Good Experiences

I have learned many things about writing papers. I have learned a different way to write than what I learned before. Previously, I had learned how to write a basic, standard academic essay; however, I feel that I have learned how to write a more effectual paper from this class. Actually, I was confused at first because you wanted me to write in a different way than I learned before. Since then, I have come to understand that there are many ways to write papers, and each way works in a different way. Rhetorical strategists' methods are very useful for me. I learned about these before, but I couldn't adapt the concepts to my paper. I am still not perfect in rhetorical strategies, but I am getting better. Because of this class, I am more focused on how to use rhetorical strategies for a more clear presentation of my essay. I need more practice. Also, peer reviews and discussions are good for me. When I reflected on my classmates' opinions and thoughts, I realized people have different perspectives than my own. It made my views more comprehensive. Peer reviews helped me improve my papers a lot. They have different background knowledge, thoughts, and personal views, so it helped to create a balance. Everyone who read my papers influenced my revisions, so their opinions were very valuable. Obviously, my papers improved through peer review and revision.
It was a really good experience, and I am grateful for your instruction. Thank you.

Freedom!! (Mel Gibson yelling)

In a world of mandated general education requirements and a mixed up education system i would have to say that i still completely enjoyed this course. Much better to say than the math class I was currently in but that a different story. Sure i took the class because someone, somewhere high up, told me I had to do it, but i can say that i have actually gained a better joy in writing this short semester. Daniel you made the class interesting and i liked having more freedom as a write. I would say the only problem i had was that we didn't have enough time to really cover some of the topics and the papers. Of course this is from the shortened block semester, which really who planned that, and the "sickness", but i imagine it would have been much better if we had more time. Thanks for making me think and for leading an English class where i just don't do busy work and the standard essay.
-spencer luke

Rhetorical strategists

Before this class, whether I would argue a topic in person or through a paper in high school I would argue (literally). I wasn't able to present facts and figures to support the claims I was making. You helped us learn how to do so by giving us the tools we need to present a strong rhetorical argument by using pathos, ethos, logos, etc.. Now I feel like I can argue a point that I want to make without getting heated about it and using not so kind words. I have become a better writer through this class and am grateful for the things I learned.

Skills Learned

The most important thing I learned this summer is the use of rhetoric and the strong impact it has when making an argument or with any kind of writing. I used to write only thinking about what I thought and not how to appeal to others through my writing. It was my way or the high way so to speak, but then in while in this class I could tell that even with just some simple lessons on how visual rhetoric is used and other similar things my writing improved. I especially like the Visual Rhetorical Analysis. It changed the way I view ads. I now look at a commercial or advertisement and wonder why they added a certain element or think about their intended audience. Realizing everything they use is for a reason changes your perspective of advertisements.

I also learned to make sure I view other writing impartially until I am fully informed on a subject, because there are things that have no right answer and it is important to be informed and accept other people's opinions and ideas. You helped me to become more open minded about things in life. Overall my writing has definitely improved this summer and I plan to continue improving my skills.

Think rhetorically, Luke. Er, students.

Sometimes, I felt like you were Yoda (only a little taller). Not because you talk weird or anything, but just because I would hear words, but not fully understand what was said. That being said, the number one thing I learned this semester was how to think rhetorically, and even better what thinking rhetorically really denotes. I had heard many times that I just needed to "Think rhetorically, man", but every time I asked someone what that meant, no one had a clear answer. For me, it was a good thing we discussed rhetoric so much this semester, because it really cleared up a lot of confusion. The funny thing is that now when I hear news reports or hear discussions, it's hard not to try to dissect what's being said.

Learning to write with rhetoric is a skill I'll be using in the near future as well, since I'm actually going to be applying for a position with the UVU newspaper. It was hard at first for me. I had to get out of the mindset to not be confrontational, since stirring the pot is a good thing, right? I also learned to question things and to look at every side possible of a given issue. These skills will aid me in accomplishing many of my goals in life.

Say yes to Interesting!

I think being interesting is a very important thing. I didn't know how difficult it could be. Figuring out that being interesting doesn't always mean to describe everything to the last detail was a very good thing for me. I can expound on a very broad topic and still be interesting. It's amazing how being understood helps with being interesting. While writing my papers, the small details were sometimes forgotton and when I got a peer review that helped me realize being interesting is not the only thing that matters. If I want to be heard, I want a reason for people to listen.

Thanks Daniel for actually teaching us that writing can be fun and interesting. Even without explamation marks.

