Blog Post #1

Part 1

When it comes to analyzing text, it is very important to pick up the most important details, but sometimes we have a hard time finding what we really want to pick up from the text. As a college student I can say that analyzing a big text can be one of the most useful skills you can learn. Not only will it help in the future but can also help when it comes to tests, essays, and so much more. I can honestly say I have a hard time picking up details out of a large body of text. I will read a bunch of pages then realize I haven’t retained any of the details I needed. Although it isn’t my biggest skill yet, applying all the skills we are learning can be beneficial in the future. Memorizing the triangle diagram can be very useful. Looking at the diagram you notice that purpose is the main thing you want to focus on, what you are trying to accomplish or retain because that’s in the middle of the triangle. Once you find out what your main purpose is then you can work on author, audience, and text, and how those three points make and create the purpose. Also using and understanding the three main types of rhetorical appeals, logos, pathos, and ethos. In today’s world everyone is required to retain information whether it’s reading directions, reading the newspaper, novels, social media post, or even blogs! Being able to use these skills to gather and analyze Seth Davis’ article “Should College Athletes Be Paid? Why, They Already Are” will help me find out what Seth’s main argument is, and what he’s trying to state to his audience.

Looking at this ad can be the simplest way to understand what its main purpose is. Which is showing one of the three rhetorical appeals, pathos. It shows a lot of emotion and is trying to get people to feel that they should stop smoking or death is earlier than expected. Then it shows a tag with the quote, “smoking kills”. Which is what the main purpose is. Analyzing can be very easy when you pull out the main details.

Part 2

 In the passage “Should College Athletes Be Paid? Why, They Already Are”, by Seth Davis, he argues back and forth on why college athletes should be paid or why they shouldn’t, but also being a response to an earlier written post by Taylor Branch. Being a devil’s advocate against Branch’s opinions, Davis says free meals, housing, and tuition is said to be enough pay as he is trying to make a point. Relating back to Branch, he tries to endorse that a lot of college tend to cheat when it comes to recruiting athletes. Promoting the idea, and makes very good points while he’s at it, Davis states that college athletes are compensated very well, and by compensated he means “free tuition”.  His main audience and focus is to college athletes, fans, and athlete’s parents. After promoting all his points and ideas, Davis tends to boast towards Branch’s essay to end his what he is trying to prove and ties ends.