Braveheart: William Wallace's speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70csu2Z51sM

1. Argument: Fighting for your country takes importance over all else (including your own life) because fighting for your country will enable freedom and prosperity for others.

2. Audience: In this movie (Braveheart) William Wallace, a legendary soldier, addresses the Scottish army who is about to attack the tyrants of England.

3. Goal? The Scottish troops are scared to fight and want to return home without battling the powerful English army. William Wallace wants these men to fight the fierce Englishmen who have come to conquer Scotland, causing various problems along the way. The soldiers value life, while William Wallace's primary concern is the freedom of Scotland. His objective is to convince the men to stay and fight for their rights.

4. How? William Wallace gives a very logical speech (logos). He says that some will die now, and others later. But, he argues, it is more important to ensure freedom for all of Scotland so that the majority can live a quality life, without the oppression of outside rulers. His speech is relevant to his audience, the soldiers, who are standing in front of the English army and wondering whether or not going to battle is the best choice.

5. Effective? In this clip from Braveheart the Scottish troops cheer in unison after William gives his speech. They are persuaded and agree with William Wallace that they must fight the English army.

Music Video (Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtGD6t75HS8

1. Argument: Each of us in fortunate situations can help make the world a better place because each of us can find ways to change ourselves and those around us who are deprived of the things that we enjoy.

2. Audience: This song is directed towards "the man in the mirror," who is in a position to help those around them. This would include all people, because everyone can do something to help another.

3. Goal? Michael Jackson, along with the makers of this movie, want us to recognize that we need to help others. They specifically focus on the economic and ethical struggles that we have seen throughout world. Real struggles from the past and present are shown in this music video to encourage people to find ways to bring unity and freedom to those who are victims of trying situations.

4. How? There is a great deal of pathos in this video. Each scene portrays a visual emotion relating to those who have been victims of struggle or who have done something to affect the overall well-being of those around them. For example, starving kids in Africa, Martin Luther King, and Hitler are among those who are shown to remind us of the negative or positive affects we can have on each other. It is an extremely accurate video. There are no special affects, talented dancers, or anything that distracts from the message of the video. Real clips from real life are used to portray the lyrics of this inspiring song. Michael Jackson, himself, doesn't even make an appearance of in the video.

5. Effective? It is effective. Anyone with a conscience would see this video and walk away with a desire to do more for those around them--family, friends, and strangers. Thanks MJ. R.I.P.

Paper A

Tricia Ragsdale

Dane Redmond

Jordan Sheffield

The Girlfriend: a Friend or Foe

It’s your first semester at Brigham Young University, your hard work in high school finally paid off. Your parents are proud and your life is headed down the right track. Your next step in life is to finish as much school as you can, turn in your mission papers and serve an honorable full-time mission, right? Well, what about social life? You are, after all, in college and are entitled to some sort of partying. Just because Brigham Young University has been rated “The Most Sober” university in the country doesn’t mean BYU doesn’t have a party life. It’s quite the opposite. Then brings up, what’s a party without the ladies? In your hometown there may have been a few or no cute Latter-day Saint girls to hang out with or date; now that you’re at BYU there are thousands! So what’s a guy to do? We all know that in the “For Strength of Youth” pamphlet, it encourages us to avoid steady dating until we are at the age when we want to get married. For young men this isn’t until after they have returned home from their mission’s. Even though this council was given we know that there are a lot of good things that can come from having a steady girlfriend your freshman year of college. So what are the consequences of having a girlfriend your freshman year at Brigham Young University?

What exactly does steady dating mean? How many dates can you go on before you’re officially dating someone? Back in the 60s and 70s when our parents were dating, a common way to ask a girl to be your girlfriend was just to ask “hey do you want to go steady with me?” However, now days you would never hear your bud asking a girl this, instead the term steady dating has been replaced by just the title of girlfriend.