Wallowing in Complexity

"Why Can't Tiffany Write?" Why can't I write? My high school English classes surely did not prepare me for college. The biggest challenge I faced upon entering this classroom was that I had to take everything that I had been taught in high school, throw it in the trash, and start over. I feel that my understanding of real writing has expanded greatly this semester. The most important skill that I have learned is how to critically think and how to use that in my writing. Our in-class discussions proved most helpful in acquiring this skill. In high school, my teachers would ask me to write a ten page researched paper on American government. Was I interested in this? No. Was the paper intriguing? No. Did my paper cause anyone to think differently? No. The ability to "wallow in complexity" was never a requirement. I needed only to regurgitate information in a five paragraph essay to pass the class with flying colors. However, I have learned that what makes an excellent paper is that the writer must be interested in his/her topic, he/she must critically think about the topic at hand, and he/she must write in a rhetorical manner that will cause the reader to be intrigued and enlightened. This knowledge has allowed me to become a more effective writer, and a happier one too. No longer being a slave to the mundane and unchallenging process of "research and regurgitate" has allowed me to view the art of writing in a new light.

5 Paragraph Essay

The good old 5 paragraph essay.... yep, that was me before this class! I had never taken English before and the only time I learned English was in debate class (where you write conclusion and the start of your conclusion). I have learned so much from this class. I've learned how to be a better writer and how to put my thoughts on to paper. Things that helped me the most were free writes, class discussion, learning to research and using the writing lab (sadly I didn't go until my final paper). Thanks to everyone who was in the class this semester, you really made it enjoyable!

Thanks Daniel, I'm sure you'll be missed at UVU!

good things learned

I have a good experience being in this English 1010 class , because it was a really interesting and fun class to be in, because our professor Mr. Westover explain us really well what we need to do and what we need to learn. This class for me was an interesting, and not boring class like others classes. What I like about this class is the feedbacks that i receive from every paper that I did and how everyone can talk and express their opinion about anything that we were talking about during class. I also like how we have peer review days before turning in the real paper; because that helps me a lot in many ways, like to know where I need to work on, to know if my paper was interesting to read and also to know where I need make changes on my paper.
I really like the rhetorical paper that I did, because it helps me to understand and analyze better an ad, and also to see what the purpose of the ad were, and what techniques they used to convinced people.
By taking this English 1010 class during summer, I learn some things that I need to work on it more for my future English classes; also it helps me to write and analyze from a different point of view, and understand better people’s idea about different controversial topics.

How to Convince a Real Audience

Writing is not only something I do just to express myself, but I love doing it. Doing it the right way is the hardest part for me. I've learned that there is really not a right or wrong way of writing, but the hardest part for me is being able to get across what I'm trying to say with all the grammar errors I've had to overcome. This class was so fast paced it was hard to overcome at such a fast rate, but I am learning and that's something I've always had a huge desire for. The thing I loved about this class is really getting the tools of understanding how you convince your audience in a rhetorical manner. The way they don't want to stop reading, they want answers and they've opened themselves up to hear a different point of view. I've always been known to write when I have a lot on my mind and need to get it out. You don't always realize at the time that it's probably filled with some kind of emotion even though you're not intending it to ever be read by anyone. I've grown to appreciate writing and the importance in taking pride in how I feel and the quality of my work really makes a difference.

The Power of Words

The best thing that I have come to the realization during this course is how to be more analytical in your writings and see the hidden meaning behind the words. I certainly enjoyed the rhetorical anaylisis paper. I think I put a lot of thought to be as creative as I could. The other thing that I really benefited from this class is how to work with outside sources and implement them in my paper. It was as though I was having an argumentative discussion with the books' authors. The other aspect that was really helpful was how to come up with the subject or topics that I had to exlpore my personal interest on. I also think that it broaden my knowledge and my intellectuality was excercised as I researched on different topics for my paper. I have an increase knowledge on a variety of ethical, moral and legal matters that are facing the world today. I realized that something that can be legal doesn't necessarily mean that it's moral. And something that is moral, is not necessarily legal--which was the subject chosen for my research paper and the case for euthanasia. I honesly tried to take out as much as I could learn from this class and I'm glad I did. I feel I learned alot. Thank you.

Important to me

The most important thing I learned from this English class is to be confident in my writing and that everyone has different writing styles. English was usually one of my better subjects through high school, but when it came to writing, I could forget about it. I struggled with writing a lot through high school. I never felt confident in my papers and I was always embarrassed about my writing style. I never understood how to use the right tools to write a good paper. Daniel Westover has given me those tools and shown me how to use them correctly. Since he has done that, I now can write confidently and not be embarrassed about my writing style.
I now when I look at a magazine ad or read an article, I no longer just think about it and go on. Now I think about the different strategies of the artist or writer and who they wanted to effect most by their work.
This class has been very beneficial to me and I would recommend it to anyone. Especially if they are not confident about their writing and strategies. Learning how you can write to cater to an audience rather then just writing a report to get it out of the way has been a great experience for me. It has taught me a lot about my writing and how I form ideas and present them to people. This whole class has been very beneficial to me.

