Lesson 8 Prompt: Lucky Charms!

In this post I am addressing the prompt:  

Preview, read, and annotate a package of food. What is its strongest argument? Why? Would its packaging prompt you to buy it again? Why?

I analyzed a Lucky Charms® cereal box for this prompt. While my brother already had the box, I took a quick trip to the grocery store just to browse other cereal boxes so I could compare them to Lucky Charms®. Immediately I noticed several things about Lucky Charms®. They are placed on one of the middle shelves, near eye-level for a child, and certainly not out of the way for an adult. Lucky Charms® are also one of the most vibrant and busy boxes on the shelf, with a bright red background and a rainbow-themed design, including the Lucky Charms'® mascot (probably named Lucky, but I'm not sure) who is nationally known to children.

There are two main arguments on the LC® box. One is aimed at children, the other at their parents. The strongest argument for children is the large picture of an hourglass-shaped marshmallow charm that Lucky (we'll assume the name) is reaching for. Inside the hourglass are the words: “Control Time! With The Hourglass Marshmallow Charm.” Perhaps it is a new charm, or a new color of charm. Either way, the picture invokes a child's interest for that charm.

The strongest argument for parents is the bold statement on the front of the box: Good Source of CALCIUM & VITAMIN D and Whole Grain Guaranteed. On the side of the box there is a panel explaining why calcium and vitamin D are important in a child's diet, and what the specifications for 'whole grain' are.

According to the front of the box and the side panel, Lucky Charms® appears to be a very good choice for breakfast cereal. I feel obligated to point out that there's a lot of fine print involved (this doesn't necessarily relate to the prompt, it's more a rebuttal for the arguments LC® provide advocating their cereal). One serving of LC® provides only 10% of the recommended daily values for calcium and vitamin D. Actually, the milk you drink with the LC® provides more of these two vitamins than the cereal itself does. When reading the ingredients list, the second ingredient is marshmallows (which contain sugar, corn syrup, and artificial flavors), the third is sugar, and the fifth is corn syrup. There are 11g of sugar per serving of LC®. If you do the math (approx. 16 servings per box, approx. 453g of cereal total, approx. 27g per serving), sugar comprises 38% of the entire box of cereal, and 40% per serving.

Centering back on the prompt, would I buy this food item again based on its packaging? Strictly making my decision off the box and not the fine print, yes, I would. Lucky Charms® has an excellently appealing appearance, complete with fun and simple puzzles on the back of the box that work towards some prize on luckycharms.com. I love the colorful design and the cute, persistently happy mascot. Besides, with 176g of sugar, they taste pretty good too!

Lesson 4 Prompts: Written Arguments

The lesson 4 prompts I address in this entry are:

Which genre of argument would you most likely write on your own? Why?

What is the goal of argument?

In the next entry I will address another three prompts focusing on revising written work.

Which genre of argument would you most likely write on your own? Why?

The argument genres I most often use are personal correspondence, blogs, visual arguments, and speeches. While I often write arguments as personal correspondence, including informal e-mails and formal letters, the genre of argument I write more than any is a speech. 

I am a fairly strong public speaker, and often give board presentations and persuasive speeches, so I am very comfortable writing speeches. Because I have been writing and performing speeches, in and outside of competition, for three years, I have come to learn what is most effective in a speech and what does not work. I would prefer to give a speech on a topic rather than write a paper on it because speeches are much more personal, and have the advantage of immediate audience that a paper does not have. Vocal inflection, gestures, and posture can have a subconscious effect on an audience that a paper can not provide. 

What is the goal of argument?

The goal of argument is to:

1)inform yourself on a topic (research)

2) inform your opponent

3) persuade them to see your side of things.

 In an argument, it is more important to inform your opponent and help them to see your point than to make them agree with you. If a person is set on a certain belief, it will take more than an argument and another person telling them what to believe for them to change their mind. If a person can manage to persuade another not to agree with the person's claim, but rather to see the person's point, the argument has been successful and the arguers have done a good job. Often times, both arguers will present a claim, and in turn both arguers should end up acknowledging the other person's claim, whether they are persuaded to truly believe it or not is not relevant.

-Ace

Lesson 3 Prompt: Process and Product of Arguments

Addressing the last two questions for lesson 3:

What is worth arguing about?

Why and how is argument both a process and a product?

What is worth arguing about?

It is my opinion that all things of controversy are worth arguing about, as long as there are willing participants. As long as there is disagreement, there is room for argument. Of course, this is only my personal opinion, and I'm sure there are differing ones out there. 

I adore arguing, for the educational aspects of it, as well as the entertainment it provides. Curious as to what other people's answers to this question would be, I asked a few of my friends. Many of them agreed with my answer, and then we began exploring other answers. Is it really worth arguing if apples should be engineered to be blue instead of red or green? Is it really worth arguing about superman being better than batman? My friends and I came to a collective agreement that it would be worth arguing even the silliest things if: a) the person you are arguing with disagrees with you along some lines, b) you, and the person you are arguing with are enthusiastic and willing, and c) both arguers are in the right mindset. 

If you have a, b, and c, it is my opinion that anything of disagreement is worth arguing for or against.

Why and how is argument both a process and a product?

Argument is two things: process, and product. Without process, all that is left is the product. Under those guidelines, an argument is not possible. Without a product, there is no collective agreement, no goal for the argument. It is possible to have an argument where there is no product, or no agreement or compromise, but there would be little purpose to the whole affair. Without either a process or a product, there is no true argument.

