Argument Essay Checklist

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

October, 24, 2014

Argument Essay Checklist

1- State your topic and the opinion that you will use to create your thesis statement.

            My topic for the Argument Essay is dating with a purpose.  My opinion is the purpose of dating is to find the person you will marry and one should wait to date until they are ready to think about marriage.  I do not think dating should be as recreational as it is these days.

2- What is the counter-argument to your main idea?

            Dating recreationally at a young age provides experience in relationships that can be useful when you are ready for marriage.  It also helps fitting in socially as dating is the “norm” amongst this generation.

3- What is the common ground between your point and the opposing side?

            Both my opinion and the opposing opinion both are trying to help build lasting relationships and marriages.

4- Provide one example each of your ethos, pathos, and logos.

            Ethos - Being a teenager and going through these experiences myself, give me the credibility necessary to write this argument.

            Pathos - The emotional appeal to my argument is that you will save yourself from many tears, heartbreak, mental scarring and baggage.

            Logos - Logically speaking, there is no point to dating until you are looking for your future spouse.  Dating recreationally would be a waste of time and money.

5- State what you think your logical fallacy will be about your topic.

            My would probably be the assumption that dating without a purpose is a waste of time and can hurt future relationships.

Argument Essay (3)

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

November 3, 2014

Dating With a Purpose

            Casual dating is extremely common with this generation's adolescents.  Many teens today have boyfriends and girlfriends who come and go.  Recreational dating is practically a social standard in today's society of teens.  Not having a boyfriend or girlfriend means not being “cool.”  If somebody is not dating, they are not with the “in crowd.”  The issue with this is that they do not maintain these “relationships”; for example, teens will date the same person for a month or two and then break-up. Even though these relationships last miniscule amounts of time, the breakups still damage them both mentally and physically.  When a teen goes through so many breakups, each one scarring their heart a little deeper, it only emotionally hardens them and makes it easier for them to justify future breakups and even divorce.  To prevent emotional and physical trauma, dating should only be used when one is ready to find their future spouse.

            Many teens date, but why?  People may argue that dating is a necessity for development in adolescents (Viejo Almanzor, 2012), as it could teach them how to maintain a relationship.  Teens may learn respect for others' emotions and to expect the same in return; they can also learn to have empathy and to care for people through relationships.  However, one could also gain experience in maintaining relationships simply by having friendships and family relations.  Why should people date if they can learn the same life lessons without the heartbreak?  There is no point in dating unless you are looking for a future spouse.  Dating at a young age only causes trauma and heartache from the frequent breakups involved.

            Teens are simply not mature enough to maintain a real solid relationship, nor are they ready to think about marriage.  When a young adult is ready to settle down, get married, and possibly start a family, then they should start dating.  Until then, there is no reason for them to cause themselves problems.  As a teenager myself, I do not feel the need for a romantic relationship and do not understand why I would need one at this point.  While I have not experienced heartbreak from a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, I have experienced it with regular friends.  I imagine breaking up with a boyfriend would hurt much worse, but just splitting with my friend hurt badly enough.  How anyone could go through this pain, multiple times on a larger scale amazes me.  I noticed after splitting with my friend, I have trouble becoming emotionally attached to other people and I have trouble trusting them.  And while my friend and I have forgiven each other I still do not feel comfortable with her anymore.  How could this be “good and developmental” for teens?  The way I see it, these experiences only teach them to shut people out.

            Many people realize that breakups can cause emotional distress, but it has recently been found that they can also cause physical distress.  Studies have shown that the figurative term “heartache” can be taken quite literally.  “Rejection in romantic relationships is said to be so painful that people are “not only in agony, but incapacitated”” (Field et al, 2009).  People involved in recent breakups are known to experience rapid heartbeats, palpitations, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.  Other studies have shown that break-ups cause physical pain; participants received four fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) each; two to test physical pain and two to test emotional pain.  To test physical pain participants received two kinds of stimulation on their forearm called “hot trials” and “warm trials.”  The results from this were compared to results from a test in which participants viewed a picture of their ex-partner and another where they viewed a picture of a friend the same gender as the ex-partner.  The fMRIs showed practically the same results when comparing the “hot trial” to the “ex-partner test” and the “warm trial” to the “friend test.”  Participants were also asked to rank how they felt on a scale of one to five after each trial.  The results from each trial/test comparison were equivalent (Flaskerud, 2011).  This study and many others successfully demonstrate the connection between physical and mental distress; breakups can cause real pain.