English in a Nutshell

The visual rhetorical analysis assignment gave me the opportunity to learn more about looking deeper into what you see and read. One’s first impression in not always what your end opinion will turn out to be. The ad assignment was my favorite part of the class and my least favorite was the peer reviews. I feel that judging the paper of someone else when you are trying to learn how to write yourself seems like “putting the cart before the horse”. Therefore, I feel that the peer reviews were of no service to me, while the writing lab was very beneficial and worthwhile in assisting to better my papers. The research paper was enjoyable for the reason that it made me look further into a subject that was of an interest to me. It opened me up to other views and made me merge my opinions or even change my opinion on the subject. Daniel Westover started the semester by stating that he respected his father for listening to others and being open to change. Being open to both side of an argument and balancing the research with my own ideas, that is was what the research paper help me to achieve. This class has helped me to see things that are not obvious and write with more purpose.

Hey mom! I can write! . . . I think.

Before this class I thought that I was able to write pretty well. I wasn’t terrible, but I definitely wasn’t as good at writing as I thought I was. I literally didn’t know what writing rhetorically even meant before taking this class. Now that I have taken this class I feel much more comfortable having others read what I have written and I don’t mind discussing what I could improve in a paper.

I think the most important thing I will take from this class is that I need to keep the reader in mind when I am writing a paper for a specific audience. It makes writing more fun when you try to imagine what something you have written will sound like to the reader. Most of what I have written previous to this class I had close to never even considered what my paper would be like for an audience. I guess I never really cared either way since the last English class I took a full term of was back in the 9^th grade.

Library

Please remember that we are meeting in the library today, room 207. See you there.

Professional vs. Average.

It is very fair in my opinion for employers to say they do not want to hire someone who has visible tattoos. It is their choice. Depending on the type of job being applied for, a person may not even want to show their tattoos. If I were to hire a lawyer and he had tattoos That I could see, I might question him as a lawyer. It is human nature to judge off of appearance, no one tries to, it just happens. I have nothing against tattoos, depending on what they are, I actually really like them.
There is a major difference in having a professional position and an average position. I think having visible tattoos at a grocery store or an auto store, would be totally acceptable, considering they are not completely professional businesses. I do not think people should not be hired for jobs such as that because of visible tattoos. However, as I stated earlier, if they were at a law firm, corporate company, or any other professional type of company or business, I know I would question them and their ability to help me and give me what I need.
Again, I have absolutely nothing against tattoos. I do believe, however, If certain companies want to look more professional, then I believe it is more then fine to hire the people who are going to help create that look for them.

Did you know as an actor or model you are not allowed to have tatoos? For models they want the focus to be on the clothes or lack there of in some cases. Not only does it take away from the clothes line or product they are trying to sell but it also distracts from the image the director is trying to create from scratch. Yes some big movie stars like Will Smith do have tattoos. But guess what, before he gets to shoot one scene he has to spend about two hours covering up those tattoos on his arms alone.
Now why do tattoos matter so much? They are a way of expressing one's self, true. They are also a way of judging somebody before even meeting them, again true. The issue is not whether tattoos are good or bad. The issue is are they suitable for a work environment, particullarly in Boutaful.
I would say tattos are not appropriate for a work envoronment. When I go and see a play that was placed in the 1800's it sure helps me understand what's going on when they dress, talk, and act a certain way. I expect the same thing in the work feild. When I go to the dentist, he better be wearing gloves when he's cleaning my mouth. My waitress wearing a name tag makes me feel inclined to compliment her on her great service or ask for assistance. I know as well as anyone else that tattoos aren't going to hurt anybody. (Except in the matter of pornagraphyic or crude ones, but that's another story for another day). But as I walk into a work environment I do expect certain things. For one I want to be comfortable, expecailly if I'm doing buisness. Yes when I see a man/woman in a nice attire and very clean cut I am more welcome to open up and get things done. Now I'm not saying that because somebody has a tattoo I'm inclined to run away. I just prefer the buisness clean cut look, because then I know what to expect and what I'm looking for. Piercings definatly distract me when I'm talking to someone, because I will try to make eye contact but the focus is drawn to the the shiny piercing.
The thing is the law in Bountiful isn't that one can't have tattoos; just that they can't be visable. That is not taking away their rights. To me it's like we could all be naked but we choose to cover ourselfs up. It's creating an environment that the employers want. Which in all fairness they don't have to hire anybody they didn't want to. If they want their buisness to reflect on what they belive in such as comfort and trust, then they should have a say as to how they want their buisness run.

I agree to new policy of Bountiful city

I think new policy of Bountiful city positively. Some people may believe that this policy is unfair. Of course, I completely understand employees’ position. They will think that it is prejudice that they are evaluated by employers just their appearances such as having tattoos and piercings.etc. However, when we think employers’ position, they prefer to hire a neat person into their company because people who are neat have a wrapped tight mind. It is not a prejudice. Of course, this sentence doesn’t have application to everyone. Some of neat people don’t think straightly, but most of people who are neat have good consciousness. Similarly, some people who have tattoos and piercings have good consciousness, but most of them have a high possibility to commit crimes. When we imagine a bad person, we think that he or she looks threatening and has a tattoos and piercings. It’s not a prejudice, but it depends on our knowledge and experiences. When we see news and read a newspaper, criminals have such appearances, so we think naturally that people who have tattoos have a high possibility to do bad things such as drugs. Employers want to find person who works faithfully and honestly, not involved in crimes. The things that they can judge via an interview are just from employees’ past work experiences and appearances. There is no standard to judge their characters and faithfulness. That’s why appearances are large part of an interview. Therefore, if employees really want to get the job, they should have qualifications which employers want.

