Communications technology factors have had an increasing role in education. Whether it is the iMovie program or online blogs, students are now becoming more familiar with these factors and slowly leaving behind the use of dull textbooks and classroom lectures. With this change in educational methods, students are beginning to increase their intellectual success. Therefore because they allow a creative outlet for students, open more oportunities for learning, and make the work process much simpler, communicaions technology factors such as iMovie and Inernet blogs relate to academic success in high school students.

First, communications technology factors aid students because they allow students to become more creative. Programs such as iMovie give the opportunity for people to create and edit their own films. Not only do students get to transfer their ideas into film, but they also get to execute their movie exactly as they want it. They are entirely responsible for the music, transitions, effects, and many other aspects. Programs such as iMovie allow students to get in touch with their creative side. A child has no control over their education when it comes to studying math from a text book. Yet by making and editing a movie on the compupter, the child has endless opportunities. They will benefit more from learning to make their own decisions rather than hearing everything straight from a teacher. On top of that, it is much more fun than studying from a book. Communications technology has given students the chance to release themselves and enjoy their time spent in school. Therefore because of this, this factor contributes to academic success in high school.

Second, communcations technology helps students' education by adding more opportunities from learning. By creating an online blog, a student can choose to write entries. If a teacher assigns a paper, the student can write it straight into their blog, just as they would type it in a Microsoft Word document. Yet the different between communcation factors such as blogs and Word is that blogs provide more opporunities. Not only can a student write in their blog, but they can post links to other websites. They can add music, images, and even videos. Word, on the other hand, does not allow one to add online videos or music. Through blogs, students are given a better chance to post more educational content. Students are provided with more opporunties and they can get more creative. After all, who would rather read a boring Word document instead of an exciting blog, full of pictures and clips? Thus because it creates more room for educational content, communcations factors such as online blogs help students further their education.

Finally, communcations factors are related to academic success because they make the work process much simpler. If a student only had Microsoft Word, they would have to type and print every paper. Keeping track of all those papers can get messy. Yet with email and online blogs, keeping track of work becomes extremely simple. A student can simply mail a paper to their teacher, and then store it on their computer. Or they can easily post in their blog and save their entry, in which the teacher can quickly access. Also, with online blogs, if a student sees a website they like, they can create a link to that site to store on their blog. If they see a video they would like access to, they can simply add it to their blog. Communcations technology has made work easier to keep track of, and simpler to do. With email or a blog, a child does not have to worry about documents saving or papers being lost. Therefore because of this, communications factors help students find academic success.

In conclusion, commications technology factors relate to academic success and help students achieve much more through the learning process. Whether allowing students to get in touch with their creative side and enjoy their education, or helping ease the work process,these factors contribue much more to intellectual success than classroom textbooks do. Sure Blogger may not teach a child how to do Calculus; but in the grand scheme of things, what will a student benefit more from - the seemingly endless reading of dull chapters, or creatively adapting their ideas into other mediums?

The Body
Message prompt

A commodity is a product that is not appreciated for its true value. Commodities are used to impress others. Both male and female bodies have become commodities themselves. People are often not appreciated for their true value. Very frequently, they are not treasured for their personality, intelligence, or sense of humor. Instead, too much attention is paid to their appearance. Though not always true, looks are typically considered to be the most important aspect of a person. Women and men therefore must devote a lot of time to their body. The most common reason for working out is not to stay healthy, but to look good. That is why steroids and eating disorders have become somewhat common today. Many people feel it is necessary to harm their bodies in order to look attractive by society’s standards. People are not valued because they are kind or loving. Instead, people are valued if they are considered beautiful. Thus, the human body has become a commodity.

The fact that the body is a commodity is disgusting. People should never be judged by their appearance. The way someone looks is not what is important. It only matters if someone is a good person. People should be treasured for their intelligence or personality. After all, it is much better to befriend a nice, fun person rather than someone entirely concerned with their looks. Just because someone does not meet society’s idea of beauty does not mean they are any worse of a person. It should never matter how someone looks, and therefore it is a horrible thing for the body to be considered a commodity. A body should never be used to impress others - character should be used to impress others.

