Assignment 3

Assignment 3
 

I really enjoyed this short story by David Sedaris. His unique approach on the whole flying experience was very amusing. This story definitely exceeded my expectations and reminded me of all the times I have gone flying or the times wherein I was in a similar situation as him. The comment he made to the elderly woman in line was really funny. It wasn't so much what he said that was funny, but the nature of the situation that was humorous. Unfortunately, whenever I find myself in that same situation, it’s too late and I wish I would have just ended the conversation before it even started. So, the way he handled it, I thought, was really funny. That’s just one example of him being funny in his essay. He’s comical throughout his whole story from the whole comment about how badly Americans dress at airports, to the flight attendants farting as they walk through the aisle, to the final paragraph when we, as the readers find out what it is exactly that flight attendants might say as flights come to an end.

  Sedaris wrote this text for a couple of reasons. The most obvious reasons he wrote this text was to get recognition as well as to entertain his readers. I think the less obvious reason he wrote this text is because he wanted to express an uncertain truth that the airport atmosphere might bring about people’s true nature. Moreover, he was presenting the idea that at airports, people take off their mask and present to society who they really are. I think for some people this may be true. In my opinion, being at the airport can be stressful, so of course people are going to be more pessimistic, negative, and maybe even rude. The airport for the most part is always going to be a chaotic atmosphere that test peoples patience. Then, again it depends on what airport you are flying in and out of. I’m just grateful that I can get on a plane today and not have to worry about the plane crashing because most airlines have such experienced pilots. “We’re forever blaming the airline industry for turning us into monsters; it’s the fault of the ticket agents, the baggage handlers, the slowpokes at the newsstands and fast food restaurants. But what if this is who we truly are, and the airport’s just a forum that allows us to be our real selves, not just hateful but gloriously so?” (Sedaris 277). This quote taken from his essay is his introduction to the idea that airports bring out our true nature. Again, I don’t think people are gloriously hateful people. I think that for the most part, most people are not hateful, but good people.

I mainly think that David Sedaris just wants his readers to think about the primary message he was trying to convey; the message that we are all truly hateful people. I don’t actually think he wants people to think that. I just think he wants people to dwell on the idea that we as people truly show our not so nice or hypocritical sides at the airport. On that note, people are always so upset at the job performance of the people who work at airports. But, do people ever think about all that the employees across the ticket booth have had to deal with? They deal with the same issues day after day. They deal with people that are late, don’t have the money to pay for their tickets, didn't print off their e ticket, do not have proof of identification, people who do not properly pack their bags, do not have the money to pay the extra fee to pay for their bags being too heavy, and the lists goes on and on. Maybe, David Sedaris wants us and other readers to just be more sympathetic to the employees at the airport or at any public service place. We are all on the same boat trying to achieve the American dream. So, maybe David Sedaris just wants people to be more patient, not judge, and respect each other. There could be any number of reasons to why he wrote this paper. In conclusion, I really enjoyed his story. It was a lot of fun to read.

Works Cited

Sedaris, David. "Standing By." First Year Composition Reader. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 275-277. Print.

Sedaris’ “Standing By”

Sedaris’ “Standing By”

Sedaris’ “Standing By,” is a short story written by author David Sedaris. This story is about his personal experiences encompassing the world of flying and everything it entails. For the most part, this short essay specifically illustrates the discomforting as well as comical experiences he felt during a flight he took in 2009 from Fargo, North Dakota to Portland Oregon. Moreover, he writes about all the awkward situations he found himself in with the people he was traveling with, the diversity of the people that one can find in an airport, the unfortunate circumstances many people find themselves in when flying, and finally the idea that airports may bring out peoples true narcissistic nature.

Assignment 2

Assignment 2

After having read all of the material we were told to look over, I have come to the conclusion that this course is going to challenge our intellect, our creativity, and our wills. We are not only going to have to use all the skills we have learned up to this point in previous English classes, but we are going to have to come up with new innovative ways of putting our thoughts onto paper. We are going to have to create, imagine, reflect, and experiment time and time again until we get it right. We are going to do this again and again until we are able to properly write in a way that incorporates the six golden rules, which include context, audience, purpose, logos, ethos, and pathos, so that we may be able to persuade our audience and accomplish whatever it is that is our purpose.

In general, I obviously expect our class to do a lot of reading, writing, and interpreting of texts assigned to us by the professor. I think we will be doing more reading and revising of each other’s work than that of published text. I also think that we will be required and encouraged to seek help wherever we can, whether it’s seeking each other out in an online discussion or going to the writing center. By helping each other out, we can improve on our writing and reading habits. We will, in effect, be expanding on the skills we already have.