Why Image Is So Important

When a person goes to work he/she will wear a uniform of some kind or another. A doctor will wear scrubs, a businessman will wear a suit, and so on. What we wear and how we appear will represent who we are and what we do. In certain professional positions, there will always be a certain look or "uniform" necessary to maintain a certain image. One might ask, "Why does professionalism take on this particular image?" The major reason is that professionals want to gain the trust of the people they are working with and for. In a fast-paced world that runs on first impressions, it is important to not only maintain long-term trust, but to establish immediate trust by acting, speaking, and even appearing a certain way. The way people perceive tattoos is not something that can be changed overnight, although tattoos are growing in popularity. People often associate tattoos with rebellious teens, drunken rock stars, gang members, and prison inmates. So it is easy for people to make misconceptions of a person at the first sight of his/her tattoos. Imagine hearing a knock on your door, and a man from a sales company wanted to offer you an amazing deal on a new security system for you home and wanted to come inside to discuss further details. Imagine if this man's neck and face were covered with tattoos and he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, making visible the sleeves of tattoos on each arm. From your first impression, would you be hesitant to let him in? If you were new to an area and went to a doctor's office for the first time, and the doctor came into the room in jeans and a t-shirt, would you question his credentials? There is a reason for a uniform in every position, to gain trust. I do not believe that the city of Bountiful is wrong in their attempts to gain a more professional image through their employees. The city of Bountiful is not forcing anyone to refrain from tattoos or piercings, they are simply saying that the tattooed uniform is not coherent with their professional uniform.

Judging a Book by It's Cover

Unfortunately, I do understand the frustrations of many of those who have tattoos or any kind of piercing in their bodies. Since they believe that this is their right to do what they want with their bodies. This is a private matter more than a public matter. The history of tattoos has existed for a very long time which derives from a persons background and is symbolic of the persons beliefs and their life. Today tattoos have become an expressive artistic way to share a personal story through images they tattoo on their bodies. On the other hand, I do share the concern of publicly showing tattoos in the workforce. I do believe that the world judges us by our outward appearance first and by that then bases who we are in the inside. It is unfortunate but nonetheless true, especially in a professional setting. I did an experiment a while ago. I went to a dealership to buy a luxury car. The first time when I went there I was dressed up really casual. First thing I noticed was that these people weren't serious about me and were ignoring me and although they knew I was a serious buyer. I got frustrated and I left. The next day, I dressed up in a fancy suit and tie, put my business glasses on and head over to the same dealership. I was amazed at the tremendous difference of treatment and how important my business was to them. How frustrating and unfair is this for someone like me who was ready to purchase the car the first time, when I was dressed casually, but like I said, people will always judge us by the way we look. This is a fact that we can't erase or ignore or become offended. This issue of tattoos is a similar concept of my own experience that at some point the Bountiful employment council is trying to address to the people with new requirements that will create a professional setting by the employees themselves. If you are working for someone else, you are representing that company (and the company's values) not your own. Therefore, you need to adjust to what the company asks of you professionally because it is only fair to conduct ourselves in a professional matter and represent the company in the best way we can.

Discriminations? I don’t’ think so!

First of all where does it say in the policy that “if you have a tattoo we will discriminate against you”? No one said anything about discrimination. They didn’t state “if you have a tattoo we have a right to fire you” they simply set a policy requiring you to not have any visible while working. I can’t imagine any of us who have not had work policies. I’ve worked at companies that have written policies about appearance and hygiene and I do not think this is any different. I think every company or organization has a right to set policies for their employees. It says in the article that the Air Force has a similar policy and I don’t hear anyone crying discrimination against them.
I was curious to read what others commented about the article, here were some of my findings:
“When I am hiring people for work and two people are in the running my choice will always be for the one who looks clean and professional - tatoos makes people look dirty and nose rings look like boogers are hanging from their nose. I can judge people by their appearance and determine that their look is not what I want in my company. That is my right. The consequence of your "personallity" would be not getting the job. If you want to wear those things on your own time that is your right. Who I choose to represent my business is my right. Sometimes looks are "everthing!!!!!!".”
“I am a college graduate, I dont smoke, drink, I am not over weight, and I have a great job, I am married with two little girls, I attend church and I HAVE 3 TATTOOS. Am I a freak? Get a life! You people who get offended by a simple tattoo need to grow up and get a life.”
It is obvious that some of the opinions are very different but I must agree with the first, you choose who you want to represent you and your company. However, the second commenter does have a good point. Either way I am strongly against discrimination but in my opinion, this is not discrimination.

