Essay 3: Final Draft

Springtime is a great time because the snow starts to melt, everyone gets excited, and it starts getting that summertime beauty. Unfortunately, there is also an ugly side to the spring thaw, the forgotten trash buried in the snow. Although picking up trash is not always fun, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity should conduct road cleanup on Geist road during the spring breakup because trash is an eyesore for people, better for the environment, and it is a great community service act.

Fairbanks has three entrances by road, the Parks Highway from Anchorage, Richardson Highway from North Pole and beyond, and the Steese Highway coming from the North. Geist Road leads off the Parks Highway and is one of the first roads many tourists drive through coming into Fairbanks. It is on this road that it is also one of the dirtiest in the spring thaw, and therefore needs to be cleaned so that it presents a good image of Fairbanks as a whole. Not only will it help the image of Fairbanks to tourists, but it will also be nicer for locals too, and by making it visually better for tourists to look at, it will help to bring tourists back to help promote Fairbanks’ economy.

Not only will cleaning up Geist Road be visually pleasing to look at, it will also be better for the environment. Most trash that has lasted through the winter is the plastic, glass, and paper products, none of which will disappear on its own within a summer. Not only will the trash not disappear on its own, but if there is food, or even the scent of foods, then it is possible for the trash to be eaten or drug off elsewhere by animals. And most the glass that is thrown out by the side of the road gets broken, which is unsafe for wildlife, pedestrians, and vehicles that drive too close to the edge or need to pull over.

Sigma Phi Epsilon is a great fraternity and cleaning up Geist Road is a great way for them to help out the community, get their name out there, and have a great time. Doing road cleanup is an easy community service activity that is easily recognized by the community. This is also one of those projects that lasts, at least for the season, and is easily repeated each year and can become a great yearly or bi-yearly event.

Needless to say, cleaning up Geist Road is not only a great thing to do to help clean up Fairbanks’ image, but is also good for the environment and is a Great opportunity for Sigma Phi Epsilon to conduct some community service.

Essay 3: Rough Draft

Springtime is a great time because the snow starts to melt, everyone gets excited, and it starts getting that summertime beauty. Unfortunately there is also an ugly side to the spring thaw, the forgotten trash buried in the snow. Although picking up trash is not always fun, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity should conduct road cleanup on Geist road during the spring breakup because it is an eyesore for people, better for the environment, and it is a great community service act.

Fairbanks has three entrances by road, the Parks Highway from Anchorage, Richardson Highway from North Pole and beyond, and the Steese Highway coming from the North. Geist Road leads off the Parks highway and is one of the first roads many tourists drive through coming into Fairbanks. It is on this road that it is also one of the dirtiest in the spring thaw, and therefore needs to be cleaned so that it presents a good image of Fairbanks as a whole. Not only will it help the image of Fairbanks to tourists, but it will also be nicer for locals too.

Not only will cleaning up Geist Road be nice to look at, it will also be better for the environment. Most trash that that has lasted through the winter is the plastics, glass, and some paper products, and none of this will disappear on its own within a summer. Not only will the trash not disappear on its own, but if there is food, or even the scent of foods, then it is possible for the trash to be eaten or dragged off elsewhere by animals. And most the glass that is thrown out by the side of the road gets broken, which is unsafe for wildlife, pedestrians and vehicles that drive too close to the edge or need to pull over.

Sigma Phi Epsilon is a great fraternity and cleaning up Geist Road is a great way for them to help out the community, get their name out there, and have a great time doing it. Doing road cleanup is an easy community service activity that is easily recognized by the community. This is also one of those projects that lasts, at least for the season, and is easily repeated each year and can become a great yearly or bi-yearly event.

Needless to say, cleaning up Geist Road is not only a great thing to do to help clean up Fairbanks’ image, but is also good for the environment and is a Great opportunity for Sigma Phi Epsilon to conduct some community service.

Note: I will be taking this to the writing center, and have a friend who is an English major read this over, so I will hopefully be posting the final draft this weekend sometime.

