Expert Testimony

Hi guys!

I just want to point out that none of my posts should be used as expert testimony. I am NOT an expert in any of these areas. My opinion is merely based on common knowledge. Besides, the first few posts were all 15 minute essays that I wrote in preparation for intense essay writing tasks for my school. I hand wrote all of them and then typed them up onto this blog. I am pointing this out because I have found outgoing links to various websites with users referencing my essays as expert testimony and finding quotes from them. 

Please do not use my essays for your homework. It doesn't benefit you in the long run. I've posted these essays to give other students ideas on how to go about writing their own essays. However, keep in mind that the 15-minute essays I wrote were merely from short bursts of concentration. I may re-write those essays without a time limit to fully develop my arguments and ideas.

If any of you have any essay topics you want help with de-constructing, feel free to pop an e-mail to peiitea@hotmail.com

If you have any problems do comment about them, I'm always willing to help.

Thanks for stopping by,
Peiitea

The Pros and Cons of Beauty Pageants Analysis

Hey Guys! I haven't updated this blog in...ages. So I decided to share with you an analysis I wrote not too long ago. Sadly, my teacher didn't give much feedback except a few ticks. ARGH. Enjoy. 

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Pros and Cons of Beauty Pageants

Recently, child beauty pageants have become the centre for debate. Although child beauty pageants began in the 1960’s, the murder of JonBenet Ramsey (1996) caused the public eye to turn its focus to child beauty pageants. From then on, the issue has increasingly gained acute criticism regarding the wellbeing of contestants despite parents’ claims that participating boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem.  In the article Materialistic, Narcissistic, Unrealistic: Child Beauty Pageants a Disgrace published in the Avonlea Scrutineer on 2^nd February 2011 columnist J.Rodd confronts the issues circulating child beauty pageants. Rodd extensively describes the formula for the perfect beauty pageant contestant and the strings that come attached with the package. A broad range of persuasive techniques are covered ranging from expert testimony to appeals to responsibility. Rodd’s exasperated tone is evident throughout the text, which support the cause-and-effect relationships that she pin-points in her arguments.

In an effort to unsheathe the inconvenient truth about child beauty pageants, Rodd repeatedly uses emotive language along with expert testimony to support her arguments. The ‘toxic atmosphere’ that these contestants participate in encapsulates the ‘brutal truth’ that ‘not every child can be a winner’, which effectively positions readers to feel sympathetic towards the victimised children. Furthermore, the ‘self-confining cycle of performance anxiety’ that traps those who win and the ‘lasting damage’ that those who lose suffer from sheds light on the fact that contestants are playing a game they will never win. Expert testimony is used to support Rodd’s assertions that child beauty pageants have negative effects on contestants whether that is physically or mentally. The consequences of ‘being a little Barbie doll’ can ‘unleash…destructive self-experiences’ leading to ‘eating disorders and all kinds of body distortions’ as stated by William Pinsof, a clinical psychologist. This testimony persuades the reader to believe Rodd’s assertions as not only is Pinsof a psychologist but also the president of the Family Institute at Northwestern University, indicating that he is a high profile man whose statement regarding child beauty pageants is within his field of expertise, thus leaving readers to feel that child beauty pageants can only produce negative outcomes.

Two illustrations have been inserted into the article to evoke an emotional response from the reader. Each of the illustrations are colourless, however in the case of the stick figure, the lack of colour suggests that the child feels invisible as they are the only ones who appreciate their own ‘specialness’, thus positioning the audience to understand the loneliness those children undergo. The effect of having the illustration of the stick figure, allows the reader to further connect the drawing to that of a child due to its similarity to that of a child’s drawing. Although the second illustration depicts a stereotypical princess, her extravagance is lost as she too, is colourless like the first illustration of the stick figure, however her reason for being colourless is quite the opposite to that of the stick figure. It can be concluded that the lack of colour in the case of the princess is to represent the fact that despite her appearance, she is still very much the same as the insecure stick figure. Rodd’s reason for inserting two colourless illustrations is to compare and contrast the fantasy of child beauty pageants which is represented by the illustration of the princess to the reality which is represented by the stick figure, provoking the reader to establish the lonely link between the two and to evoke a sense of discernment in the reader.

Appealing to our sense of responsibility, Rodd accentuates the fact that condoning participation in the ‘distorted’ and ‘pretentious’ world of beauty pageants is fundamentally robbing children of the ‘innocence of childhood’. This appeal encourages the audience to feel guilty as though we are as low as thieves for permitting these children to participate in what seems like a ‘cynical exercise in marketing’. Similarly, rhetorical questions are used to ask the obvious questions that the reader knows the answer to but won’t ask themselves. Questions such as ‘Can a responsible parent really see this as positive?’ and ‘What kind of parent wants their child to…?’ places emphasis on the parents’ responsibility for making sure their children grow into normal people and how weaving beauty pageants into their lifestyle is not a ‘path to self-development’ but more a ‘gratification of adult appetites or egos’. Through the use of rhetorical questions, Rodd, places parents in the spotlight, outlining the responsibilities they are required to take up and the selfishness the parents of those child beauty pageant contestants display. The writer negates all claims in the defence of child beauty pageants, therefore leaving no room for the audience to view child beauty pageants in a positive light.

Overall, Rodd’s appeal to responsibility and expert testimony pose as the strongest persuasive techniques as one plays around with the reader’s emotion but is supported by substantial evidence. Similarly, the use of emotive words rouses sentiment in the target audience, who in this case are the members of public whom enjoy viewing child beauty pageants and the parents of the contestants. Through the appeal to responsibility, parents are positioned to feel guilt and somewhat ashamed for permitting their children to participate in such vain events whilst those who watch the events are positioned to feel equally at fault as they fuel the industry.