W.D.C.T.T.S.T-P.T.W.P.O.S.A.V.Y.I.O.W.R.T.R.O.R.T.V.A.I.E.I.A.C-C.M.C.O.A.T.B.E.A.W.H.T.W.B.C.T.W.I.C.A.B.T.F.V.M.A.E.T.S.B.P.T.W.I.A.J.W.W.V.R.T.V.C.

This act by Bountiful City is just another in a long line of shocking civil rights violations and atrocities. It shouldn't come as a surprise, though it certainly still does, that the city which had, up to this point, been discriminating against those potential employees who choose to shout obscenities non-stop in the work place, those who chose to come to work dressed in Nazi and Ku Klux Klan uniforms, and those who chose not to wear clothes at all at work. Now they have pushed their intolerance even farther by banning visible tattoos on city employees.

It is time we as concerned upholders of the blessed first amendment took a stand. Bountiful City went too far a long time ago, but now they've become prideful in their power, and will no doubt be unprepared for the onslaught which we will bring to their door. We will send them a message! We will let them know that our free speech is MUCH more important than theirs! How dare they attempt to oppress us in order to present a "professional" image? We will start a protest the likes of which those Tea Party dirtbags have never even DREAMED! Our motto? "We don't care that the same tax-payers that would pay our salary also voted you into office! We refuse to relinquish our right to voluntarily and intentionally enter into a counter-culture, meanwhile causing our appearances to be, exactly as we hoped they would be, contrary to what is considered acceptable by the fascist "vast majority" and expect to still be paid to work in a job where we visually represent the very city which we are protesting!!!"

OK, so it's kind of a long motto. I'm the riler, not the motto-comer-up-wither. We'll talk to him and get him to come up with something a little more catchy. But you get the point! We're not going to stand for this anymore! Discrimination against things we have extremely voluntarily chosen to do must end!

Not Unconstituational in the least bit.

If you were a private business owner, say you owned a high end retail company that focused on glamor clothing. Would you want someone with tattoos all over their body representing your brand? I doubt it. As we have previously stated, they are not banning people from having tattoos, that would be ridiculous. One simply cannot show their tattoos while they are at work. Many police forces require their officers to be clean shaven, unless it conflicts with their religious views. Is this discrimination, or a violation of the Constitution? No, it is simply a company or a work force trying to present themselves as professional.

I wonder why it is such a big deal when Bountiful city does this, but why it is not a big deal when my employer Ross Dress for Less or a plethora of other companies require tattoos to be covered? They are not preventing people from free speech by covering their tattoos at work, what they do on their own time is their business. Bountiful city wants to present itself as a professional city with professional employees, where is the crime in that?

Regulation in the Work Place

Just because tattoos are becoming popular in fashion does not mean that they are acceptable. If running around naked became popular would we make sure that everyone would be allowed to do it just because it could be called discrimination if we didn’t? Not allowing visible tattoos in the workplace is completely different from being prejudice against someone’s skin color, or race. What someone purposely puts on their body is different from the skin someone is born with. It is simply putting regulation on employee uniform.

The law does not say that tattoos are not allowed at all, it’s just they can’t be seen while you are at work. It is in fact more professional to not have graffiti all over your body while you are working hard to represent a well respected company. The city has every right to chose what the employee should wear and how they should look while representing the city.

I understand that some tattoos have special meaning, but if you choose to have that special meaning displayed PERMANENTLY on your body, why not have it somewhere where it can easily be hidden while at work and then shown off on your own free time? When you get old and wrinkled the image or words will become distorted then what are you going to do when you have something hideous on your arm that you can’t hide and no one can tell what it is? There has to be a professional atmosphere in the work place, especially when you are representing a city. If you have a tattoo that you don’t want to hide while working then work somewhere else.

bountiful discrimating people wiht a tattoo or piercing

One of the things that really bad bother me is when people judge others by their appearance. Nobody has the right to tell is this person is bad or good by just looking at their appearance. Bountiful is being unfair by just discriminating people with tattoos or piercing, because everyone are the same and everyone deserve opportunities. I bet some people with tattoo have better feeling than those who not have one. Everyone with a tattoo, get one with a reason, not everyone has to have the same reasons but everyone has to have one. For example I have this friend, and he has one tattoo with the face of his ex girlfriend who die in a car accident, he told me that he get the tattoo, because he wanted to have something of her with him, and also he told me that she is like his angel in heaven. Also I have some friends that have a tattoo to show what they are. I don’t have a tattoo, and I wouldn’t really have one, but I know many people with a tattoo, and they are such a good person.
It is understandable to have some standards as a society for jobs, but also I think that the every job has different requirements. I believe that for some jobs it really won’t matter if the person has a tattoo or not, but for others it will, because for example for doctor having a noticeable tattoo wouldn’t be right, because it would look not too professional. Therefore I believe that for every person there is a job, and people with a tattoo shouldn’t be discriminated, because we have to help our community to grow and make people feel comfortable