Essay 1:Final

Whenever we go to choose a new vehicle, we always look to what features it has that we like over other vehicles, and one thing that we are concerned about nowadays is fuel efficiency. Although diesel engines are looked down upon by the general public, they are a good choice because they are reliable, have good fuel efficiency, and are powerful. Diesel engines should never be forgotten when choosing your next vehicle, even though the old models have had bad smoke problems, been loud, and smell funky. These problems should not discourage people from getting one since the modern diesel engine has overcome these obstacles.

Diesel engines are more reliable than a gasoline engine and some hybrids because their service intervals are longer. Most gasoline engines recommend changing the oil and oil filter about every three thousand miles; whereas most diesel engines recommend changing the oil and oil filter about every ten-thousand miles. What this means, is less time in the shop and therefore less money you will be spending on maintenance. Diesel engines also have a history of lasting more than three hundred-thousand miles, whereas most gasoline engines only last around two hundred and fifty thousand miles. The reason that diesels go so long on oil changes and other maintenance items is because they run at a lower rpm(revolutions per minute) and also at a lower operating temperature. Most misconceptions about diesel reliability are the maintenance costs, while yes maintenance can be costly, it can be costly for all other engines as well. So in all fairness, maintenance is costly for all vehicles, it just depends on the shop you to your car too or if you do it yourself.

Fuel efficiency is another big concern especially with rising fuel costs and diesel engines do get better fuel efficiency than gasoline engines. The main reason a diesel engine gets better fuel economy that a gasoline engine is because it does not need to burn as much fuel as a gasoline engine to create the same amount of power, this allows them to burn less fuel and still achieve the same amount of power, and thus better fuel economy. Another reason that a diesel gets better fuel efficiency is because they run at a lower rpm, and thus less gas is burned. Another misconception about a diesel engine is the smell from the exhaust. Though the older engines where smellier, the newer ones are not as smelly due to the catalytic converters that are being installed on them which cuts down on the emissions from a diesel. The catalytic converters have also cut back on the so called “smoke” problems as well.

If it’s pulling power you want, then a diesel is the way to go. Not only do diesels create more power than a gasoline engine, but they also achieve better fuel economy while pulling a heavy load than their gasoline counterparts. Diesel engines create more torque while in lower RPMs than other engines because of the efficiency of the engine and its ability to burn more of the fuel. Torque is the force an object is rotated around an axis, or in other words, the force in which the engine spins your axel. Diesel engines are able to create more force, and thus more torque than other engines and it is this force that allows for the power to pull heavier loads while at the same time at least matching a gasoline engine’s fuel efficiency at normal operating. The key to a diesel engine creating more torque, getting better fuel efficiency, and being reliable is that they do not use a spark plug to ignite to fuel to burn, but rather they use a glow plug that helps heat the fuel under great pressure so that it ignites with a so called spontaneous combustion due to the high pressure. It is because the diesel fuel is burned at such high pressure that it is able to burn more fuel, and also create more power from the combustion than a gasoline engine which must use a spark plug to ignite the vapors of unleaded fuel.

After looking at the plus side to diesel engines, it is clear that they are not as bad as they are made out to be and are a good alternative for choosing you next vehicle, even if it isn’t a truck. They are just as reliable, if not more, than a gasoline engine, can achieve better fuel economy than gasoline engines, and can provide more torque for pulling than gasoline. All around they are just as good, if not better, than gasoline engines.

Week 7&8: Response 2

In Marquez’s essay, she points out why most immigrants and their children still speak in their native tongue when in public, and why they still do speak their native tongue. She makes a point that they often speak in their native tongue out of respect for their elders, while at the same time providing a sense of comfort for them, since most immigrants who have English as a second language are not too fluent in it and therefore can have communication issues with it. She also points out the commons fears that most people have when hearing others speak a language they cannot in a public place, and that is fear and unpatriotic. People sometimes have a fear of others who are speaking a language they don’t understand because they often worry about what they are talking about, and they also feel that it is unpatriotic to speak another language in America even though we do not have an official language that is required by law to be spoken. She points out that it is not rude of them to speak their native tongue when in public, though it is rude for them to speak a language in front of a person who doesn’t understand it, when that person is trying to partake in the conversation. Marquez gives an example of how she will introduce a friend to her parents in English when she knows that her friend doesn’t speak Spanish, so that person does not feel uncomfortable.

