Technology can give you so many information but also take away all the knowledge you have earn during the years.
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Works Cited
AARP Foundation. “ What Skills Are Employers Looking For?” http://www.aarpworksearch.org/Inside/Pages/HowEmployableAmI.aspx
AARP Foundation. Web. May 30, 2015
Beilis, Kira. “How Your Technology Is Manipulating You.” http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/10/how-your-technology-is-manipulating- you.html. Huffington Post. October 24, 2014. Web. May 30, 2015
Bilton, Nick. “Steve Jobs Was A Low-Tech Parent” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/fashion/steve-jobs-apple-was-a-low-tech- parent.html . The New York Times. September 10, 2014. Web. May 30, 2015.
Richtel, Matt. “Attached To Technology And Paying A Price” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?_r=0 . The New York Times. June 6, 2010. Web. May 30, 2015.
Walker, Rob. “Colleagues Addicted to Tech” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/jobs/colleagues-addicted-to-tech.html?_r=0
The New York Times. April 16, 2015. Web. May 30, 2015