The process of an argument is the journey arguers take, it is the beginning, middle, and end of the argument. There is a product only because there is a process. Within a process, arguers can provide evidence for their case, support their case with logic and reason, and hopefully culminate to one main point, or goal of the argument. 

The goal that each arguer has for an argument would be the product of the argument if that person's goal prevailed against the other arguers goals. Often, the product of an argument will be a mixture of the goals involved in the argument. Products are not always satisfactory to each person involved in the argument. Socratic arguments attempt complete satisfaction, and the goal of a Socratic seminar is to find overall truth. Finding overall truth is an ideal goal, but realistically it is hard to obtain, especially because not all arguments lead to one overall truth. This is Sophist philosophy, that there are multiple 'overall truths' within one argument. A product will multiple right answers is, in my opinion, more common in current times than arguments with one correct truth.

-Ace

Prompt: Nuclear Power, Argument, and Opinion

Posts for lesson 3 in the UAF academic writing course.  I address five prompts in this post and the following: 

Write about a controversy in the news

How does one demonstrate their belief in an opinion?

Why is a written argument a good way to defend an opinion?

What is worth arguing about?

Why and how is argument both a process and a product?

News controversy:

Nuclear power: should the U.S. build more reactors or not? Nuclear power costs 5.71 cents per kilowatt hour (Department of Energy), compared to gas which is priced at 3.9 to 4.4 cents per kW hour, and coal, which is priced at 4.8 to 5.5 cents per kW hour (Cold Energy LLC, 2008). Even compared to renewable power generation such as hydro, geothermal, wind, and solar, gas is still the cheapest form of power we have available to us at this time.

However, the oil that gas needs to act as a power source is non-renewable, and already running out. We cannot expect to keep burning so much gas and have it last for thousands of years into the future. Not only are oil and gas supplies running out, but the burning of gas is greatly contributing to the greenhouse gases, which contribute in some part to global warming.

Coal is only slightly more expensive than gas, approximately one cent more per kW hour, but won't burn clean. It is seen that coal provides the world with more pollution then all other power supplies combined; 30,000 people die annually due to coal pollution (Abt Associates, 2000). Because of environmental regulations, it is becoming difficult to build coal plants around the world.

Nuclear power has drawbacks as well. Plants are expensive to build, approximately $12 million to $18 million (Climate Progress, 2008), and even more expensive to de-commission, approximately $300 million per plant in the U.S (nuclearinfo.net, 2008). There is no 100% safe way to store nuclear waste, plants could be a target for terrorism, and radiation affects not only plant workers, but people in the area. Nuclear accidents such as that in Three Mile Island (in which thousands died) are catastrophic; I don't believe another power source should be worth that risk. 

That's not to say I'm not a proponent of alternative energy; I don't think gas or coal are doing us any good right now, what with global warming and environmental concerns, and the decreasing supply of oil. Being less dependent on foreign oil sounds great right now, it's just a matter of finding an alternative source for energy. Nuclear energy could supply this need, if it is refined to the point where it is cost-effective, and safe.

How does one demonstrate their belief in an opinion?

A person can demonstrate belief in either their own opinions, or someone else's. People demonstrate belief in many, many different ways. Through their own speech, through words, or pictures, or actions. In a person's lifetime, it will be a combination of all these things. 

From the Oxford English Dictionary, 'belief' is an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. 'Opinion' is a view or judgment about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.  

This would mean that belief in an opinion is the acceptance that that opinion is true, even if the opinion is not based on fact. It could merely be an idea, a brief 'I think' statement, but people can still believe it. Some of the most influential opinions come from influences in a person's family or circle of friends, and also the opinions of idols, such as actors, musicians, religious symbols, and political symbols.

Political campaigns are one example of a statement of opinions. The candidate has opinions based on something, whether it is fact or the past or personal experiences, and they try to persuade people to believe in these opinions by advertisements, debates, and public speeches. In return, people demonstrate their belief (and trust) with a vote. 

Why is a written argument a good way to defend an opinion?

Written arguments have several advantages to other options for arguments, such as speech, art, or actions.  Written arguments are often more complete and thought-out than other arguments because the author has time to fully construct his or her stance on an issue, research all sides of it, and then present it in a complete format, unlike the other forms of arguments (speech, art, actions). After an initial argument is formed and written, it is changeable and not set in stone. The author can revise and edit, or simply begin again with more information and evidence, or a completely new take on the original opinion they were defending. 

When writing in the defense of an opinion, it is possible to generally predict who the audience will be, or who will be reading your argument. For example, if an argument is written in support of nuclear power, the audience will be others in support of nuclear power, people who are not sure if they are supporting or rejecting nuclear power, and those who are simply doing research on nuclear power, whether for their own information and curiosity, or for their personal argument. Choosing material for your argument can be easier if you know your audience.

Using knowledge of the audience and 'conversation' being joined, it is easier to determine which writing form a personal argument should take. Business papers, letter to the editor or other newspaper editorials, research paper or other school-related argument, peer-reviewed journals, magazine articles, or blogs are only a few options available for written arguments. The ways to get other forms of argument publicized are much more limited than written arguments. 

I will address the two remaining prompts in a later post (tomorrow, most likely).

-Ace