            The breakups involved in teen dating can cause many psychological issues.  These can include  depression, anxiety, and other psychological trouble.  When a person goes through a break-up, they may experience many stages of depression: complicated grief, self-blame, and hopelessness. Complicated grief is often associated with those suffering depression from a recent death; however, it can also be found in those who have gone through a breakup.  Complicated grief consists of intense intrusive thoughts, severe emotional outbreaks, excessive loneliness and emptiness, sleep disturbances, and lack of motivation.  Victims of a breakup can also feel as if they were rejected.  This feeling of rejection can affect people with symptoms similar to those of drug withdrawal of cocaine or opioids; these include the obvious anxiety, depression, and crying, as well as loss of appetite, and irritability (Field et al, 2009).  These symptoms similar to both complicated grief and drug withdrawal can be found extremely prominent in those who recently experienced a breakup.

            The distress and depression resulting from breakups can also cause long-term issues.  Victims may go through phases of self-blame and hopelessness.  They feel as though it is their fault this particular relationship did not work and that they will cause problems in all relationships.  This may cause them to have anxiety and skepticism is future relationships for fear of their future another break-up.  They may become guarded with their emotions and stay distant from the person they are dating in order to save themselves from heartbreak.  This distance will only damage the new relationship and possibly lead to another breakup, making the situation even worse. 

            After a going through many breakups, one can become “hardened” to the emotional pain.  Eventually, the ending of a relationship may mean nothing to them.  How is it “okay” to leave somebody you were supposed to love?  It should not be, but when adolescents date they become accustomed to the constant switching of boyfriends and girlfriends.  While, the split-ups still hurt, they are normal for the teens; they do not think anything is wrong with the breakups.  This hardening can make it easier to breakup with someone, or even, on a larger scale, divorce somebody over an insignificant matter.  A marriage is supposed to be forever, but the way these adolescents think handle their relationships now will carry over to when they are married.

            Why would anyone put themselves through all this pain with no purpose?   Adolescent dating only brings pain and emotional scarring that lasts a lifetime.  The inevitable breakups, due to immaturity, will cause much grief and heartache.  The truth is, unless you are ready for marriage, there is no point in dating.  It is simply not worth the trouble and heartbreak it causes.

 Works Cited

Boelen, Paul A., and Albert Reijntjes. "Negative Cognitions In Emotional Problems Following       Romantic Relationship Break-Ups."Stress & Health: Journal Of The International Society For           The Investigation Of Stress 25.1 (2009): 11-19. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Field, Tiffany, et al. "Breakup Distress In University Students: A Review." College Student             Journal 45.3 (2011): 461-480.Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Flaskerud, Jacquelyn H. "Heartbreak And Physical Pain Linked In Brain." Issues In Mental Health             Nursing 32.12 (2011): 789-791.Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Viejo Almanzor, Carmen, Virginia Sánchez Jiménez, and Rosario Ortega Ruiz. "The Importance Of             Adolescent Dating Relationships." Psicothema 25.1 (2013): 43-48. Academic Search Complete.    Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

November 3, 2014

Argument Paper Reflection

            For this assignment I chose to write on dating with a purpose; this topic is extremely important to me because I see so many girls my age going through heartbreak after heartbreak.  And for what?  Just to fit in?  To me this is absolutely ridiculous and it needs to be brought to people attention what damage this casual adolescent dating can cause.

            While I had much to say on this particular topic, I found it hard to write this paper because it was difficult to find the necessary sources to back my claims up (I wrote my rough draft before I knew I could use Google Scholar).  I wasted much of my time trying to do research on an extremely uncommon subject.

            Once I did get my research done and had my sources I had difficulty getting my paper to the required length.  My paper started as only two pages and I had no idea how to lengthen it.  I finally got my paper barely to the minimum of four pages, but doing so, I feel, required a ton a rambling on my part.  I feel my paper has a lot of unnecessary bits and pieces, that if it were not for the set length of essay, I would remove.

            With all said and done I would likely grade this paper as a C.  It is not my best work and I do not feel it is well put together.