Sentimental value

Tattoos are in a lot of cases a visual expression or a symbol of something that has value to the tattoo bearer. There are many examples of this, like when a son has a tattoo that says "MOM" or even when a parent has a tattoo bearing their child's name. One specific example I can think of is Kenyon Martin. He plays basketball for the Denver Nuggets, and like most players he has a lot of tattoos. The tattoo in question though is one of lips on his lower neck. He has it there to remind him of his mother and all of the time she sacrificed for him as a kid, and for all that she does even now. While I don't personally have a desire to show my love for someone this way, it's easy to see why a lot of people do. It's a personal symbol of love from one person to another.

It is very easy to see why banning tattoos would cause a lot of people to become upset. To most people, it's a form of expression, much like wearing a graphic t-shirt with your favorite band, or a funny saying. Should we ban those, too?

There are, however, vulgar tattoos, and it makes sense to not want people to look unprofessional in the workplace, and those should be concealed. Obviously no one wants to see pornographic or satanic tattoos, because, quite frankly, those are unprofessional in every way. It is easy to understand why those should not be visible, or even drawn in the first place, but if someone has a regular, even tasteful, tattoo, they should not be limited in their job opportunities.

Is it a sin ?

When we first meet someone, we can get information from their appearance. with this nformation that we gather, we will judge what kind of personality the person has, before we talk to them. More recently it has become more popular for a person to get a tattoo. Some people think that a tattoo is a piece of art, while other people may look down on those who get tattoos. It is common to see basketball or baseball players with tattoo's all over thier arms, legs, chests, or even neck. Some people may even want to get a tattoo because they want to be like a sports player that idealize. This is not the only reason people get tattoos though, some people will get a tattoo because it has a special meaning, or to remember something that is important to them.
it is not hard to understand why UPS cares if their employees have tattoos; some tattoos may be scary, and employees represent the company. People do not want a stranger with scary tattoos to knock on their door to deliver package, do they ?
A person has their own choice to smoke, drink, get tattoos, or watch pornography. As long as it does no to go against any laws, a person can do it, if they really want. Not all tattoos are appropriate to display in front of people in public. It is important to remember we don't need to worry about what other people think of us, but we do not want miss opportunities because others think that we are vulgar people. So, think twice before getting a tattoo.

Prejudice

I totally understood what the new law’s point is, but it is a little bit unfair. The reason is that tattoos are a part of fashion, now, especially in America. In Korea, actually, tattoos still represent the symbol of a gang or criminals. Therefore, when I see some people who have tattoos, I just discriminate that they might be bad people like gangs. It is discrimination. I can really often see tattoos here, and nobody cares about them who have tattoos, so I thought all Americans don’t care about tattoos. However, the new law in Bountiful goes against the trend. They want the city to present a professional image, so they are against tattoos. In other words, if people have tattoos, they do not seem professional. It is prejudice and discrimination. Tattoos are a way of personal expressions. It bothers no one. For example, there are two guys in the same place with you. One guy just has tattoos, and he does nothing. Another guy is talking on the phone too loudly. Which person bothers you? My point is that tattoos can’t bother anyone. It is same as extra clothes. But, if some people get disadvantages because of tattoos, it is unfair. I talked with some people who have tattoos, and I asked them why they took tattoos. No one answered in order to make people scary. They said that they really wanted to remember or celebrate special and important people and days. They took tattoos for themselves. I think people should have freedom to do anything only if they can be responsible for them. Other reason is that tattoo industry is clearly legal. It means tattoo is different than drugs, so they don’t have to adverse by having tattoos.

Everyone has Rights

Article one of the Bill of Rights states that “congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” This entitles all American citizens the right to express their thoughts and ideas, as long as it does not interfere with the freedoms of others. If someone wants to get a tattoo in remembrance of a person or event, they have the personal freedom to do so. They must understand that then others have the freedom to choose to associate with them or not.
One might argue that in this case, people more suitable for the job will be denied a position. However, in a job where you represent a company or institution, and they want to have a clean cut appearance, you will not be the most suitable. The outer appearance of somebody does not change their aptitude or capabilities, but it does change ones confidence or impression. How would you feel if the man about to operate on your heart rolls up his sleeves to reveal a giant Grim Reaper and spider web on his arm? Nervous? Is it fair that you would judge him in that way? It might not be, but we must understand that things like that will influence a company in looking to hire an employee.
I am glad that the city are taking a stand and not hiding behind a wall of obscurity. It is better that they came out and expressed their concerns and desires, rather than just turn away applicant for an unknown cause. We all have rights, but must remember that so does everyone else, including Bountiful City.