Week 7&8: Response 1

In Han’s essay on gay Asian-Americans, he visits how they are shaped into the stereotypes that are given to them and what influences these forced stereotypes have on them. Han shows us that as early as the 18^th century Western culture has portrayed the Asian people as feminine, while elevating itself as a masculine culture. Asian-American men are further excluded from society, by both other Asians and the gay community, because they do not fit into the typical mold of what white Caucasian men want, and are therefore forced into becoming more sexually deviant or bringing out more of their feminine qualities. Han also shows that most Asian-American gay men are often forced to wait longer than their Caucasian counterparts to come out to their families because their family ties tend to be stronger, and therefore they are more afraid of rejection from their family. This tends to lead to more Asian-American gay men to participate in unsafe sex due to a lack of support. Because these men are both turned away from the gay community and the Asian community, they tend to be marginalized because they are not wanted by either group.

Step 2: Sources

Key topics in conservation biology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Ltd., 2007.

Stanek, Ronald T. Harvest and uses of wild resources in Tyonek and Beluga, Alaska, 2005-2006. Juneau: Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence, 2007.

Knezevic, Irena. "Hunting and Environmentalism: Conflict or Misperceptions." Human Dimensions of Wildlife 14.1 (Feb. 2009): 12-20. Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Apr. 2009 .

Campbell, Michael, and Kelly J Mackay.. "Communicating the Role of Hunting for Wildlife Management." Human Dimensions of Wildlife 14.1 (Feb. 2009): 21-36. Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Apr. 2009 .

Caro, T.M., et al. "Animal breeding systems and big game hunting: Models and application." Biological Conservation 142.4 (Apr. 2009): 909-929. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 23 Mar. 2009 .

"Hunter Information and Training Program." Alaska Department of Fish and Game- Department of Wildlife Conservation. 2009. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 01 Apr. 2009 .

The Hunting Heritage Partnership. National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. 01 Apr. 2009 .

This is just a tentative list of what I have gotten so far, so you know I'm not ignoring the assignment. I am having difficulty finding sources that would actually assist my essay, rather than just research projects on animal populations and outside effects.

Essay 2: Final

Although our changing lifestyle for business and pleasure has become more on-the-go, it is this same on-the-go lifestyle that causes our current boom in technological advancement because businesses have expanded to require quick communication, people have become information dependant, and swift travel has become a must in both pleasure and business. It has taken centuries for our technology to advance this far, but it is quickly advancing even farther, and there is still a demand for even more advancements. It is our want and need of better tools and toys that has driven this technology boom.

Communication has grown from men carrying letters via horseback to our cell phones that can access the internet as well as make calls almost anymore. At first letters were slow, only being as fast as the man and horse that carry the letters. The next invention better from the horse born letter, was the telegraph which came in the early 1800s. This was not practical for every household and was used in stations that relayed messages. Though it was the telephone invention in 1876 that would change the way we communicate today. It was slow at first, but eventually phones became available in every household and now everyone has the opportunity to talk with almost anyone in the world when they want to. In 1969, the first network was created and thus the creation on the internet. It wasn’t until 1992 that the internet was offered to the public and no longer just for educational foundations and governments. Cell phones were first thought up in 1947, but the first cell phone wasn’t made until 1973. Phone companies became testing cell phones in 1979 but they weren’t approved by the FCC until 1982. And in 1999, the first full time internet was available on cell phones in Japan.

Not only did our way of communication become faster, but it also became more portable. When cell phones first came out, they were about the size of a brick, and almost just as heavy. When we carry our cell phones now, we almost never think of where they originated, or how they became the way they are. All we care about is the features that our phones have. When we look at our phones now, they are about the size of a deck of cards, and some are even smaller. It is the advancement of the computer chips and batteries that have made the ability for phone companies to make smaller phones.

