Letter to the Editor draft

Dear Editor,

In Jim Vertuno’s March 29, 2009 article “Guns on Campus: Bills would allow guns at college”, he argues that college campuses would be safer if licensed people carried concealed weapons. Many advocators seem to think the college boundaries do not really prevent anything to begin with. To most people, there seems to be an obvious clash between guns and students, but not for the Texas State Legislature which is one of the seven states considering passing a law in favor of guns at schools.
Texas already has the reputation for being gun-friendly and while perhaps, having those responsible enough to have a gun on campus could protect the innocent, if an outraged shooter did attack, God forbid like at Virginia Tech; the costs still out way the benefits. While I understand that we all have the Constitutional right, according the Second Amendment, to posses a firearm, this should not apply to schools. The law does not protect those outraged killers who pick a campus and target innocent people to murder. Nor does it protect those who target an office or a hospital. I think that guns should be left with law enforcement, secured at home, or lodged in between a person’s hands while hunting.
I have fired a gun many times and each time, I am amazed at the amount of damage a push of a trigger can really do so someone or something. I personally own a gun and have never felt like my rights were being infringed upon because I could not bring it to school. If I walked around campus and saw a person with a gun in their coat, concealed or not, I would immediately think it is a gunman, not someone who is licensed to carry a weapon. If students are allowed to carry guns, what is stopping teachers, janitors, even potential students from bringing a gun to school? Perhaps a future student is taking a campus tour and they decide that they do not want to attend this particular school because of their gun policy? This would be a huge deterrent for universities and their income.
Though I do not agree with Vertuno’s article, I do think he was able to make some valid points with his quotes from advocates. My only concern, being a current college student, would be that I would not be able to adjust to where guns are allowed and where they are not. Sure police would be expected to have a gun and maybe even campus security at large events like football games. But how would students react to seeing their teacher walk in with a gun around his or her waist? How intimidating would that be and how would that affect the classroom environment? It is not simply about our second amendment right to own a gun; it is about the safety of school and students.
There has to be a distinction between what is appropriate for safety and what makes those who own guns feel like they can make other safe. A gun is a scary object, not something to be handled lightly by anyone and this includes law enforcement. When it comes down to it, every gun loaded or not, has the potential to if not kill, seriously hurt someone. Even cops make mistakes, but a mistake at school can cost students their lives, and for what? So that those who are licensed to carry gun, many of whom are no longer in school, can demonstrated their second amendment right?
Tara Finn
Texas Christian University

Author’s note

This is my first draft and I am not sure if I approached this the correct way. I think I was trying to say that I am not anti-guns, but anti- guns at school. I am unsure of how personal to be and how to balance that with facts from the article. I do not know if this is the correct format and would love the help! Thanks!

Article Choice

I am from California, and decided to chose and article that focused on the current economic debacle within the University of California system. Doyle, the author, is a staff writer from the "San Francisco Chronicle". The UC system plans to increase tuition rates 10 percent at 10 of the campuses for the summer session, which will eventually lead into the fall and spring sessions as well. The undergraduate increase from $ 7, 126 to $ 7,789 though not seemingly alarming, is covered with scandal. The fear comes from the possibility that continued tuition rates are not affordable for lower-income families. Also, that is not proportionate to the cost living increase.

The controversy also steams from the refusal of the chancellor of Cal, Birgeneau, to take any sort of a pay cut. The economic crisis is not only effecting businesses and Wall Street, it is severely hurting students and schools. The idea behind a public schooling system is to educate students, not to turn them away because of their lack of funds.

Topic Choice

I am going to write about higher education tuition rates in California, specifically the UC system. They are taking tax payers' dollars and using them to boost the salaries of chancellors, who do not deserve it. I pay taxes in California. Also, my brother is possibly going to Cal and my parents' money would be going into someone else's already large, undeserving wallet. Lower income families are also at a loss because of the soaring tuition rates.

Finn-author's not Final unit 2

As a whole, I think this portfolio has developed well from when I first started. Even though I completely changed 3 of my sources,I think it was worth the extra time to pull better sources on my topic. From the two source pre-write, to the drafts is where is where I saw the most dramatic change because it forced me to really put the paper together. I had to not only summarize the source, but analyze which I found to be the most difficult task.
This final draft I think has a nice flow with coherent sources that all take slightly different opinions on study abroad. I think I was able to transition well from each source and keep the paper flowing nicely so the reader can follow along. I think my chosen sources balance each other well and strengthen the analysis. My only real concern at this point, is that I did not walk the reader through enough analysis while summarizing. But I made a decision to do all the summarizing first so the reader knew the source's background and viewpoint, and then analyze their rhetorical strategies. Though this might seem out of order, I felt it made the paper flow better overall. Enjoy reading!

author's note #2

I feel like this draft is a lot more solid than my first draft. I think I still need to help on transitioning between the sources, but other than that, I think I was able to fix what I needed to. I still don't know if my conclusion ties the whole paper together, so I would like some suggestions for that as well.

Deeveloping cas study

I think my second draft has a lot more actual rhetorical analysis as opposed to simple summary of my sources. I tried to incorporate ethos, pathos, and ethos in all four of my sources and I think they transition well. I think I was able to demonstrated each source's unique opinion without incorporating my own biases, which was very difficult to avoid. I was able to funnel my introduction better to really narrow down into my main analysis. Where as before, I was just writing random sentences that I didn't think flowed well. I also think my conclusion has been developed better to give a concise ending to my paper with a very personal feel.I still am unsure about how exactly to end my paper, but I think my idea is now more developed. I was able to balance the personal and national feel to study abroad with a more distinct separation between the two.
I think I need to still tweak my transitions a little to make it flow more easily, but overall, I think it has developed well into a solid rhetorical analysis essay. It at first seemed so overwhelming to have to write an 8-10 page paper, but starting they way we did, I think I was able to explain and analyze each of my sources effectively for the reader. This way, the reader knows the background of each source and their individual point of views.

Local Community

Study Abroad directly affects the local TCU community because many TCU students have the opportunity to study abroad. It is an experience that those who are fortunate to have, say last them a lifetime. Before I found sources, I went to the TCU website and watched the testimonials of actual students talk about their experiences and they all said pretty much the same thing. It is something that can be talked about, but in order to really understand, has to be experienced. TCU offers many programs both for a semester and a summer session for every major to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to study abroad. On the other hand, it is also extremely expensive, as everything at TCU seems to be. I think that can discourage a lot of people, but hopefully with my paper's personal anecdotes, it can seem more affordable.
Also, study abroad students are here at TCU. They eat our food, where our clothes, and begin to pick up American slang. They support our local communities and begin to learn the entire American culture. They positively effect our world view while we hopefully boost their view of the United States. This relationship though can be awkward at times because of cultural differences, is one that impacts everyone who has ever been able to meet/talk/ or even simply look at someone foreign. There is a lot to learn on both sides.