Ethos

How do you start a paper off and make a reader feel comfortable reading what you wrote? Ethos. Ethos is thus simply just making my audience feel like I am a trustworthy person whom they can believe and enjoy reading what I have to say. When I write to someone to portray my ethos I simply just try to write simply. I personally hope that this year my ethos has been rather blunt. I wanted my ethos this year to just be one that puts the facts and my opinions on a piece of paper and then lets you formulate what you think off of my work. This year my composition teacher Mr. Mitchell talked about the importance of ethos in your paper. After all of the diagrams (my favorite one being on the white board) and interactive learning throughout this year I have found my ethos, and my definition of ethos. My ethos is just making people feel comfortable as well being able to throw on some of my personality and sprinkle it with my little quirks.

I feel like that my ethos can best displayed on this profile in our first assignment. We were given the task to analyze an advertisement, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I of course chose the one thing that has been in my life since I was a young boy. Soccer. I analyzed an advertisement over Adidas featuring David Beckham. (See below) At first my paper was a bit rough but after having an Internet chat with Mr. Mitchell he was able to read through what I wrote to what I meant. I meant to say a lot of things that I thought everyone could see into on their own…I was wrong to say the least. Yet, through this I discovered that this was my ethos. I only gave what I thought was needed for others who know me to understand me. I tried to treat everyone like they were my friends, and thus my ethos.

Then in our third writing assignment in the semester I wrote a Rogerian paper over the pros and cons of keeping cannabis legalized. This was probably my second favorite paper second to the advertisement analysis because it gave me the ability to analyze both sides of the same argument and formulate my opinion. I enjoyed this style of writing because I can see how persuasive this can truly be by researching and presenting both of the facts at once. How could a person dispute something that is truthful? In this article I used sources from the The New York Times, The Drug Rehab Treatment Center, and a documentary called The Union. My ethos in this paper was very neutral. It let me describe the benefits of both sides while still letting my get my view across to others. It was like a conversation, except that I was both people.

This site itself is an extension of myself. The name Requiem comes from the title of one of my favorite movies Requiem For a Dream, and my alter ego Mr. Smith a character from a youth time favorite television show Hey Arnold. Everything I have written this year builds on previous times in my life. I am the person that I am today because of previous events in my life, and I wouldn’t trade any of them. Now just to add a little something of me to end on some of my favorite quotes.

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!” Bob Marely

“Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold...” Marely

The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots haven't got the joke yet. ~Oliver Herford

Freshman Year

People have always told me the college was some of the best times of their lives, and I always said well i can't wait to experience them for myself. To be honest there is nothing like this first year in college that I have ever gotten to experience. The first thing that comes to mind is absolute and under freedom. I have been able to take free reign over my life this year and answer to no one and do whatever I please. Yet, I have hardly changed with my new found freedom. I am still the same person that I was when I came to OU just a little more acquainted with what life is able to throw at me. This year I have procrastinated, lived, ran, sat, stared at the sky for no reason, and slept all day. I have done everything I could possibly want when I want and with who I want. This year has been something else. I am very happy with my choice to attend Oklahoma University and make this year something that I never could have anywhere else. The best thing about this year is that I haven't had to change, or fit a mold to belong anywhere, I have always been able to be myself and enjoy things how I choose with people who share the same beliefs and ideals as me. 

So Thanks OU

A Day Without Technology

Starting at 12:01 on Tuesday May 4th I stopped using my computer completely for the entire day. My day started like any other, I woke up right before class and took my 15 minute trek down to the Physical Science Center. Usually while sitting in chemistry class I use my computer. I have one of my headphones in playing some soft music while casually surfing the web while taking notes. I clearly have grown accustomed to this routine because on Tuesday I was very very very very bored in class. Of course I go to class to pay attention which I do while taking notes but in the down time of crossing over from lecture point and video to which means nothing to me I casually like to visit the amazing possibilities of the internet. Unfortunately for me I was out of luck. That was honestly one of the hardest parts of the day for me. Luckily on Tuesday I got to make the drive to my hometown Tulsa and back. So while cleaning and packing some of my stuff away in my car I started the two hour drive home. When I got home I went and made arrangements to fill out some applications when I went home.

Then the next part of my day was a little different than usual (not only because I was in Tulsa and not in Norman) because I chose not to surf the web or talk to friends online. Instead I went for a walk around my neighborhood followed by dinner with my parents. That night I went and watched my local high-school in their first round playoff games. I spent time outside enjoying the night.

Its a little sad because I am so used to being wired to the internet that I don't plan out my day with activities to stay occupied like I did that Tuesday. When ever I feel boredom coming on I surf and surf on my computer till I find something that strikes my interest. Yet, the feeling of being connected to something that usually takes a couple of hours in my day for school or recreational purposes was much overdue for its lack of use.

Thinking about how connected I am with my computer is very sad, but what is even worse is that I am connected even more to my phone. I hardly go anywhere without being in contact with someone. Is there anyone who went a day without their phone? Did you experience something similar to me or was it more or less severe?