With the advancement of our communication with our phones and internet, a new demand has arisen, a need to know. The internet and modern libraries are a vast source of information at anyone’s fingertips. The first libraries date all the way back to 1300-1200 BC, but these were reserved for nobleman and scholars. Public libraries didn’t become available to all classes until the mid nineteenth century. It was then that public libraries became available to everyone and thus provided people with almost any book ever written. The internet started as an experiment, but has quickly become an all access pass to almost anything you can think of, as long as you have a computer. The internet has not only become one of our main forms of communicating, but also our main form of getting information, even above a library. The internet has become so demanded, that it is even offered on our phones, and also wireless networks for laptops in different areas.

Not only has our form on communicating and getting information changed, but also how we travel. For the longest time, humans relied on their own two feet for travel, and it wasn’t until about 3700 to 3100BC that horses were first tamed. It is thought that chariots weren’t invented until around 3000BC, and thus travel increased even more. But at first horses and chariots were reserved for nobleman and kings. Though horses were probably also used on farms, and chariots were also used on the battle field. Men started thinking up other modes of transportation that did not rely on horses, but rather self propelled vehicles. Around 1335 there were a few ideas drawn up on self-propelled vehicles, one of these designs by Leonardo Da Vinci. It wasn’t until 1769 that the first self propelled vehicle was made, but it was a long way from a practical car. The first self-propelled vehicle to use an internal combustion engine wasn’t until 1807, though this was a very unsuccessful design. The first engine that runs on liquid gasoline wasn’t made until 1870. It wasn’t until 1886 that Henry Ford built his first automobile in Michigan. This was the day that a better mode of transportation was introduced to the public, and a few years later became affordable to the public.

Since Henry Ford’s automobile, cars have come a long way. Our modern cars now have built in blue-tooth that allows us to us our phones thru our cars, and they even have built in GPS for navigation. These are only a couple of the features that our offered on our vehicles nowadays, but when automobiles first came out there weren’t any features offered. It was slow at first, but some of the first accessories offered in automobiles were headlights, windshield wipers and eventually air conditioning. At first, these were thought as luxury items, but now we take these few comfort items for granted. It has taken a couple thousand years for us to find better ways of getting around than just by walking, but even today we still like to walk places.

Our technology has come a long way in these past decades, and it still has a long way to go. Our demand for better tools and toys will drive the development of better and more efficient technologies. Our cars will become more powerful, better fuel efficiency, and safer. While our phones will become smaller, faster internet, and someday all phones will have built in cameras, mp3 players, and internet access, instead of only a handful. And eventually all books and library databases will be available electronically, and paperbacks may be eliminated altogether.

Plagiarism

I did not realize that the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing was so great. I would have thought that the plagiarized copy would have been close enough, though I would have worded it a little more differently.
What happens if you unknowingly plagiarize something that you think you have reworded properly?

Week 6: Response 2

The argument between the two newspapers definition on looting has sparked quite the controversy. I believe that the caption on the image of the black man carrying food he just took from a grocery is technically correct, it is looting. But on the other hand, the caption for the photo of the white couple is both right and wrong, the food originated from the store and was still in front of the store, therefore it was also looted. The difference between the captions is not those that are being depicted in the photos, but rather what the photographer and newspapers deem what is and isn’t looting. The controversy therefore is not if the newspapers were being racist, but rather what the newspapers should deemed looting, and they should give exceptions to the term. Both newspapers claim they have a standard for what should go into a caption, and both have stated that the photographer must think his caption through thoroughly before publishing it. It is hard for a photographer to write in a single sentence what they saw and how they can describe it. If both photographers had been able to write an article on what they had seen both in around to the photos they took, I’m sure the discussion would have gone differently. I believe that Chris Graythen’s caption should have been on both photos. In a time of a natural disaster, it is important for people to survive and if they must take food from stores that have been abandoned, then so be it. Chris gave a great response to the heat he received about his caption, and I agree that he did write his caption correctly, the couple was finding food. It is true that stores would have written off the food in them, and that it all would have been thrown out after the water subsided, so what would be the point in protecting the food from people who need it most. It was better for the stores to leave the food for people to take and eat it, rather than try to protect it or give it out. Because if they would have protected it, then they would have been looked down upon, whereas if they openly gave it out they would have been responsible for the health of the people especially if they got sick off the food they received.