Celebrity
Medium prompt

A medium is defined as a mean of general communication or information. A few common mediums are radios, televisions, and photographs. However, Neal Gabler believes that none of the aforementioned is the biggest medium. In his essay, Gabler writes, “life itself has become the dominant medium of the new century.” This quote supports the idea behind celebrities. In many ways, celebrities have become the biggest way of spreading information. They can, intentionally or not, send out messages to the public. They have more influence that televisions, radios, and photographs do.

An example of this would be supermodels. Models typically put out an image of a skinny body, and are considered to be beautiful. As a result of this, many women of the public want to be skinny. Countless women feel that they need to look like a model if they are to be considered attractive. Models are therefore advertising the idea that women are most beautiful if they are thin. They are sending out a message to the public, just as a television or radio would.

Another example of this is what celebrities wear. Average people see what celebrities wear. Consequently, many want to copy the celebrity and dress the same way. Celebrities have set countless trends because the public feels it is “cool” to dress the way a celebrity does. People also want to look the way certain celebrities look. Britney Spears have their own perfume, Jennifer Lopez has her own clothing line, and the Olsen twins created their own cosmetics. Girls then want to smell like Spears, dress like Lopez, and wear the same makeup as the Olsens. These celebrities are, therefore, influencing people. They are giving the public an idea on what they should look or smell like. They are sending out a message just like a television would. Only Gabler believes that celebrities have grown to possess more power than televisions and other standard mediums. If one takes time to think about, he or she may realize that Gabler is on to something. After all, try to get through a single day without seeing a celebrity advertise a message, whether it is intentional or not.

The Mall
Message prompt

The Mall of America is the country’s biggest shopping center. It boasts of 44 escalators and 17 elevators, 14,000 hot dogs sold per week, and a size of 78 acres. The mall is proof of the idea that “Not only is shopping melting into everything, everything is melting into shopping.” Malls used to be rare, and whatever malls there were contained only stores and food courts. Over time, however, malls have become much more common. Not only that, but they have become much bigger as well. The Mall of America is an example that shopping is becoming bigger than it ever was. In fact, shopping is currently so big that The Mall of America eventually hopes to become a symbol of the country. This proves the idea that shopping is melting to everything. However, The Mall of America also proves that everything is melting into shopping.

The Mall of America does not only consist of seemingly endless stores and food chains; it has several different activities as well. In the chapter, there are pictures containing an ice skating rink and an amusement park ride. Malls have grown to contain different attractions now and something for every member of the family to do. There are various things being added to malls to attract more consumers. The Mall of America hopes to become as significant to the nation as Disneyland is. A mall cannot do that with only stores and food courts. Therefore, the mall proves that not only is shopping melting into everything, everything is being added to shopping.

Selling America
Medium prompt

The American flag is an important part of our culture. It symbolizes our nation and the American way. The flag stands for freedom. It is something that should be used only to show one’s pride in the country. Since 9/11, the American flag has become ubiquitous. In the days following the tragic event, the flag was found everywhere one looked, even on products. Two examples the chapter cites are a pizza box and a bikini. In my opinion, it is not appropriate for these two products to display the American flag.

The American flag should be used only to show patriotism. It is possible that the two aforementioned products are only using the flag to convince Americans that they are patriotic in an attempt to attract more customers After all, a proud American would much rather buy from a patriotic company who displays the flag on their product, rather than a company who does not seem as proud of the country. This makes the use of the American flag seem completely disrespectful. They use the flag to sell a product and further their financial success. This is not only disrespecting the flag, but America itself. I believe that companies need to appreciate their nation more and find a better way to sell their products.

Advertising Morality
Message prompt

An important part of any advertisement is the picture. Most ads found in the chapter contain images that dominate the text. “The Enforcer” advertisement, for example, contains a picture that completely takes over the text. In fact, the text is written in small font and placed at the very bottom. Most people probably do not take the time to read the text, but merely observe the picture. Another example of this is the “Children Aren’t Born Violent” ad. There is a photo of a young child’s face. Across his eyes is a bar containing smaller images of violence, which represents the violence he has seen in his life. Again, most of the text is written in small font and this time, placed at the very top. Like the first example, most people probably do not actually read this text. Instead, they probably only notice the picture. One advertisement that is not dominated by the picture is “You’re Running Because You Want That Raise”. Though it features a large picture, the text is more dominating and attracts much more attention with the different sizes and colors.

