Re: “Don’t Listen to Greta Thunberg”, Don't Listen to National Review
What is up, everyone! Sorry, that was unusual, I was just trying to challenge the status quo. Oh, you don't know what that is? Well, golly do I have a story to tell you!
In my class Rhetoric, we have been studying the status quo and how words challenge it. The status quo can be boiled down to how things are right now and how they will continue to be. We've had some very interesting days in class including studying a Nixon v. Kennedy debate, holding our own debate (Cristopher Columbus v. De Las Casas), visited Great Good Studios, interviewed teachers on strike, and had some very interesting FE (Field Experience) guests. Our two in house FE guests were Ugo Okere and Troy LaRaviere, two incredible people who have challenged and continue to challenge the status quo! Actually, our AP (Action Project) for this unit was inspired by Troy LaRavire's op-ed that sparked him into fame.
An op-ed is quite literally on the opposite page of an editorial page in a newspaper, it is usually from someone outside of the newspaper editorial staff and includes a fresh and new topic. Our AP was to choose a topic and write an op-ed for a newspaper (digital or print). It could be in response to an editorial piece, a stand-alone op-ed, or anything in between. We were given a lot of liberty to challenge whatever staus quo we wanted as well. Of course, we still have to include rhetoric and how we as young people can use it to change the status quo.
So without further ado, here is my op-ed about teen activism in response to this article.
Now, allow me to briefly explain when I used logos, pathos, and ethos. All of the logos bits in my op-ed have to do with numbers and cited sources backing me up. For example the number of people at the September 20th climate change strike from The Guardian. I reach into ethos when I talk about my personal reasons for being at the strike and knowing what it is like being a teenage activist. I also use credible sources in my op-ed. I tap into pathos by having my tone in the op-ed be satirical and easy to chuckle along with. My op-ed is also used to instill a sort of guilt and maybe even fear with my use of language. For example, I call young people powerful a lot and my ending sentence says 'So, I hope you're ready to be uncomfortable because we sure are.
I also used a variety of rhetorical devices as I will explore in this paragraph. I start off with the rhetorical question: "When asked, who can change the world, what would you answer?" The rhetorical question is used to make a point and instill an idea into your reader's mind and isn't really a question to be answered. Next, we have the ironic hyperbole: "...because apparently if a teenager is educated on a topic they are a puppet of the government." The ironic hyperbole is used to exaggerate an ironic idea/statement for effect. Then off to the humble simile: "sounds like a conspiracy theorist in the article." A simile is used to compare two things to make a vivid point.
I would love to be able to publish my op-ed on the National Review newspaper since I specifically talk about one of their writers. I am also very intrigued as to how their conservative readers would react to a fairly liberal op-ed written by a 16-year-old. Besides the reaction, I think being able to see a topic from both sides is important, and not having the two ends be radical or exaggerated is a plus. Sadly, I doubt it will get into the National Review so I am also considering sending to The Guardian as they are very much so with Greta and the fright against climate change. I am very excited to see if my op-ed will be published in either of these newspapers and what people's reactions will be!
Citations
Bartlett, Jhon. Taylor, Matthew. Watts, Jonathan. "Climate crisis: 6 million people join latest wave of global protests". thegaurdian.com. Sep. 27, 2019. Accessed Oct. 23, 2019.
Harrison, Kate. "5 Reasons Young Leaders Will Change The World (And The Workplace)". forbes.com. Apr. 12, 2018. Accessed Oct. 23, 2019.
Lowry, Rich. "Don't Listen to Greta Thunberg". nationalreview.com. Sept. 24, 2019. Accessed Oct. 22, 2019.
In my class Rhetoric, we have been studying the status quo and how words challenge it. The status quo can be boiled down to how things are right now and how they will continue to be. We've had some very interesting days in class including studying a Nixon v. Kennedy debate, holding our own debate (Cristopher Columbus v. De Las Casas), visited Great Good Studios, interviewed teachers on strike, and had some very interesting FE (Field Experience) guests. Our two in house FE guests were Ugo Okere and Troy LaRaviere, two incredible people who have challenged and continue to challenge the status quo! Actually, our AP (Action Project) for this unit was inspired by Troy LaRavire's op-ed that sparked him into fame.
An op-ed is quite literally on the opposite page of an editorial page in a newspaper, it is usually from someone outside of the newspaper editorial staff and includes a fresh and new topic. Our AP was to choose a topic and write an op-ed for a newspaper (digital or print). It could be in response to an editorial piece, a stand-alone op-ed, or anything in between. We were given a lot of liberty to challenge whatever staus quo we wanted as well. Of course, we still have to include rhetoric and how we as young people can use it to change the status quo.
So without further ado, here is my op-ed about teen activism in response to this article.
Now, allow me to briefly explain when I used logos, pathos, and ethos. All of the logos bits in my op-ed have to do with numbers and cited sources backing me up. For example the number of people at the September 20th climate change strike from The Guardian. I reach into ethos when I talk about my personal reasons for being at the strike and knowing what it is like being a teenage activist. I also use credible sources in my op-ed. I tap into pathos by having my tone in the op-ed be satirical and easy to chuckle along with. My op-ed is also used to instill a sort of guilt and maybe even fear with my use of language. For example, I call young people powerful a lot and my ending sentence says 'So, I hope you're ready to be uncomfortable because we sure are.
I also used a variety of rhetorical devices as I will explore in this paragraph. I start off with the rhetorical question: "When asked, who can change the world, what would you answer?" The rhetorical question is used to make a point and instill an idea into your reader's mind and isn't really a question to be answered. Next, we have the ironic hyperbole: "...because apparently if a teenager is educated on a topic they are a puppet of the government." The ironic hyperbole is used to exaggerate an ironic idea/statement for effect. Then off to the humble simile: "sounds like a conspiracy theorist in the article." A simile is used to compare two things to make a vivid point.
I would love to be able to publish my op-ed on the National Review newspaper since I specifically talk about one of their writers. I am also very intrigued as to how their conservative readers would react to a fairly liberal op-ed written by a 16-year-old. Besides the reaction, I think being able to see a topic from both sides is important, and not having the two ends be radical or exaggerated is a plus. Sadly, I doubt it will get into the National Review so I am also considering sending to The Guardian as they are very much so with Greta and the fright against climate change. I am very excited to see if my op-ed will be published in either of these newspapers and what people's reactions will be!
Citations
Bartlett, Jhon. Taylor, Matthew. Watts, Jonathan. "Climate crisis: 6 million people join latest wave of global protests". thegaurdian.com. Sep. 27, 2019. Accessed Oct. 23, 2019.
Harrison, Kate. "5 Reasons Young Leaders Will Change The World (And The Workplace)". forbes.com. Apr. 12, 2018. Accessed Oct. 23, 2019.
Lowry, Rich. "Don't Listen to Greta Thunberg". nationalreview.com. Sept. 24, 2019. Accessed Oct. 22, 2019.
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