Descriptive Narrative Essay (2)

Melynda Phillips
Richards
English 1301
October 10, 2014

Junior Year Decisions

I am a junior in high school, and I have been home schooled since I was in third
grade. Being home schooled allowed me to work ahead in school and complete nearly all
of the subjects necessary for graduating. Having completed the largest portion of my
high school work, I had the choice to either stay at home and only study one or two
subjects for the next two years of school, or join a dual credit program. The decision was
difficult as both choices had many benefits and consequences.
If I decided to stay home and only learn a couple subjects, I would have a much
easier year. I would have extra free time during the day, and school would be effortless.
However, my mind would become a stagnant pond in the courses I had completed, and I
would regress in my education. Not using the math, science, and writing I had finished,
would mean forgetting, and potentially losing all the progress I had made.
If I chose to do dual credit, I would be much busier, and the year could wind up
being as rough as sandpaper. School would remove every possibility of free time, and
my classes would be harder due to the college level. However, I also considered the fact
that dual credit provided numerous benefits additionally. I would be able to further my
education, earn college credits early, and receive a real solid grade, all of which would be
an advantage when I apply for four-year universities later. I would also have real
teachers to assist me in learning and understanding my classes. Having a teacher was
something I was not used to, and could end up being incredibly beneficial to me.
I spent a few months thoroughly contemplating my options, trying also to bear in
mind where each path would carry me in the future. “And be one traveler, long I stood/
And looked down one as far as I could” (Robert Frost, lines 3-4). Dual credit would
allow me to complete college courses early, and my future college experience might be
easier overall if had less necessary classes to take on. If I stayed home, there would be a
possibility that I would forget what I learned in high school. Additional reviewing of
high school work would be necessary before attending to college. While, the idea of
staying home painted a pleasant, relaxing picture of the next year in my mind, it did not
seem to be an appropriate plan for my entire future. This difficult decision had me
caught between a rock and a hard place, as I wanted to have an easygoing year in school,
yet I also truly wanted a great future.
After much consideration over all the pros and cons, I decided the benefits of dual
credit out-weighed those of staying home. While, I do not imagine most students would
make the same choice as me because it is definitely a difficult path, I believe that I chose
the best possible path for myself, and I am pleased with the results. “I took the one less
traveled by,/ and that has made all the difference” (Robert Frost, lines 19-20). My free
time is limited, and my schedule is harder to manage; nevertheless I am getting along
nicely so far. Although, I rarely have time to myself, I have been able to maintain my life
quite well. My grades have been exceptional, and I am able to eliminate my  general
education classes early. Participating in dual credit has definitely been a great decision,
and will continue to benefit me as I continue my education in college.

Works Cited

Frost, Robert. Lines 3-4, “The Road Not Taken”
Frost, Robert. Lines 19-20, “The Road Not Taken”

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

October, 10, 2014

Junior Year Decisions Reflection

            The Choice Assignment was difficult for me.  Because I am so young I do not make many decisions by myself, and the decisions I do make generally do not have major consequences.  Finding a topic to write about was definitely a challenge on its own.  Not only was finding a subject hard, I also have never written a narrative.  I lack experience in writing papers other than a standard five paragraph essay.

            Being a minor, my parents still help me make many choices in my life.  Also, my life follows a pretty standard routine which eliminates situations where important life decisions are made.  I think within the next year, when I start looking at colleges, and the rest of my life, I will be making some major life decisions for myself for the first time. 

            Most of my life revolves around ballet, and while it is an easy topic for me to write about I feel that if I write every paper about ballet, the topic will become redundant, and you will be bored.  I want my topics to be interesting.  After finally deciding to write on my decision to do dual credit, I had to figure out how to write narrative.  I understood a narrative was more like a story than a informative essay, but the formatting flustered me.  I was confused about how to arrange my thoughts.  I decided the best approach was to just write the story then edit it many times until it was presentable.

            If I were to grade myself, I would give my self a low B.  While, I feel my paper is grammatically correct and flows nicely, I do not think I wrote a proper narrative.  I feel like my paper was not much of a story, but it was more like a paper stating why I made my decision and how it was the best decision for me.  I hope you enjoyed my paper and found it interesting.

Review Essay (1)

Melynda Phillips

Richards

English 1301

9/17/2014

My Experience at the Ballet Austin Summer Intensive

Each year, millions of dancers audition for the opportunity to dance with a professional company over the summer.  Only a few-hundred are accepted into each program.  This summer I traveled to Austin to attend the Ballet Austin Summer Intensive, a six-week camp focused on intense ballet training.  Over three hundred ballerinas, hoping to obtain a year-round position with the company or at the academy, annually attend the Ballet Austin Summer Intensive.  This is a terrific summer program for an advanced dancer.  The ballet training is fabulous and made me a much better dancer in general.