The picture in each advertisement is not always clear. As aforementioned, the text is not always noticeable. Therefore the ad heavily relies on the image to get the message across to the audience. However, most pictures do not clearly identify exactly what the advertisement is trying to say. A good example of this is “Father”. In this particular ad, a young man is shown smiling with small text scrolled across the middle of the advertisement. If someone were to look at the picture without paying attention to the text, they might think it was advertising something about college. After all, it looks like the kind of happy student college brochures are always showing. Yet the text shows that the boy has messed up by using drugs, and now he is a father. No one would be able to guess that just by looking at the image. This advertisement heavily depends on text to convey its message. A quick glimpse by a passerby of the ad will not leave a lasting message in someone’s head.

How to Make an Add
Method prompt

The nonprofit organization Adbusters created a guideline to follow when creating an advertisement. In this guideline, the company suggests potential advertisers to make their objective completely clear to the audience, as well as know exactly who they want their audience to be. The company stresses the important of a large visual, stating that 70% of people notice the visual. Adbusters also adds that one must have a good headline, as 30% of people notice that, while only 5% read the body copy. The final point Adbusters gives is not to make the advertisement cluttered. While creating an ad, less is always more.

Miss Clairol’s “Does she…or doesn’t she?” advertisement strictly follows Adbusters’ guidelines. It first follows the company’s advice by creating a large visual. The picture for Miss Clairol focuses on a middle-aged woman with shiny, well-styled hair close to a child. If a woman around the same age or mother were to pass by this advertisement, it is likely she would stop after seeing the visual. The picture is more the half the ad, and thus very noticeable. Yet more importantly, it shows women that even they, as mothers, can have nice hair. The picture is showing that just because a woman becomes a mother, that does not mean she can no longer take good care of her hair. The visual proves that Miss Clairol knows exactly who their audience is, and they successfully attract their specific audience. The picture does a great job luring in their audience, just as Adbusters pointed out was necessary for a good ad.

“Does she…or doesn’t she?” also follows the guidelines because it has a good headline. The headline is located directly under the main visual. It reads, “Hair color so natural only her hairdresser knows for sure!” The headline clearly reveals what the product is about. It immediately explains to the audience that Miss Clairol will color a woman’s hair so naturally that nobody else will be able to tell it is not her real color. The headline makes the product look good and sound like it works well. It also makes women potentially want to try the product for themselves. Finally, the advertisement does not appear cluttered. There is nothing too fancy, nor too many words or pictures. It is simple and gets its point across. The advertisement strictly follows Adbusters’ advice, which explains why it has become one of the most successful campaigns of all time.

“Race Over” by Orlando Patterson
Medium prompt

Orlando Patterson states in his essay that there will be several problems the world has to deal with in the years to come. He feels, however, that race will not be one of these problems. There may still be violence, but different ethnicities will manage to find common ground. The current media suggests that Patterson may be onto something. The media presents many different problems. Models that appear all skin and bones and are completely made up in make up have a negative effect on average women. They easily make other girls feel ugly, or not good enough. Violence is huge in movies, often making it appear that violence is the answer. Alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes are also often found on shows and music videos, almost encouraging teenagers to try something illegal.

Race, however, is not a problem. Derek Jeter, who is African American and Caucasian, is just as famous as Christina Aguilera, who is half Ecuadorian. Just about every race is represented in the media. There are people of different ethnicities in every show, movie, and music video. So while there are several dilemmas with the media, race is not one of them. I feel that this current trend will continue. The media has proven that anyone can be successful, regardless of their background. It does not matter where they are from or what their ethnicity is. They can be successful. There are so many examples of different people finding success, and thus I believe that this current trend will continue.