Is This Discrimination, Yes

Wow, that's really all there is to it. I do agree with not showing certain body piercing in a professional environment. Such as lip, eyebrow, chin. I do think that is a little provocative. If we do ban that though, really we shouldn't be able to wear them in our ears. Certain people would argue it's OK for women but not males. Which is also discrimination. What truly is wrong or right, it's pretty much our own opinion. Tattoo's I think are people's choice, I personally don't like tattoo's on myself due to there, there forever and as you do get older you might think differently on why did I do that when I was teen? I've never thought it was wrong of someone else to do it though. That's completely their choice and I do find myself looking at them and thinking how they are such a work of art. The problem is, is that some people tend to take it to far by putting vulgar things or as myself would perceive inappropriate things that maybe they shouldn't be showing to the whole world. A lot of times people express themselves with their tattoo's and sometimes it's overwhelming. If you say one thing is wrong though you can't discriminate against, as some people would say good tattoo's. Such as flowers, butterflies, simple things in life. We are about our freedom in the United States, people themselves should recognize the limits on their own. I don't agree it should be ban, and it is discrimination, there are a lot of very professional people who have tattoo's and who are very qualified in what they do. Tattoo's have nothing to do with how hard of worker they truly are.

Fair? I don't think so.

I think that tattoos are fantastic when they have a high artistic value. I see tattoos as a way of expressing yourself similar to music or other art mediums. Putting a law into effect that makes it so employers can’t hire people with visible tattoos feels like a form of discrimination. I agree with one of the people interviewed on his opinion that if the tattoos are pornographic or represent hate groups then that can definitely be reason not to hire someone. If the subject matter of the visible tattoos is not offensive, I see no reason that it should be legal to deny someone work because of their appearance.

Applying this same law to body piercings feels like it is more on the fair side. It’s unreasonable to ask someone to rip off their tattoos when at the workplace, but where piercings are usually easily removed I think that employers should be able to choose their own policy on body piercings.

Personally I don’t have any plans to get any tattoos or piercings, but I don’t think that it is fair to treat individuals that do any differently than people who don’t. Tattoos are a form of speech through symbols or images in my mind and this law seems like it would be denying an individuals freedom of speech.

Tattoo, Really

My opinion is coming from an older person’s perspective with a son that has more than the average ink coverage. I feel people that are thinking about getting a tattoo should stop and think, will I still want this tattoo when I’m a grandparent and the skin is not as tight as when the tattoo was inked on. Maybe you will wish that your belly tattoo was back up on your breast. Our minds and our bodies are on a continual progression as we age, for better or worse.

Just because one person is not offended by this form of art, does not mean that everyone is not offended by having to look at an arm, leg, or even a face that has a tattoo all over it. We all have the choice to smoke or look at pornography if that is the sort of stuff you want in your environment, so we should also have the choice to look at tattoos. With so many tattoos being vulgar and pornographic, this forces the employers to cut the line at the top and just say no to any tattoos.

UPS is having the same issues with their employees. UPS requires the employees to keep all tattoos covered with clothing. This means that you have to wear long pants, long sleeved shirts or maybe just some high socks to cover your tats. They feel that the employees are a reflection of the company when they are going door to door, that the public will not be scared to open the door to a clean cut, no piercing, tattoo free package delivery person that comes knocking on their door. I feel that the employer is the one paying the wages, therefore has the right to tell the employee what they want and expect from them. The employee can find another job if they do not want to conform to the company rules.

Link For Friday's Blog

There is a blog assignment for Friday. In order to write the blog entry, you will first need to read/watch the KSL News story on Bountiful City's ban on visible tattoos. You can do that here.

As your assignment schedule explains, you need to comment on the posts of two of your classmates in addition to writing an original post. Your response should largely focus on the content of the piece, not its rhetoric. This is a dialectic exercise, so I am mainly interested in a discussion. How do you feel about the law? Is it fair? Is it a violation of an individual's rights? Try to consider the point of view of both a potential employer and employee.

Also, the assignment schedule says to read the first 1/2 of Chapter 6, but then it lists the page numbers for the entire chapter. For Friday, you only need to read pages 109-126.

Thanks.

Updated Reading & Assignment Schedule

There is now an updated reading and assignment schedule posted to the documents site. Please use the updated schedule from now on.

See you tomorrow.

Class Cancellation 5/19

I apologize for the short notice, but we will not be having class today. My daughter has been trying to see a specialist, and there was a cancellation today. I have to go when I can or else I won't be able to get her in for months.

I will be posting a revised assignment schedule today or tomorrow, but in the short term, please just push everything back a day. Bring your ads on Friday. The Visual Rhetorical Analysis peer review will be on Monday, and the final draft will be due on Wednesday. In other words, what is on the schedule for today will now be Friday. What is on the schedule for Friday will now be Monday. You get the idea.

Please email me with any questions. I will see you on Friday.