While in Austin, dancers were to stay in the Callaway House dormitory.  Upon arriving at the dorms, I was greeted by several friendly counselors.  After a smooth, simple check in process, one of the counselors showed me to the room where I would be staying. The Callaway House was an extraordinarily nice dormitory.  The rooms were very spacious and well kept.  The rooms were originally meant to have two people to a bedroom and four to a suite.  However, Ballet Austin arranged to have four girls in each bedroom and eight to a suite.  While this set-up was a bit more cramped than expected, there was still plenty of space.  Each bedroom had four beds, four drawers, two closets, two sinks, and one bathroom.  The suites had two bedrooms and in between them was a common area with a couch, coffee table, desk, and kitchenette including a microwave, full-sized refrigerator and a small table.  The Callaway House also had a rooftop swimming pool, hot tub, gym, game room, theater, computer room, and a dining hall.

The dining hall was a buffet style cafeteria where the dancers ate breakfast and dinner.  Breakfast was the same gross foods everyday.  Our options were wet eggs, salty bacon, goopy oatmeal, cold biscuits and overly ripe fruit.  Occasionally there would be pastries available at breakfast, although, usually I would try to tolerate the fruit and biscuits if I wanted to eat breakfast.  Dinner was just as disgusting as breakfast.  Almost every night we were served greasy chicken, overly buttered vegetables and a cold pasta.  However there was a salad bar available at dinner that the dancers usually took advantage of.  Lunch was catered to the Ballet Austin studio from the Callaway House dining hall, and consisted of sandwiches with slimy meat on stale bread, fruit left over from breakfast, chips and cookies.  I usually threw away the sandwich and only ate the fruit, chips and cookies.  Despite the awful lunches, the rest of the time spent at the Ballet Austin studio was fantastic.

A day at the studio began with ballet technique class.  Ballet technique was taught by Christopher Swaim or Nicolas Kepley.  Mr. Swaim was my favorite teacher during the intensive.  His classes were challenging and always provided feedback that could be applied easily throughout the entire class.  After technique, we had pointe class with Jennifer Hart.  Ms. Hart’s pointe class was difficult; although the exercises were basic, she gave corrections that made the class more demanding.  After lunch, we had either modern or jazz class, taught by Laquet Pringle, a former dancer on Broadway.  Ms. Pringle had always been exceptionally energetic and encouraging during class.  Lastly, we had choreography class with Mr. Swaim, to learn a routine to perform for the show at the end of the intensive.  Mr. Swaim’s choreography was fun to learn and exciting to perform.

Overall, the Ballet Austin Summer Intensive was wonderful.  The living arrangements were amazing and the ballet classes were incredible.  My only complaint for the intensive would be the food.  I would recommend this summer intensive to most advanced ballet dancers and hope to return myself.

		Images found at balletausitn.com and callawayhouseaustin.com

 

Reflection

            For this paper, I wish I had more time.  I could have used the extra time to go out to restaurant or movie.  This would have been an easier topic to write about and understand.  However, I did not have the time needed, and had to write about a subject in which I already had information.

            My first inclination was to write about a restaurant I went to while in Austin.  My experience at this restaurant was awful, yet, when it came time to review it, I found I did not have enough evidence to support my argument.  I spent so much time trying to make this review work that when I finally rejected the idea and decided to switch subjects I did not have enough time for a good pre-write process.  Had I started with writing about Ballet Austin’s Summer Intensive instead of the restaurant, I could have written a much better review.

            I was hoping peer reviews would provide helpful feedback, but my reviewer was so focused on the formatting of my paper (which I suppose is helpful to some extent) that they did not look for grammatical errors or give many helpful tips.  To balance out the poor peer review I went to writing lab for extra help.  The tutor at the writing lab helped me finalize my paper to point where I felt it was acceptable to turn in.

            While, I still not feel that my paper is good, I did as much as could to fix it in the time allowed.  Honestly, I would probably only grade this paper as high C or low B, as it is not a paper I would consider “college leveled”.  Although it may not be well written, I do hope you enjoyed reading the paper and found it interesting.