Arizona...How Far is to Far

How many of you have heard of the new laws being enacted in Arizona. Well if you haven't yet heard of anything going on yet then I implore you to watch this fun sketch of Arizona's new law from the Daily Show featuring John Stewart.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-april-26-2010/law---border

Look how far America has come in 100 years. This is just sad. I now live in a country where this is passed and am frankly a little embarrassed. Yet, I do enjoy how John Stewart can bring this news to America in a way that is sadly funny. It is sad but true how many people would choose that a white man (even if it is Jeffery Dommer). So I guess my question is how people feel about what has happened in Arizona. Frankly, I am disgraced is there anyone who thinks this is a good thing?

Impossible Is Nothing

Impossible is Nothing

I remember sitting on my couch at age eight watching the 1998 World Cup and seeing David Beckham’s red card. That was the first time I had ever “witnessed” someone receiving a red card and being ejected from a soccer game. I never knew what it meant until I received my first card. This advertisement applies to me pretty well for a couple of good reasons. The first is that I played sports for most of my life, and can relate quite well to the attitude of an athlete. Also, my favorite sport throughout my life has always been soccer. I know what it is like to win a game at the last second, and to lose a game at the last second, which David Beckham talked about. Also, the fact that I am proud owner of many Adidas products and support their products helps me relate more the fact that I will want to by more of their products. Yet, the most important relationship is knowing the feeling of receiving my first card.

I have always worn Adidas products since I was a little kid. I remember having a pair of Samba indoor shoes as well as my first keeper jersey being Adidas. I always had felt that their products helped me perform to the best of my ability in sports. Growing up on Adidas is the main reason that I identify with their product. Yet, when I saw this advertisement I was quickly able to relate to Adidas. Every athlete has a drive to do the best, and when they let their team down, or themselves it hurts. Since I was able to know how it felt to hurt my team and not perform like I should I was able to relate to his story at a personal level. Even as the advertisement started, without relating anything to my past soccer career, I felt like this advertisement wasn’t forcing a product down your throat. I felt like it was promoting good morals like determination, strength, and understanding. Also, it was in a very relaxed setting and it was nice to here something personal that I could relate to from a great athlete like David Beckham. Through this type of advertisement I was persuaded to keep buying Adidas’s products because I was able to relate to the ad even though I had been buying their products for years before this ad. It was more like a reassurance to keep me interested in buying their products.

This advertisement was created by David Beckham with the help of Adidas, for the purpose to promote Adidas. Through the experiences of David Beckham we are able to see how he rebounded from a low in his life, to a place where he could feel good about himself. This advertisement promotes a good message to all athletes with a hidden message. The hidden message is that David Beckham was able to rebound from the low in his life with the help of Adidas. The subject of this advertisement is David Beckham in a relaxed setting but telling a very serious and touching story. The advertisement ends up becoming a visual image drawn by David Beckham telling his story of what happened in the 1998 World Cup. The cross between seeing him narrate and seeing his story illustrated visually impacts the way it is told. Since we don’t see an actual highlight of the past everyone is able to make his or her own perspective on what happened back in 1998.

So, the message that portrayed throughout this entire advertisement is literally “Impossible is Nothing”. Yet, anyone who watches this advertisement knows that you don’t need to have Adidas products to accomplish your goals, or bounce back from a morale low. This is an important part to the Adidas advertisement because by them giving a neutral tone, people are more likely to want to purchase their products because they aren’t exploiting Adidas throughout the entire advertisement. An audience member will relate to David Beckham because they have experienced morale lows and so has David Beckham. Yet, since David Beckham is a largely known superstar, Adidas is making that viewer feel like they are a superstar because they can relate to David Beckham.

I feel as if the audience could potentially be anyone who was watching television at the time this advertisement aired, yet main focus to me is athletes or people who used to be athletes. Most athletes have experienced some sort of low in their sport at one point in their career. Yet, all the while sports seems to reflect life, (something athletes never know until they stop playing) and many people after getting out of sports have had low points in their life. Adidas knows this so they swoop in with this advertisement and are able to connect to large amounts of people in a very brief time.

There is one thing about this advertisement that makes it stand out from all other advertisements on the market. One thing that makes this advertisement appeal to an audience in a way that normal advertisements lack. The power of this advertisement comes from Adidas not branding everything in the ad with their logo. It's sending the message that "Impossible is Nothing" and then at the end it is saying that Adidas supports and promotes that "Impossible is Nothing". By not branding everything in the ad it makes (me) or others possibly more open to the idea of Adidas products. Adidas has plenty of ads out on the market already where they show their product in performance settings. This isn't a performance setting; it is an ad telling a story. The only time you see an Adidas logo is on David Beckham’s hoodie and the soccer ball if you look hard enough. Since they are telling a story from David Beckham’s life it just doesn't seem right to have Adidas logo's posted every five second.

Everything about this revolves around the concept of not pasting Adidas’s logo in the ad. The tone of the advertisement is inspiring and positive. Yet, everything in the ad is very plain. There is a purposeful lack of color in the advertisement. When color is used, like the red paint, it really sticks out in your mind. The images that stick out in my mind about this advertisement are the “red ball” in the “goal” at the end and the gallow in the beginning. These help to bring out the points of his rock bottom low, and his great high after his goal.

Mr. Smith