Amanda Amico
English 101- 108
October 13, 2016
Pb1A
"Drug Addiction and Genres"
I picked Drug Addiction for my topic. You can learn about drug addiction in several different places from the subway to the CNN News. There are many written things you can find on drug addiction. These are all genres on this topic. Drug Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the addict and those around them. Drug Addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure of the brain.
Kerry Dirk introduced us to something called genres and explained how important it is to be able to identify them and understand how they function (Navigating Genre, Dirk).
So let’s take a look at some on this topic of drug addiction. There are articles published in newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Daily News frequently, talking about drug addiction – especially opiates – on the rise at an alarming rate across the United States. You also see advertisements on the subway and buses seeking drug addicted individuals to do addiction studies for statistical, medical, and scientific research studies. There are even adds for rehabs, welcoming addicts to come get clean. In the field of drug addiction, you have doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, rehab and clinical technicians, etc., who all have to write notes on the patients they treat called progress notes. These notes are used to document the client’s progression/ regression while in treatment. It is also known protocol for them to conduct what’s called a biopsychosocial, which documents the client’s addiction history. They then put this information together to form what’s called a patient’s chart, which is used to identify the patient and to give other doctors/clinicians/addiction specialist knowledge of the client.
There are several papers published in scientific and medical journals on drug addiction.
You can also see it written about in articles of magazines such as People, Harvard, and Time Magazine just to name a few. Tabloids are even known to write about celebrity drug addictions. Robert Downey Jr., Lindsay Lohan, and Brittany Spears have all struggled with drug addiction and been the target of media articles talking about it. There are warnings posted on over the counter medication labels warning of addiction risks as well as information packets given out with prescription about medications informing patients of dependency risks that come with certain meds.
As many of you know when there is something like addiction, there must be something in place that helps teach how to battle this “disease”. In this case there are the N.A Basic Text and the A.A Big Book that help teach addicts about the 12 steps of recovery and a new way of life. They also hand out pamphlets with all types of information of locations holding meetings and recovery information such as “Just for Today” handouts. These are placed all over the city, so they are easily accessible. You can even find drug addiction being written about in poems or the lyrics of a song. Drug Addiction is something that people tend to write FB posts and blog about on social media, it’s actually a very controversial topic.
Although, in the United States it’s becoming a more and more accepted topic of conversation. President Obama gave a speech in which he read off a tele-prompter addressing the rise in drug addiction rise and staggering overdose toll in our nation, and how he had a plan to combat it and try to get all suffering addicts help.
Websites like WebMD have even been made to educate and speak on drug addiction.
Surprised? I bet you are, because I know I am. I never realized how many places I could find written text having to do with drug addiction. The even more mind blowing thing is every individual thing I just named that were written texts on the topic are all individual genres. Genres are everywhere. We can find them in any written thing, because every text written is a form of genre on a certain topic. When I started this class I thought genre meant types of music. I never understood genres were way more that until I was given this assignment, so I guess now you can call me enlightened!
WORK CITED:
1. www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/drug-abuse-addiction
2. www.drugabuse.gov>publications
3.www.cnn.com/2016/05/12/health/opiod-addiction-history/
4. www.facebook.com/pages/drugaddiction/111701262179435
Monday, November 14, 2016
Thlog 1 Genre Knowledge
Learning about this thing called Genre...
Genre. When most people hear that word they automatically think of types of music or movies. In reality genres can be anything that is written. Today my professor gave us the definition of genre as typified responses to recurring social / rhetorical situations. Like if you think of it as all written texts having to do with on certain topic no matter if its a bill, an advertisement (written) a report, article, research paper, letters, etc... these are all genres of that topic. If you can understand and navigate genres , it makes writing a much easier task. All you have to do is go to your topic for instance and then look up several different genres that speak on that topic , then you can break down what you want to know and keep the genres that will help and then discard of the rest. It makes research and writing so much easier. In my Pb1a I wrote about drug addiction and I had to list different genres of my topic. I wrote down that progress notes written by doctors, research papers, N.A Basic Text & A.A. Big Book, pamphlets, medication information sheets, magazines can all be genres that give me info on my topic and help me to see how different people view it and what their beliefs are on the subject. I am not going to lie it's not as simple as it seems though. Like Dirk explained in our class reading " Navigating Genres", you need to know what particular genres are called for in what particular situation. Knowing how and when to use certain conventions is also important in navigating genres and understanding how they function. Having this knowledge and knowing who your intended audience is are very important keys to writing, and I think that even though I am having a slightly hard time with this genre thing ( Every time I think I got it, I get confused again) it will benefit me greatly in my future writing assignments in college. I noticed that since Zack explained to the class that genres are everywhere in our everyday life, I find myself subconsciously walking down the street noticing things and then saying okay, this is a genre for that or there is another genre for it..actually it's kind of amazing to find myself engaging in English 101-108 activities while outside of school. I am a promoter for music shows and festivals and now I can spot out at least 1/2 a dozen genres off the top of my head that I never would of realized held any importance. Like lets use Nightmare Festival for an example. Tickets, Flyers, Facebook Posts, Magazine Articles, Campsite/festival Ground Maps, Sales reports, Reviews, Schedules, the Line-ups are all genres!! I just really love the fact that I am learning all the time, sometimes without even wanting to..lol.
