Summary: “The Danger of a Single Story"

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story" Ted Talk, in July 2009, explores the negative influences that a “single story” can have and identifies the root of these stories. Adichie argues that single stories often originate from simple misunderstandings or one’s lack of knowledge of others, but that these stories can also have a malicious intent to suppress other groups of people due to prejudice (Adichie).

“Bad Feminist”: A Summary

In her 2012 article “Bad Feminist,” published by VQR, Roxane Gay suggests that many of the tensions and negative connotations that accompany the term feminism can be attributed to a damaging, socially-constructed concept deemed essential feminism.

“Debating the Electoral College”

Abolish? Revise? Preserve? Investigating the Electoral College after the 2016 Election

“Debating the Electoral College”

Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It

At one point in time, there were at least three subjects that were considered inappropriate to talk about, at least in public: religion, sex (encompassing gender, gender identity, and orientation), and politics. In today’s evolving society, those conversational restrictions have become less and less prevalent as all three branches of the U.S. government attempt to adequately address those topics publicly on a regular basis.

Protection Against Ideas: Campus “Safety” in the 21st Century

The audience of this paper are college students and administrations throughout the United States. This paper was sent directly to the office of Lee C. Bollinger, the President of Columbia University, because of the particular relevance the topics discussed have to the current, politically correct climate of the university.

Waste is Every Man’s Problem: The Role of Marketing in the Food Waste Issue

The target audience for this paper are food retailers, suppliers, and businesses because they are utilizing different marketing strategies and practices that contribute to food waste. The United States is leading in food waste globally, and many of its citizens are unaware of the extent of this problem, most importantly business owners and companies.

A Rhetoric of Guided Empowerment: Lynn Z. Bloom’s “What is Good Enough Writing Anyway?”

It is hard to imagine that college writing professors, experts in their field, could be at fault for leading their students towards writing, reading, and thinking in a less than exemplary manner.  Nonetheless, a chronic problem of acceptable, mediocre writing is sweeping college campuses worldwide.

Rhetorical Strategies in “The Danger of a Single Story”

In July 2009, Nigerian born author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered her TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,to articulate to an educated audience how stereotypical judgments are dangerous because they are incomplete.  She bases her argument, that listening to only one perception of a group of people unfairly simplifies the reality of that group’s lives, using a series of anecdotes.

John Duffy’s “Virtuous Arguments”: An Academic Summary

In his 2012 essay “Virtuous Arguments,” John Duffy, Associate Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame, describes modern public discourse as “a form of entertainment, and a corporate product.” Duffy claims that rather than engaging in refined dialogue, modern figures, such as political pundits and politicians, are endorsing a form of rhetoric that is “toxic.” He believes, however, that there already exists an effort to reverse this reality and promote a more ethical public discuss

They Matter

Black history in the United States has always been bleak: families separated from their homes and each other to come to a new world of cold weather and bitter treatment, individuals enslaved not just for their lifetime, but for generations to come after them. Of course, African-Americans rights have come a long way since then, as their worth has been regarded for more than their market value of being able-bodied men, women and children for labor.

Who’s the Real Expert?

Many people assume that the highly educated have the most reliable knowledge in all aspects of their field of study, but that may not always be the case. The value of outside-of- academia knowledge can be seen through the story of Janet Stephens, a hairdresser who used her practical knowledge of hair to disprove academic theories that surrounded seemingly impossible ancient Roman hairdos depicted in sculptures and other artifacts (Pesta).

Linking Eating Disorders, Stigma, and Media

The summer prior to my freshman year of high school was marked, unexpectedly, by an eight week excavation into a sole fragmented psyche at Camp Blue Ridge. The all-girls sleep-away camp served as a sort of social training ground to prepare incoming high school students for their new roles as freshmen. Every day, one of the girls in my bunk, Sarah, would wake up looking exhausted and leave the bathroom after getting ready with a self-assured smile upon her face.

Rhetorical Analysis: The Power of Introverts

Introversion is an undervalued characteristic that is often overlooked in our extroverted society. In Susan Cain’s TED talk, “The Power of Introverts,” the acclaimed writer and lecturer informs the audience how extroverted styles of thought in the workplace and the classroom are overtaking our institutions and suppressing the creative thinking of many introverts.