Week 6: Response 1

Between these five cartoons, each does have some similarities, and each has their differences. The first one by Mike Lester shows us that the Supreme Court is a bunch of clowns and that it is easier to get into college by simply being of a specific race. It shows us that because someone of a specific race, who would normally not get into college, is allowed in because they are a minority. The second cartoon by Dennis Draughon shows the Supreme Court thinking over the Affirmative Action issue and shows us how the Supreme Court isn’t diversified either, being that there is only one African-American judge while there are eight white judges. Mike Thompson’s cartoon depicting what an African-American goes through growing up in Detroit’s Eastside, shows that the only reason he gets into college is because of the Supreme Court ruling on Affirmative Action. Signe Wilkinson shows us that it is harder for the average white student to get into college, especially after the top pick and minority students are allowed in. Lastly, Dean Camp depicts one student excelling in front of another to get into college because he has paid the extra money to take extra classes and a tutor in order to succeed. I believe that Dean Camp’s cartoon is the least effective for depicting the Affirmative Action decision, and also you do not need to spend the extra money on tutors, SAT classes, or summer programs just to get into college, and in fact most students don’t do these. These are all optional things to do, and I think are only required if you truly don’t understand the material and require extra help. I believe that Signe Wilkinson’s cartoon is the best depiction of college admissions because it does become harder for the average white student to get into college, especially after alumni kids, donor’s kids, athletes, out of state, and minorities are allowed into college. Because after these decisions, the college has usually reached its goal, or maximum number of students that they allow in. So it is this reason the it actually becomes the average white American student who becomes the minority in college.

Week 5: Response 2

All these anti-drug adds are trying to focus on teenagers, and are trying to catch them before they try drugs, or do something bad while on drugs. The “courage: the anti-drug” is trying to specifically target teens to talk to their friends about drugs, and to get teens to tell their friends that it is a bad idea but they need to stand up to their friends because it is the right thing to do. The “regret: the anti-drug” is trying to show teens that while under the influence of drugs, you do not have complete control over yourself and that you are more than likely to do something that you will regret. Though it doesn’t have to be something as bad as killing someone, but they are trying to show the worst case scenario in the hopes of scaring teens away from drugs. Lastly, the “I am: my anti-drug” adds are trying to show teens how doing drugs will affect what your future is, and how doing drugs will affect you and the activities that you enjoy doing. Each label for the anti-drug add is connected with the visual image it is labeled with. The “courage: my anti-drug” shows a woman and her boyfriend standing next to a building, it is trying to show us that although you may care for someone and you don’t want to lose them, that you need to talk to them, and get them away from drugs. The image with the bicycle wheel shows us how it has been damaged and that it looks like it was involved in a wreck, with the caption you realize that it was a little girl who was killed by a person driving who was under the influence, this add links a visual image with the word regret to show us that you may regret whatever you do while you are under the influence. That last three images for the “I am: my anti-drug” shows three different people, where at first glance you may think them to be people who use drugs, but their statements prove otherwise. To me, this shows that just because you may dress a certain way or look a certain way, it doesn’t mean you have to act how other people think you should based on what stereotype you look like.

Week 5: Response 1

Tannen gives us some good examples of different mother/daughter discussions, and how different phrases can be taken different ways. I believe she is trying to show us how mother/daughter communication is often difficult because when you have talked to someone for years, you can begin to catch on to the metamessage in your conversations with them more easily than someone you just met. I believe also that she is trying to show us how past experiences with a particular individual can affect what metamessage you pick up from them. Like how a mother may comment on what her daughter wears to dinner, as Tannen used for one example. I do agree with Tannen on how past experiences with a person can affect what message you pick up from them, even if it wasn’t the intended message. I believe also that mother/son communication can run into the same problems, especially if the son was closer to his mother than his father. Though sometimes I believe these metamessages will go unnoticed more often in a mother/son conversation, because men sometimes ignore, or do not recognize this metamessages as often.