“Herstory” by Jan Morris
Message Prompt

In the past, women have been viewed as weaker than men, and as the inferior gender. They were not given nearly as many rights as men, and were only expected in life to care for the family – nothing else. Eventually, however, women began to gain more rights. They began to partake in activities that only men used to participate in, and they became physically and emotionally stronger. Today, women can do just about anything men can do. And often, they can do it better.

Jan Morris states in her essay, “the old immovable opposites of Male and Female may be converging after all.” It is clear within the essay that Morris believes women are becoming more like men. She mentions that fifty years ago, no one expected women to be playing soccer, let along boxing. No one believed that men would end up splitting the household chores with women. Fifty years ago, there were set roles for women and men. A woman was too weak to play sports, and therefore could only look after the household. Yet now that fifty years has past, women are playing sports. Not only are they playing, but they are finding enormous success. The Williams sisters, Mia Hamm, Lisa Leslie. All of them have made a living out of playing their favorite sport. Females are now just as strong as men. Women have also managed to become political figures. Hilary Clinton may become the first female president. All in all, females are much more capable. They are becoming more like men, as men are becoming more like women. Hopefully, one day it will not be considered so strange for a woman to be president. After all, over time, she has become completely capable.

Animal Rights
Message Prompt

In 1789, Jeremy Bentham wrote of animals, "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, can they talk? but, can they suffer?" I think this quote means that it does not matter if we can communicate with animals, or if they think like us. Animals obviously have both emotional and physical feelings. You can tell when an animal's spirits are not high, and you can tell when an animal is suffering from pain. Animals can also show love and affection. They can be a person's friend, and they can provide comfort. They can be playful and bring fun into people’s lives. The point is, animals have characteristics of a human. They have characteristics that can make them a part of a family. Therefore, if humans should not be tested on nor treated cruelly, why should animals? There is absolutely no reason animals should suffer from this cruelty, as they are similar to us, and this is what Bentham is trying to get across to the reader.

This quote is so powerful because it really related animals to human beings. Sure, they are different from us. Sure, we may never be able to have a conversation with them. However, animals are just as important as humans. They are just as caring, playful, and emotional. This quote explains that while there are differences, the similarities are much more important. And because of these similarities, it is horribly wrong for animals to suffer cruelty.

Someone who is against animals could also use Bentham’s statement to support his or her reasoning. If someone supported animal testing or killing animals for food, they could use this quote to argue that animals are below humans. Someone against animals could say that the question is not can they reason, because animals do not think the same way humans do. They could also say that the question is not can they talk, because they clearly do not speak to people through a human language. Therefore, if they cannot think like humans, nor communicate with us through words, someone against animals would easily consider animals to be inferior. Therefore, why not test on them? Someone in support of animal cruelty would say it does not matter for animals to suffer because they are not on the same level as humans. However, this quote works best for an animal rights activist, and it should. Animals should have every right humans do, and they should never have to suffer because they are considered inferior.

"On Dumpster Diving" by Lars Eighner
Message Prompt

Lars Eighner learns several different lessons from his experience in dumpster diving. One, for example, is that he learns to take absolutely nothing for granted. In fact, Eighner gains plenty of weight while dumpster diving because he eats everything he finds so nothing goes to waste. Similar to this, he also collects junk he does not need just because he hates to see anything wasted. Another lesson he learns is to be courteous to others. Eighner hates the people he calls "can scroungers" because they dig to the bottom of the dumpster, covering up good food that others could benefit from. Eighner believes that if he finds something good that he is not using, he should leave it out in plain sight for others to find. He is helping himself, all while looking out for others. Finally, Eighner learns he does not need material things in order to find happiness in life. Before he dumpster dived, he used to invest material objects with sentimental value. However, now he is without the material objects, and he still finds value in life. He does not need a television in order to be content.

Through these lessons, Eighner becomes a more ethical person. He learns lessons in life that unfortunately most people do not. These principles gained by Eighner should be applicable to everyone, but they are not. The affluent take many things for granted, and are quick to throw perfectly good objects away. They do not care if anything goes to waste. They also do not learn that they do not need material things in the life. The affluent have big screen televisions with over three hundred channels. They own the most expensive objects, and most would find it extremely difficult - almost impossible - to live without these riches. Everyone should learn the lessons that Eighner has learned. However, this probably will not happen unless they are forced to live in the conditions that Eighner experienced.