Maths exam

Ok, the exam I did today was alright. I did my best. I didn't stress. I focused on what I could do, and performed to the best of my ability.

Piling on the study

Alright so right now it's 10:18 pm. I took a 23 minute break before. What I did was revise the trigonometry part of my exam for like an hour and a half. I still haven't finished and I still have a whole chapter of linear to do and a few 15 minute essays to write!

I think I'm gonna have a go at writing a few creative essays. Hehe, let's see if my imagination is still creative enough to come up with a wacky story.

Anyhow, I hope to go to sleep by 12, the latest.
My eyes are so tired, but I have to work at my study!

High school graduates should take a year off before entering college

After two years of stressing your butt off for the VCE exams, what you need is to relax. High school graduates should take a year off before entering college so they can decide on the future they want, travel to new places to bring back more knowledge and to find a part time job if they haven't already to increase experience and help pay for college fees.

It's over. It's finally over. All that crying, stress and hardcore studying is finally over. But what are you to do now if you haven't picked a career you are interested in? How can you go to college without your mind set on a clear future career path? Yes, you should take a year off before entering college to give you time to experience more life as an adult so that you will be able to decide on a future you are content with. Nowadays people are jumping into college straight after graduating from high school and most of whom are not content with the course they are studying. To prevent this, high school graduates should take a year off before entering college.

Once you're out of college, you're busy with a new life, a new career and will be wondering when you'll be able to have the time to go on that dream trip to Hawaii. Well it's not going to happen because you don't have something called 'holidays' any more. You'll regret not being able to take the chance to travel to new places, experience a different culture and environment when you were younger. That time should have been used when you had just bloomed into adulthood. That year before college. High school graduates should take a year off before entering college so they can travel. In the future, they will come across financial problems and time management issues that will stand in the way of them.

College is not cheap. It is expensive and if you come from a family with a low income, it will be difficult for them to support you with your college fees. To take the burden off their shoulders, high school graduates should take a year off before entering college, so to look for part time jobs to earn money for college fees and to increase their work experience.

High school graduates should take a year off before entering college so they can travel, decide on a secure career path and find part time jobs to build work experience and help pay for college fees.

* 2 minutes over

Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child

As you grow up, you are taught many life lessons from your experienced parents. Your parents' duty is to nurture you, so that you can grow up to become a person who is strong and able to support oneself. Parents must realize that when it comes to raising a child, they both must put in an equal amount of effort so that the child learns new things, prevents family breakdowns and prevents the child from straying off the 'right' path.

You learn to cook when you're helping mum bake cookies in the kitchen, you learn to fish when you're out with dad camping, but if only mum teaches you how to cook and dad is 'too busy' to take you out to go fishing, then you've lost a new experience you could've discovered. There are so many different things your parents can teach you. But if only one parent puts in that effort and the other doesn't, then your knowledge and mind will not be able to become more open and aware of all the wonderful possibilities out there. Therefore, both parents should assume equal responsibility when raising a child.

Your dad always comes late from work and never has any time for you and your mum is always around you, looking after you, caring for you. When your mum has finally 'had enough', what will happen then? Your dad's too busy, your mum  is too stressed, how are you to go about your daily life once the fights between mum and dad become too much? Unfortunately due to parents not putting in an equal commitment to raise their child is also the cause of family breakdowns and lead to children developing depression and or becoming social outcasts. Parents must realise the importance of assuming equal responsibilities when raising a child.

You need both eyes to see the clear path. Without one, it becomes blurry and you may be sidetracked from the path and may not be able to find your way again. Same thing goes for parents raising children.|| If one nurtures the child by him/herself then the child may feel far away from the other parent and because their brains are still developing, may resort to dangerous means to make up for that loss. It is vital for parents to have an equal hand in caring for their child.

When you're a child, you're weak and need both of your parents' love and compassion for you to grow up into a strong person. When one parent doesn't put in that same commitment, their child may become sidetracked, may lead to family breakdowns and will limit their knowledge. Both parents must assume equal responsibility when raising a child.


* Note: where there is a || is when the time was up.
Today, I wrote 5 minutes over the time limit but have improved on my structure.

Feeling Tired

I'm really tired right now. It's 12:13 am in the morning and I'm not feeling in the mood to study. I'm sick of studying. I've only been studying really hard since 2 days ago and I'm already losing the passion to reach my goals. I guess this is a part of becoming intellectually stronger. I have at least 4 hardcore study nights to go through.

I've already deprived myself of Facebook, Tumblr, Deviantart, Tetrisfriends, Mangafox and many more so that I could realise how much I really need to study, but my mind's still not getting it. I swear, my mind is amazing at finding different ways to procrastinate! If only I could put that to good use and actually let my brain work for itself.

I wrote an essay today. It was shorter than my previous one and it took 3 minutes over the 15 minute mark.
DAMN, I won't give up yet though! I have to drink more water so that my brain will be able to function properly.

 I choose you WATER BOTTLE, beat that tiredness. 

Yes, even when I'm tired, I'm still able to come up with different quotes from Pokemon and change the words accordingly.

 But I won't lose hope! I will strive for a better future. Strive for one where I won't have to break my back for. So I'll work hard now so I will have no regrets later!

Honest line for today:

Today I procrastinated too much and did not at all use my time effectively. 

 My Promise for tomorrow:

I will work extremely hard tomorrow and I will do double the work to compensate for procrastinating and going against my 'use time effectively' rule.