Pb2A
Amanda Amico
English 101-108
November 12,2016
Pb2a
"Statement and Suicides"
Did you ever have a signifigant other that could say a few words, or touch you in a certain way that would make you weak at the knees or simply explode into uncharted emotional territories? Or how about yourself? Have you ever done or said a certain thing to make your parents give you exactly what you want? Answered yes didn't you? These signature things we do or say with the sole purpose to persuade or get some kind of emotion out of another individual are called "moves". Even authors use moves when writing. For my Pb2a my professor asked me to pick a text and identify and analyze moves and their purpose and effectiveness.
The text I chose was from a newspaper called The Inquirer. The article is titled "At Penn, Memories of an activist". Staff writer Jason Nark covers a memorial service remembering a suicide that happened 20 yrs. ago. Nark tells the story of that sad day on October 22, 1996 when University of Penn student Kathy Chang walked onto campus and committed suicide by soaking herself in gasoline and setting herself in flames on the west side of Van Pelt Library at University at Pennsylvania campus. The tragic event would forever be remembered by all who witnessed it. However Chang's friends and colleagues don't see it that way. At the service they were observed more as celebrating her life rather than grieving her death. Women were dancing barefoot and men hung beautiful banners over a peace symbol at the memorial site. They referred to Chang by an old nickname "Kathy Change", and said that she wanted to transform the world. They look at her death more of a statement, or type of meaningful transformation, instead of a tragic suicide, even though there was a history of mental illness in Chang's family and she had already made attempts on her life. I will be listing 3 moves I identified myself, and then I will list 3 moves the author used from the "They Say, I Say" appendix.
Here are the "moves" I found: 1. Immolation History Move - the writer helps support claims that there was meaning in the way Chang chose to take her life, straight down to the method of self-immolation which to this day remains a symbol of resistance. He backed these claims up by stating other prominent members in history that died by immolation. These figures included Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who died of self immolation in 1963, Norman Morrison, a quaker who was named a hero in Vietnam for dying in the Pentagon from immolation in1965. I found this move to be effective because it helps to persuade the readers into entertaining the theory of this being a statement with meaning due to the fact of what the method of death means and the type of people that chose this as their way to leave this world. It could imply that the suicide was fully planned. 2. Remember Me Move - the author made it clear Kathy Chang was an activist who called herself "Kathy Change" and often dressed as a butterfly, stating she wanted to change the world. He mentioned she was a strong presence on campus for 15 years, being involved in protests and movements. It was even mentioned that her note to the police said she wanted to make a statement about life and death. The writer gave background of Chang being an actress and said some people thought of her suicide of more like her last "big act". This move was effective from my point of view and I think the writer chose it because it gives readers an idea of the kind of person she was and why she would want to be remembered as a work of art, leaving a message in peoples minds. 3. Establishing Ethos - I noticed the writer mentioned that the suicide occurred 20 years ago, and that Chang was a strong figure on campus for 15 years. He said she was recognized by High Times Magazine as "Freedom Fighter of the Month" in 1990. And he also went as far as to list the fields the people who attended the service and spoke about Chang were from. These fields were musicians, activists, artists, and even a historian. This move was used to build credibility for Chang, giving readers a glimpse of the type of people she attracted and befriended. He also states that she left an impression on all those that were there to honor her memory. Now lets look at what I found from the "They Say, I Say" appendix: 1. Entertaining Objections - At this point the skeptical part of the author has to ask questions, and object to the things that can't be ignored or overlooked. Even though Chang's note to the police and her friends recollections of her all point to this being more of a meaningful statement, one cannot ignore the fact that her mother committed suicide from a drug overdose and Chang herself had a history of mental illness she had been battling and made prior attempts on her life. I found this effective because when reading or writing I feel you should always be informed and know as much information as possible. Ask questions, make objections, seek truth. This move helped to say that even though Chang was a wonderful person, with a beautiful soul, this act may have been nothing more than a sick individual giving into her internal battles. 2.Introducing Quotations - writer states that Robert Helms, a historian of Philadelphia's Anarchist Movement said " you can forget about the general public understanding Kathy Change". This was effective because the author wanted to introduce us to the source that gave us the statement in quotations. 3. Capturing Authorial Action - the author acknowledges that poet Andres Castro mentioned the 40,000 plus people that commit suicide every year in the United States in several different ways while speaking at Chang's memorial service. This was done to show us that it is good to be educated. People probably didn't even know that the numbers were so high. It brings an awareness to readers.