Eighner writes, "I think of scavenging as a modern form of self-reliance". I think he means that through his experience, he has learned to survive only based on his needs. He finds food for himself, and any objects found in the dumpster. He cannot go to the store to buy these things. Instead, he must rely on himself to find the things he absolutely needs in life. He does not have the priviledge of buying material objects. Therefore, scaveging has become his form of self-reliance.

“Gangstas” by Richard Rodriguez
Method prompt

In his essay, Richard Rodriguez praises Joseph Rodriguez’s photos of the gangster life. He enjoys the photographs because it does not romanticize their subject. I agree with this completely. The first picture, Chivo, shows a father teaching his extremely young daughter how to handle a gun. The mother looks on approvingly, as if it is almost amusing. I do not believe the purpose of this photo is to glorify this lifestyle. I think this photo is intended to shock the viewers. A father should never be teaching his young daughter these types of things. She is around two years old, and already he is bringing violence into her life.

The photo of little Mike Estrada shows him holding a photo of his father, who is in jail. This is also not romanticizing the gangster life. Mike appears to be around six years old and he is without a father. His father was involved in crime, and now Mike has lost a member of his family for a long period of time. It is extremely sad for such a young child to lose his father, especially when it is because his father has committed a crime. This is sad, now glorious. Rodriguez makes a point of showing this through his work. Finally, the last photo shows the funeral of a two-and-a-half-year-old, and his sad family. Thomas Regalado was only an infant. He died before he had any decent amount of time to experience life. It is obvious that Thomas, at such a young age, could not have done anything to deserve death. This, therefore, does not glorify the gangster life. Instead, it shows how stupid the lifestyle can be to lead an infant to such an early death.

Both the essayist and the photographer seem to share a similar distaste for this type of life. However, the photographer expresses the gangs better. The characteristics and lifestyle is clear through the photos. It may be difficult to understand the photographer’s opinion through them. Yet, the photo accurately depicts the true life of gang members. The essayist focuses more on his opinion, and therefore may not be entirely accurate.

“People Like Us” by David Brooks
Message Prompt

In his essay, David Brooks states that the United States is not as diverse as it seems. As a whole, the country is extremely varied. However, when broken up into different areas and neighborhoods, the races are actually very similar. Brooks believes that while diversity is very important to Americans, we tend to stick to people who are similar to us. For instance, I tend to spend time with people who enjoy the same activities as me. We like to say we are diverse, yet we tend to stick to people with the same ideas and qualities as us. The United States is actually broken into clusters, whether or not people are willing to admit this.

Brooks’s position is not completely clear. He believes that the world should be diverse. He believes all neighborhoods should consist of all ethnicities. However, he understands that it is human nature to want to be with people similar to each other. When I go to college next year, I am going to want to be roommates with someone who reads similar books and who likes to spend their free time as I do. I do not want to end up with someone completely unlike me. Brooks states that in order to live well, people will want to be with people like themselves. Yet Brooks feels it is also important for people to expand their minds. He believes that everyone should exit the familiar and try something new. It is best for everyone to experience different lifestyles and cultures.

Maya Angelou has a different view on diversity. She understands that every single American is different in some way. No two people in the world are exactly the same. We are only different through minor characteristics, such as our favorite film or favorite candy bar. In the grand scheme of things, however, we are more similar than not. We are similar in bigger ways than just the color of our skin.

The images from 24/7 seem to agree with Brooks’s ideas on diversity. The pictures St. Ignatius, Montanta shows a group of Amish people and Teaneck, New Jersey shows a group of Muslim girls. These are two different kinds of people, however, they are grouped together. This shows that America, as a whole, is diverse. Yet we cluster and stick to people like us.

The picture entitled Burlington County Times, however, seems to agree more with Angelou’s position. It shows several different houses that all look the same. Individually, each house is different. Each house has a different family, a different address, and a different story. Yet overall, in the picture, every house appears to be more similar than different.

