Style Academy Exercises

People who become highly creative and productive, learn to embrace, explore and even learn from their failures.

In the late 1990's, after not being able to see my feet, I made an appointment with a Paris eye doctor. After running some tests, he sent me to buy some glasses. I'd like to blame my choice of frames on the fact that I couldn't see them clearly, or maybe that they were forced upon me. However, neither excuse is true. The truth is, I chose them of my own free will. I thought they made me look smarter and international. The rectangle frames were made of dark plastic and the lenses were not much larger than my eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it. After picking them, I spent a great deal of time in front of the mirror. I pretended to share intelligent comments regarding the state of Euro.

Style Academy

I think Style Academy has the potential to be very helpful. I think the videos are very concise and direct. And they force you to do the exercises, that you otherwise wouldn't do on your own. Some of the exercises are really helpful to see how your brain calculated the options vs. what they came up with! I think these lessons can really help in our writing by showing us the process of good construction in writing, and giving us ideas and examples that can help us learn!

GASCAP

Op-Ed funding 2 years of college is a small price to pay to get educated workers 

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-block-community-college-plan-20150120-story.html

GASCAP assignment

Generalization: He is assuming that the majority of people reading this are those who are concerned with paying for college, and anyone concerned about paying for college is going to favor affordable school!

Analogy: He is comparing Obama's actions to post WWII, when they gave grants for a college education to war veterans. He explains what a difference it made and how this new system can be as successful! 

Sign: He is saying - If we provide schooling for those who are unable to pay now, then we can count on those individuals to develop a good career from the schooling they received, and contribute to society later.

Causality: He states "UC enrolled more than 15,500 community college transfer students...and they enrich our community with their range of backgrounds, experiences and accomplishments."

Principle: He is calling upon peoples morals, to advocate for equality. Every person in this country is the same and should have the same opportunities to succeed, no matter origin or circumstance, 

Love isn't something you find, its something you make.

Love isn't something you find -It’s something you make. BYU, being the dating capital of the universe has its share of couples. How, you may ask did these couples come to be? Many people love the idea of having a beautiful story to tell, how they met their one and only true love. Others are satisfied that they met through mutual friends and it just “worked.” Thinking about finding a partner for eternity, I wonder if there is one soul out there who is just perfect for me. When conversing with older friends who are unmarried and want to be, I hear things like “just be patient, he is out there, you just haven’t found him yet” or “once you see her, you’ll know.” Thinking about these comments it makes me wonder if they really believe that here is one person out there waiting to find them? On the topic of soul mates. Is there such a destiny as a soul mate? In our culture, we believe it to be a good idea to pray to God before joining in matrimony. “Is he the one for me?” “is she the one I have been waiting for?” but I wonder if we are asking God the wrong question? Instead something along the lines of: “is he a good man? Can we find our way together?” “Is she a good match for me?” I think people get wrapped up in finding their one and only soul mate. But frankly I think there is no such thing. Love isn't something that is found or pre destined, love is something that you make. Which brings be to my topic. I believe that love is work, whether it be with your best friend, your mother, your neighbor, or your dog! But, because we are addressing BYU, I thought I would take the significant other - path, because that seems to be a hot topic! I look at people searching for love and I notice lists upon lists of criteria and qualifications! “He has to be taller than me.” “Can she cook?” “Outdoorsy, she has to be able to get her hands dirty!” “He must have facial hair.” “RM.” The list goes on and on. Knowing that whoever you marry will have things you don’t like, doesn't a question like “Does she have a good heart, and do I love her enough to work for her love?” seem like a more realistic point of view? I believe that love is work, dedication and unfailing desire to have on another! Which ties into my point that there is not a single person meant for another. I believe that anyone can fall in love with anyone, as long as they are both willing to put in the effort. Therefore I advise the BYU dating population to relax and be open minded about who they want to date. And understand that God is not going to tell them who to marry, because there is not one single person meant for you! You could be happy with a variety of different partners! It all depends on what you want out of life. Your choices are not as narrow as you believe.

Sample Opinion Editorials

On a smaller detail note, I thought the title "A Miniskirt, Even With Leggings, Is Still A Miniskirt" failed to introduce, strengthen, or support her paper. It was relevant to her topic, but she didn't mention a miniskirt once in her paper. She could have chosen a more relevant title. I thought her paper was thought invoking, and persuaded me to be thankful of the circumstances we have now, compared to when she attended BYU her first time. I appreciated that she took an obligation stance rather than a moral stance. She made it more of a regulation to be followed because you agreed to it when you decided to attend the school, instead of a standard of living for those who are holy.

"A Kiss-Less Campus" was an interesting paper. I agree that some people's display of affection is nauseating - some more than others. However, I think she fails to realize that that is is part of life! No matter what college you attend you will see PDA! And frankly she should be thankful that she is at BYU and seeing generally innocent displays of affection.

Opinion Editorial Ideas

Many people undermine golf as being a sport. When people ask me if I play sports and I say golf, often the reaction is "oh, well....golf" and my reaction is "can YOU play golf?" I think people sneer at golf and don't consider it a sport because it doesn't require extreme physical exertion. It is true that golf can be played by all walks of people not requiring ample physical stamina, however it requires skill and discipline levels that match those of popular sports like basketball, baseball, and football. Golf requires many hours of dedicated practice just as any sport. It takes concentration and  dedication to rules, regulations, techniques etc... Golf requires skill, discipline, physical ability, coordination, flexibility, endurance, emotional control, distance perception, mathematical skills, and much more. Not to mention the patience to play through rain, snow, sleet and hail.

Another thing that frustrates me about today's society, is genetically modified food. Its basically impossible to purchase any meat at any big name grocery store, that hasn't been genetically modified. vegetables aren't even safe. Planters and farmers, now spray pre-immune crops with poison to kill insects and to preserve the plant, although these plants are susceptible to the toxins, and will not die, our bodies are not. While thinking we are eating healthy by consuming fruits and vegetables, we unknowingly are consuming poison, that is slowly killing our bodies, and creating intolerance's like, celiac disease, gluten intolerance and many more. Wheat, flour, sugar, corn, rice, chicken, diary products, beef. all of these are foods that are designed to benefit our bodies and give us energy. In their pure forms, each of these are healthy. However, today citizens have to search out private providers and independent companies to obtain any of these foods that aren't genetically modified, or pumped with toxic preservatives. Often, Because the natural production rate of pure foods is much slower and less in quantity, the prices for these non altered foods, are more expensive, and can therefore only be obtained by those citizens with the money and knowledge of such providers, leaving the majority of people left with cheap toxic food that is slowly damaging our bodies.