Monday, April 9, 2012

Summer 2012 Free Write


I cannot wait until summer gets here! I am so ready for a break from school.  I feel that this school year has been jam packed with so much stuff.  Softball, school work, and working kept me quite busy, but it definitely made the school year go by fast. 

This summer I am planning to work a lot to save up money for when I go to OSF in the fall of 2013.  Also, I am taking three online classes, but this will definitely be lightening the load from what I am doing now during the school year.  I do not plan to play softball this summer, so this will give me plenty of free time.  I feel that this summer will be stress-free and more laid back than any other summer yet.  I will just get to enjoy my free time, which it never seems like I get to experience. 

One trip that I plan to go on is Kentucky Lake with my boyfriend and his family.  They usually go sometime in July and spend about a week there.  They stay in cabins and spend their days laying out in the sun, swimming, and fishing.  This trip sounds so relaxing and it will be much needed.  I really just want to have a great time.  I want to be able to take a break from all responsibilities for a while and just have fun with friends.  This summer will be full of joy, excitement, and great experience.

Monday, April 2, 2012

How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans (Text Response)


The article “How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans” is a believable argument.  First off the author of the article is a credible writer for this type of piece.  The article was written by Brent Staples who is an editorial writer that specializes in politics and culture.  He has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Chicago and has widely published essays. 

The audience of this article is people who like to listen to Hip-Hop music and like the industry.  The tone throughout the article is educational.  The author does not use slang words.  He uses proper grammar and evidence to support his main points.  The vibe of the paper has a negative attitude towards the issue.  He keeps the audience drawn into the paper by using rhetorical questions and interesting examples of such issues that continue to happen.  He has a clear thesis statement and uses many claims and evidence to back it up. 

The author proves his point of view by using claims of facts throughout the article.  He uses events that had happened and includes the dates of the year.  The author includes famous rappers names that the audience would be able to identify.  Also, he uses claims of value to judge how the industry will end up.  He predicts the future of other rap stars and how the downward spiral will continue.  He uses inferences to draw a prediction of his conclusion at the end of the article.