Exposing War
Medium prompt

The strongest medium for displaying the horrors of war would be photographs. That is not to say that words cannot also have a strong effect on someone. Describing a war in words can vividly depict a violent, disturbing war image. Written words can intensely place an image in someone’s head on what it must have been like to be at a scene of war. Yet photographs are better at depicting the horrors of war. A good example would be the photographs by Ronald L. Haeberle, My Lai villagers before and after being shot by U.S. troops. One image shows a woman crying and suffering as another woman holds her for comforting purposes. There is a scared little girl in the background, clinging onto someone upon sight of the guns. If someone were to read an account of My Lai, it would be easy to understand that the villagers were upset. Yet actually seeing the villagers suffer makes it so much realer and horrifying. Looking at their faces and the poor little girl is so much more upsetting than just reading about it.

Another photograph shows two people lying dead. Both are bleeding, which is disturbing enough. Seeing blood as opposed to just reading about it is always much more upsetting. Yet, what is even more upsetting is the fact that one of the two dead people is only a little boy. He is only a kid, probably no more than ten years. The kid should be alive and healthy at such a young age. Yet he lies dead and bloody on the side of the road. No matter what words were used, a written account of the poor child could never express the horror that a photograph does.

One last example is the poster of Emina Uzicanin. Emina’s story is a tragic one – when she was just five years old, a land mine exploded, severing her left leg. The story is deeply upsetting. No five year-old deserves to lose a leg. However, it is more disturbing to see an actual photograph of Emina. The photo shows a beautiful girl, so young, with a leg missing. Seeing Emina without her leg makes the story more real. It is more disturbing to see the missing leg rather than to just hear that some girl in the world lost a leg. Seeing Emina has a deeper effect on the viewer, just as all photographs do.

Memorial
Method prompt

If I were to create a print ad for 9/11, I would place an image of a family on the poster. I would have the photograph set in a living room with a sofa and a table in front of it. On the table would be a framed photo of mother, father, and their young child. They would all look happy together. On the sofa, however, only the child and one of the parents would sit, looking upset. On top, the poster would say “Remember those lost on 9/11.” Underneath the image of the family would read, “They do.” The viewer of the poster would hopefully understand that one of the family members has been lost due to the events on 9/11. I would want my poster to pay tribute to everyone that died on 9/11 all while also paying tribute to the families who lost loved ones. Many families lost their closest friends and family members due to the tragic events that took place on 9/11. Therefore, it is important to think of those families as well as the victims. It is extremely to lose someone, especially in such a tragic manner. Therefore, I would want people to remember the poor families that had to lose someone they loved. I believe that showing a family missing someone from their household would be a very moving way of reminding people to remember those who died.

“Forms Stretched To Their Limits” by Art Spiegelman
Message prompt

Though comic books are not quite as popular as they used to be, superheroes still remain important in today’s society. Many movies on superheroes have been made recently – Batman has a few films, as well as Superman and Spiderman. The message they seem to send out in society today is that there is always someone looking out for us. I feel that superheroes are a form of comfort. In bad times, many people like to have hope that someone is watching over them. While people not expect Superman is looking out for them, they usually believe there is something protecting them, such as religion. Superheroes can stand for this belief. Superheroes can also send the message that anyone can be a superhero. People do not have to be able to shoot webs out of their hands or fly through the sky in order to help someone else. I think superheroes send a message that in bad times, we all need saving and unfortunately, we do not have Batman to help us. Therefore, superhero movies can enforce the idea to help those in need and not just to look out for ourselves.

Currently America is dealing with the war in Iraq. 9/11 was also an extremely upsetting event that took place not too long ago. Many people lost family members that day, and thousands of people lost their lives. On top of this, there is still a lot of crime found in the news. There is murder, rape, robbery, and so on. Life is not always a pleasant thing. This is why the idea of superheroes strongly applies to our current society. We all need looking after and hope in this life. With so many negative aspects in the world, we need something to rely on. Superheroes can provide this comfort for people, as well as encourage others to help others in need.