~Daniel

Believing and Doubting

I will explain the Believing and Doubting assignment in class on Wednesday, but below are the statements you may choose from. (Note: You may also write your own statement as long as it is problematic, significant, and interesting.) This assignment (2 pages) is due on Friday when you come to class.

1. Home schooling is just as beneficial to a young person as public schooling.
2. It should be illegal to use a cell phone while driving.
3. To help fight terrorism and promote public safety, individuals should be willing to give up some of their rights.
4. College students who know what they want to do for a career should be able to skip general education requirements.
5. Students and teachers should not be allowed to communicate with each other via social networking sites like Facebook.
6. In recent years, advertising has made enormous gains in portraying women as strong, independent, and intelligent.
7. There should be a tax on unhealthy foods, similar to current taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
8. Potential employers should be able to reject job candidates because of tattoos, piercings, or extreme hairstyles.
9. Drivers of high-consumption vehicles (SUVs, muscle cars, big trucks, etc.) should pay an energy tax.
10. In order to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of oil, we should increase drilling off-shore and in the ANWR province of Alaska.
11. If there is a law I believe to be immoral or unjust, I should refuse to follow it.
12. High schools should censor what kind of reading material is available to students.
13. Performance-enhancing drugs should be legalized and regulated in professional sports.
14. Grades are an effective means of motivating students to do their best work.
15. Child vaccinations for measles, chicken pox, hepatitis, H1N1, etc. should be mandatory.
16. We should be able to adapt the United States Constitution to meet the needs of the 21^st Century.
17. Illegal immigrants should be deported.
18. Testing medications, beauty products, and weapons on animals is cruel and should be banned.
19. Whoever gets the most votes in a presidential election should be elected. We should do away with the electoral college system.
20. In order to save money, we should cancel the space program and focus on our own planet.

Financial Aid

Do you think they should change restrictions on financial aid eligibility so that people with a higher income can get full aid and people with a lower GPA get less? Example: If you’re a married you would be able to make 25k a year and qualify for full financial aid but you have to have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Question

Should international students pay tuition same amount as residents', or should they pay more tuition than residents'?

Will of the Majority vs. Defense of the Minority

Abraham Lincoln said (paraphrased) "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." The Constitution was written, in large part, to defend the rights of the minority. But, granting that it is usually impossible to appease the desires of the entire population, and that to appease the Minority is practically always offensive to the Majority, to what extent should the will of the Majority influence the law, and to what extent should it be ignored for the sake of the Minority?

Immigration vs Constitutional Rights

If once, America was founded upon immigrants, and the Constitution established the protection of their basic civil rights, then how is the Constitution being violated today by the state giving too much power to police over the immigration issue in the state of Arizona?

Health and Death

Why are some diseases such as cancer and AIDS so avidly fought and publicized where one of the leading causes of death in the United States, obesity, which is totally preventable, is not?

Nature vs. Nurture

Is a child's environment more influential on the way they progress in life, or is it the way they are raised?

Health Care

As a young, healthy college student, should I be required by the government to purchase health care coverage?

Question

Is it more important to choose a job that makes you happy than a job that gives you a high salary?

bareun

Do we communicate better each other and have better social networking by using online social networks-Facebook, MySpace, MSN, Blog, etc-to compare not using those online social networks?

Self Defence

Should girls enrolled in high school be required to take a semester of self defense courses due to the increasing amount of threatening situations they encounter?

Question- Cheryl Lindberg

Genetically modified foods,also known as the Frankenfood in some European countries. What are the benefits and risks to our health in the United States by consuming genetically modified foods? How concerned should we as a public be, when big businesses are not required to label the use of GMO foods in their ingredients?

Civil Rights Anomaly

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was said to be a major force in the passing of California Proposition 8 which denies gay marriage. Why then has the church recently helped the passing of civil rights measures to the gay community here in Salt Lake City, Utah?

Video games

Are violent video games really to blame with some of the shootings in the past decade? Or are we still responsible for our own actions?

Question

Has the electoral voting system outlived its usefulness?

The Question Is?

Is it in fact the parents fault, when their teenage daughter becomes anorexic?

Question

In a class not focused on the use of the computer, should laptops be allowed in class? Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and many other networking sites seem to be largely distracting in a classroom setting where an individual is using their laptop in class.

Welcome to Our Class Blog

Welcome to our online community, a public forum for continuing discussion.

Please check the blog daily, even on days when there is no required post. I will often post announcements or schedule changes here. For example, in the event that I have to cancel class for any reason, I will announce that here.

Please be aware of the following: The cut-off time for posting is one hour before class starts. Like all work in this class, blog responses cannot be made up. If you post late, I will delete your post.

In order to join the blog, you must register. To do this, send me an email (dwestover@uvu.edu) from the account you would like to use. Please include your first and last name in the email, as well as your section number (A06). In return, I will send an invitation to that same email. Accept that invitation by following the appropriate links and becoming a contributor. Blogging is a required component of this course, and you will need to contribute right away, so please register today.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to a great summer.

-Daniel