I think being a writer in this course in relation to being a writer in other situations is not going to much different. Moreover, the whole purpose of this class is to help us become better writers in whatever endeavor we choose to pursue, whether it’s in another class or in the work we perform at our future job sites.

Overall, I am really excited to get started on the two interpretive essays and one reflective essay that we will be turning in at the end of the semester for our final portfolio. The only question I have is what text will we be reading and interpreting? I’m confident that we will, however, be getting the answer to this question answered fairly shortly. All the other question I had were answered in the student guide, in the syllabus, or in the course description.

Introduction

Hello class,

I just want to start off my introduction by saying that I truly enjoyed our first class together. I think what Ms. Evans did to introduce each and every one of us to each other was really cool and was a great way to start our spring semester off together. I think we are going to have a very fun, exciting, and productive class together. At any rate, my name is Ryan. I’m the guy from San Diego, California. Before you ask, I do miss the pristine, sandy beaches and beautiful cities of southern, California, but I do very much like this city, which is now my home. With the exception of the unbearable weather that we are now experiencing, this city has a lot to offer. More than anything, I love all the unique breweries and restaurants that are located in this city. Additionally, I love the commitment the people of this state have towards our college and professional sports teams—most notably, the Green Bay Packers. I love that I can go just about anywhere in this city and know that I have something in common with just about everyone.

In my free time, I of course love watching the Green Bay Packers play. I also love to surf and snowboard. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do much of either of these sports because Lake Michigan doesn’t produce many rideable waves and we haven’t seen a lot of snow this winter. I realize that I can go to the hills at Crystal Ridge or Alpine where they make fake snow, but I don’t really care for the prices that those places demand. That’s why I’ve always stuck to surfing for the most part. When it comes to surfing, the only money I have ever had to spend was on a surfboard, a wetsuit, and the gas in my car to get to the beach.

As cliché as it sounds, if I had one wish, I would wish for there to be global peace. And with that, I would wish that there would be no poverty in the world.

As I mentioned before, my favorite things about Milwaukee and Wisconsin are the breweries, the restaurants, and the Green Bay Packers. If I had to mention one more thing, it would be all the good fishing this state has to offer.

My field of study is nursing.  I’m hoping that within the next few years I will become a registered nurse. Considering I just decided to make this my major, I do not know all that much about it. What I do know is that the pay is good, it’s secure, and it allows me to help people in need. So, those are three basic reasons as to why I have chosen to pursue this profession.

I’ve enjoyed most of the classes I have taken in college.  The classes that stand out most in my mind that I liked the more than others was a first responders class I took in California and an introduction to film class I also took in California. What I enjoyed most about the first responders class was the fact that it was not that formal and it allowed the students to really engage in practicing life-saving techniques. And as far as the film class goes, I for one, love to watch movies and secondly, in this class the students and I were able to analyze and critique all the different movies we watched over the course of the semester.

As far as writing and reading goes, I have done about as much of both of those as the next person has. I’ve written research papers, critiquing papers, short stories, and pretty much everything else that is required of most students in school. When it comes to reading, I’ve read all the books that most students are required to read. When I’ve taken it upon myself to read in my spare time, I’ve read the Bible, a variety of biographies, some fiction and a million different surfing magazines. Moreover, whenever I become increasingly interested in a hobby, a sport, an art, or whatever, I’ll go to the library or book store and learn as much as I can about the subject. I’ll just become a fanatic and learn absolutely everything I can about my new interest. When I first started surfing, I bought every guidebook and video that was available that would aid me in becoming a better surfer. The reading I enjoy doing more than anything is reading about history. Whether its world history or American history, I love it all.

For me, writing is like watching grass grow. I’ve never been really fond of it. I however do think it’s a necessary skill or talent to have. Furthermore, without writing, I would not be able to enjoy all the books I enjoy reading. Also, writing allows people as a whole to communicate effectively and tell stories across time. Writing is the tool that allows anthropologists to study cultures in the present and in history. 

My biggest fear about college-level writing is probably just formatting. That, more than anything, is the biggest concern I have.

My primary goals for this class are obviously to become a better writer and reader. I want to be able to use whatever skills are taught in this class in future classes and thereafter.  In addition, I want to know that if I write a book one day, the editor or publisher that reviews my book will not have to correct too many mistakes. 

The learning environment that I know works best for me is one in which there is a lot of white noise, a good amount of feedback, and one in which there is a lot of participation by each and every student. If I am in a class where the professor just talks and talks in a monotone voice for a few hours, I will become disinterested and fall asleep.

In conclusion, this is who I am in a nutshell. Should anybody want to introduce themselves to me or ever need a helping hand, feel free to talk to me. I am very easy to approach and probably one of the most laid back persons you will have ever met. That’s all. Thank you and good night.