“Three Teenagers in Kitchenette Apartment” by Wayne F. Miller
Medium prompt

A photograph, though wordless, is possibly the strongest medium for speaking an idea. By looking at a photograph, a viewer is able to observe the faces of its subjects or the situations presented. Words are not always necessary to tell a story. Wayne F. Miller’s photography “Three Teenagers in Kitchenette Apartment” is able to speak for itself. The situation the teenagers find themselves in is not a great one. A kitchenette is a very cramped way of living. They typically consist of one room, but sometimes they are separated into a bedroom and a kitchen. A bathroom is shared by several members of a family, as well as several other families.

However, one does not need to know the definition of a kitchenette in order to understand the condition of the teenagers in the photograph. Their home is not warmly decorated and does not appear comforting at all. The walls are bare with holes and the room appears to be cold and completely uncomfortable. Yet the teenagers in the photograph seem to tell a story. The boy has a smile on his face, while one of the girls is doubled over with laughter. They appear happy even in what most people would consider a bad situation. The room they are in does not resemble a home that is considered safe or warm. Yet the teenagers seem to make the best of it. They do not appear to be upset living in such a place. Instead, they are enjoying themselves. The photograph speaks for itself – the teenagers are able to have a good time with each other even in bad times.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by Sherman Alexie
Method prompt

In Alexie’s poem, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, he compares the popular horror film to the Sand Creek massacre. Yet it is not crucial that a reader knows about both subjects prior to reading the poem in order to fully understand its meaning. If someone does not know much about Sand Creek prior to reading his poem, he or she should still be able to understand what Alexie is trying to get across. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a horrifying title. It does not matter if someone knows anything about the movie or the brutal murderer Leatherface at all. The title is very clear – a chainsaw massacre. There is nothing pleasant about this at all. It is a frightening thought to anyone regardless of whether or not they have even heard of the movie. In the poem, Alexie says that the vicious killing that takes place in the horror film reminds him of another scene, Sand Creek. A skull being crushed on the killing floor in the film is similar to the killing ground of Sand Creek. The cows in the slaughter farm of Leatherface remind Alexie of the men, women, and children being slaughtered at Sand Creek. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and its violent scenes are compared to Sand Creek. Therefore, any reader should be able understand that Sand Creek was also a brutal massacre.

Because Alexie feels so strongly about Sand Creek, he might expect his readers to know about the subject. Yet as aforementioned, knowledge of the massacre are not necessary for appreciating the poem. Reading the history of Sand Creek by Verlyn Klinkenborg will clear up everything that happened. However, Alexie is sure to mention the graphic and disturbing scenes found in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He describes these horribly unsettling scenes and then compares them to Sand Creek. If the reader understands the brutality found in the film, he or she can understand the brutality found at Sand Creek. Reading about the history will explain a lot, but it is not necessary to understand Alexie’s point of view.

“The Real Declaration” by Thomas Starr
Message Prompt

The Declaration of Independence has been written in calligraphy as well as typography. While the document may remain the same, there are different ideas behind the Declaration depending on which style it is written in. Starr believes that calligraphy idealizes handwriting but is not legible to all who read it. Typography, however, idealizes letters and is much clearer. He also feels that calligraphy implies a single author while typography implies multiple authors. The National Archive displays the text in calligraphy. This may be because it makes the document look more authentic and plausible. Calligraphy written on parchment gives the document a more artistic look all while making it seem more real to the viewer.

Starr seems to prefer typography over calligraphy. He feels that because typography consists of different authors, it is thus collective and democratic. The Declaration of Independence was a group effort. There were different people involved in its writing, different people in its audience, and several different ideas within it. It became a combined effort, and united people. It was a symbol for democracy. Therefore, because it is considered democratic by Starr, typography is the best way to represent the Declaration. The manuscript of the first draft, containing all of the revisions, would further enforce this idea of democracy and collectivity. The manuscript shows the ideas originally expressed by someone and then altered by another person. It shows how several different people worked together to make the Declaration of Independence the best it could be. It would further enhance the idea that it was created by several authors as opposed to just one.