Week 3 Response

In Lamott’s essay Shitty First Drafts, she explains how writing bad first drafts is natural, and the technique in her essay shows us how your first draft is supposed to not make sense but rather just to get your thoughts onto paper. In the beginning of her essay she has sporadic thoughts, though towards the end of her essay, her thoughts become more concise. I believe that Lamott provides some good examples and reasons as to why someone should not worry too much about their first draft, but rather just to get your thoughts onto the paper. I believe that this is a good idea in order to start your paper, so that you at least have something started on your paper and begin to organize your thoughts within your paper. When you begin to write any and all thoughts down onto paper, then you can start to weed out the irrelevant points, and instead concentrate on those that are your strongest arguments.

Week 2 Response

In Sea’s essay, he points out how modern commercials have been displaying what is considered manly and what isn’t considered manly and even how the commercials have been punishing what would be considered unmanly. I believe Sea is trying to take a different look at commercials and rather than look at how they show women as sex objects, to instead show how commercials are trying to show how men should act and behave. When you look at other TV shows and even magazines, you can begin to see how other stereotypes are supposed to act. TV shows us how gay men should talk with a lisp, be good at home decoration, and even dress well. Republicans are expected to be pro-guns, and pro-choice, and if you state that you are a republican, then it is assumed that you agree with these statements. The downside to stereotypes like this is that it gives people an easy way of judging others. You cannot judge someone and assume what their beliefs are and what they think is right or wrong just because they state they are gay or a republican, but instead you should talk to them and find out what they really believe. It is these stereotypes and others that are keeping racism and hatred between people of different beliefs alive, and Sea is helping to show us this by providing us with another example of how the media influences our lives and persuade us on how we should act and think.

Time for What?- Writing Assignment 1

New challenges present themselves everyday in a persons life, and one of them for me is an online English course as well as blogging. I may be taking few classes this semester, but hopefully I will soon start working again. So for me, I will have to learn not only how to balance my classes, but also add in my personal life and a job.
Blogging is a first for me, so I will need to learn how to continuously check my account to see how often someone responds to my posts. Granted checking my blog account may only take a few minutes, it mostly just the remembering part. My online course will also present a new problem for me as well, since there is no set lecture time, most people will not feel obligated to do assignments. I find that if there is no set lecture time, that I generally forget about things I need to do, unless I am regularly doing them. So I will need to learn how to manage my time, as well as leave reminders for myself to complete tasks. Hopefully in the end it all works out.
I am currently enrolled in three classes, each of which seem to require a bit of outside work, most of which is reading. I find myself a slow reader, and easily distracted if the reading is not interesting to my. So to avoid being distracted from my required readings, I will need to take myself out of distracting situations. I will also need to prioritize my classes and work to be sure I finish assignments on time.
My personal wont be too hard to balance with classes, though I do have a dog that needs a lot of attention. I have a black lab who loves to run and be outdoors, so time will be required to play with him. Though a break is always good from school work so you don't get bored or burnt out. My problem though is that I enjoy playing computer and console games, and I get easily carried away and forget what I was supposed to do. So I will have to recruit my friends to help me, as well as learn how to just say no to playing games.
All in all, my main problems that I need to work on are my time management skills, as well as my memory of what I need to do, rather than what I want to do. So I will need to learn how to manage my time and prioritize what I need to get done, as well as learn how to leave myself notes to remind myself to finish projects and assignments on time.

Welcome

My name is Martin Heckerman, but I go by Tre'. I was born and raised in Kodiak Alaska, and I'm currently located in Fairbanks. Though I must admit I do miss the ocean. I have to admit I have fears about taking English 111, since this will be my third time. I find I get lazy when a class doesn't interest me, and a teacher doesn't try to make it interesting. From the sound of this class, I feel that wont be the case this time. So I hope that the third time is the charm.
I have never been much of a writer and find myself a man of few words. I have never written any papers, or stories other than what was required for a class. So I can easily say I'm not much of a writer, though I do enjoy to read.
I find myself being more of a semi-active person. I say semi-active because I do enjoy going hunting, fishing, scuba-diving, and camping as well as other outdoor activities. Though I can't deny that I like to stay indoors as well and play video games, and unfortunately find myself sometimes spending too much time playing them.