English 101-108
November 12,2016
Pb2a
"Statement and Suicides"
Did you ever have a signifigant other that could say a few words, or touch you in a certain way that would make you weak at the knees or simply explode into uncharted emotional territories? Or how about yourself? Have you ever done or said a certain thing to make your parents give you exactly what you want? Answered yes didn't you? These signature things we do or say with the sole purpose to persuade or get some kind of emotion out of another individual are called "moves". Even authors use moves when writing. For my Pb2a my professor asked me to pick a text and identify and analyze moves and their purpose and effectiveness.
The text I chose was from a newspaper called The Inquirer. The article is titled "At Penn, Memories of an activist". Staff writer Jason Nark covers a memorial service remembering a suicide that happened 20 yrs. ago. Nark tells the story of that sad day on October 22, 1996 when University of Penn student Kathy Chang walked onto campus and committed suicide by soaking herself in gasoline and setting herself in flames on the west side of Van Pelt Library at University at Pennsylvania campus. The tragic event would forever be remembered by all who witnessed it. However Chang's friends and colleagues don't see it that way. At the service they were observed more as celebrating her life rather than grieving her death. Women were dancing barefoot and men hung beautiful banners over a peace symbol at the memorial site. They referred to Chang by an old nickname "Kathy Change", and said that she wanted to transform the world. They look at her death more of a statement, or type of meaningful transformation, instead of a tragic suicide, even though there was a history of mental illness in Chang's family and she had already made attempts on her life. I will be listing 3 moves I identified myself, and then I will list 3 moves the author used from the "They Say, I Say" appendix.
Here are the "moves" I found: 1. Immolation History Move - the writer helps support claims that there was meaning in the way Chang chose to take her life, straight down to the method of self-immolation which to this day remains a symbol of resistance. He backed these claims up by stating other prominent members in history that died by immolation. These figures included Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who died of self immolation in 1963, Norman Morrison, a quaker who was named a hero in Vietnam for dying in the Pentagon from immolation in1965. I found this move to be effective because it helps to persuade the readers into entertaining the theory of this being a statement with meaning due to the fact of what the method of death means and the type of people that chose this as their way to leave this world. It could imply that the suicide was fully planned. 2. Remember Me Move - the author made it clear Kathy Chang was an activist who called herself "Kathy Change" and often dressed as a butterfly, stating she wanted to change the world. He mentioned she was a strong presence on campus for 15 years, being involved in protests and movements. It was even mentioned that her note to the police said she wanted to make a statement about life and death. The writer gave background of Chang being an actress and said some people thought of her suicide of more like her last "big act". This move was effective from my point of view and I think the writer chose it because it gives readers an idea of the kind of person she was and why she would want to be remembered as a work of art, leaving a message in peoples minds. 3. Establishing Ethos - I noticed the writer mentioned that the suicide occurred 20 years ago, and that Chang was a strong figure on campus for 15 years. He said she was recognized by High Times Magazine as "Freedom Fighter of the Month" in 1990. And he also went as far as to list the fields the people who attended the service and spoke about Chang were from. These fields were musicians, activists, artists, and even a historian. This move was used to build credibility for Chang, giving readers a glimpse of the type of people she attracted and befriended. He also states that she left an impression on all those that were there to honor her memory. Now lets look at what I found from the "They Say, I Say" appendix: 1. Entertaining Objections - At this point the skeptical part of the author has to ask questions, and object to the things that can't be ignored or overlooked. Even though Chang's note to the police and her friends recollections of her all point to this being more of a meaningful statement, one cannot ignore the fact that her mother committed suicide from a drug overdose and Chang herself had a history of mental illness she had been battling and made prior attempts on her life. I found this effective because when reading or writing I feel you should always be informed and know as much information as possible. Ask questions, make objections, seek truth. This move helped to say that even though Chang was a wonderful person, with a beautiful soul, this act may have been nothing more than a sick individual giving into her internal battles. 2.Introducing Quotations - writer states that Robert Helms, a historian of Philadelphia's Anarchist Movement said " you can forget about the general public understanding Kathy Change". This was effective because the author wanted to introduce us to the source that gave us the statement in quotations. 3. Capturing Authorial Action - the author acknowledges that poet Andres Castro mentioned the 40,000 plus people that commit suicide every year in the United States in several different ways while speaking at Chang's memorial service. This was done to show us that it is good to be educated. People probably didn't even know that the numbers were so high. It brings an awareness to readers.
Friday, November 11, 2016
About Me
Hey! My name is Amanda Amico. I was born in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania @ University of Pennsylvania Hospital. I'm a psychology major @CCP. I chose psychology because I want to learn why people do the things they do. I am an event promoter for music festivals and shows such as Nightmare, Dreamscape, Big Dub Festival and last but not least Shambhala! If you guys ever need tickets let me know and I can hook you up!I have 2 beautiful daughters.I poetry,reading &music.⏳
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