Your social life can be quite the attention hog when it comes to priorities in life as a freshman at BYU. You have so many things going on that at times it even seems hard to breathe. It’s understood that a girlfriend, in general, is a hot commodity for an 18 year- old away at college. While I agree that girlfriends can have their pros, they definitely have their cons when it comes to being a missionary. You can be better prepared and a more effective missionary if you just focus on what is most important in life at this time. When you have a girlfriend you have a lot of emotional and mental attachments. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing under the right circumstances, but when you’re preparing to be a missionary it is important to focus your mental and emotional energy on the Lord and His work. Is it possible to balance the two? Maybe. But which one should be more important? You can have many girlfriends and be a boyfriend many times, but you can only be a missionary once. Take advantage of the time to prepare and be what you know you can be. There are so many people out there that are waiting for you to talk with them and help them understand the gospel. It is your job to make sure you are properly prepared to answer their questions and concerns.

Think of it this way; you can date all you want. You can go on dates with a different girl every single weekend if you want to. Enjoy their company, enjoy the social aspect. Everyday missionaries go out and spread the gospel to complete strangers and work with many investigators. Dating many girls and having different social opportunities will teach you how to relate with different people you will interact with on your mission. The problem with the girlfriend is that she will constantly demand attention. She will want to see you every day; she will want to hang out with you every night. Never, will you spend all day with one investigator, much like you would with your girlfriend. Girls you date need nothing from you but a mere 2-3 hours of your time on a Friday and Saturday night. This leaves you all the other days of the week to prepare and focus your mental and emotional energy on what should be your main priority: your mission.

Some may say, "But what about my parents who were high school sweethearts before my dad served a mission? They dated once he got back, and then got married? If they hadn't dated my mom probably wouldn't have waited for my dad. Was that a mistake?" This is a fair question, but what about the thousands who are "Dear John-ed" by their ex-girlfriends. You can have a solid friendship with someone, thousands of miles away, without having to exclusively date them. Many Young men say, if I don't commit to her now, while I'm here, she won't wait for me when I'm gone? That's ok. If a girl finds another guy, then that is your confirmation that she meant to be with somebody else. No matter what a girlfriend might say, there is no promise that she will wait for you. Receiving wedding announcements from friends is much easier than receiving one from your girlfriend.

Isn't the idea of having a girlfriend, nice? We have all heard a missionary come home and say how hard and lonely certain mission challenges were. Wouldn't it be helpful to have moral support from loved ones (including girlfriends) on the mission? Yes, it would be, but is that what you want to rely on to get through the hard times? You can't guarantee letters sitting in your mailbox after every rough day in the mission field. You can however guarantee yourself a positive attitude and the divine help that comes through prayer. Relying on the Lord, as his servant, will allow you to overcome trials that letters in the mailbox can't.

Make the most of freshman year, date many girls and not just one. Hang out in big groups and get to know tons of people. You will be a better missionary since you will be able to focus on the Lord's work without any distractions. Don't let girls get in the way of your potential to be the best missionary you can be.

Works Cited

1.Before the Call. David R. Mickel. Web. <www.lds.org>.

2. Live in Obedience. Joseph B. Wirthlin. Web. <www.lds.org>.

3. "Why shouldn't I staedy date during High School." Why shouldn't I steady date during HIgh School. Web. 28 Sept. 09. <http://ldswhy.com/qa/why-shouldnt-i-steady-date-in-high-school/>.

1. Argument: Not having a girlfriend before serving a mission will help you prepare for a mission, because not having a girlfriend will allow a missionary to focus on the Lord's work without being distracted mentally and emotionally. What are the affects of having a girlfriend on potential full-time missionaries?

2. Audience: Freshmen boys at Brigham Young University who want to serve full-time missions.

3. Goal: We are trying to convince young men that exclusive dating will hinder them in their preparation to serve missions. Not only will a girlfriend hinder their preparation, but we also want readers to understand the negative consequences it can have on the overall success of their mission service.

4. How? Our argument is logical. We try to help our audience understand the importance of the mission by addressing issues they might not have previously considered. We take those points and offer simple, yet sophisticated ways to better prepare for the mission experience. For example, God is a more reliable source of comfort and support than letters you might receive from your girlfriend. Whether or not our audience initially agrees with our claims, this paper is relevant to most freshmen at Brigham Young University. Most freshman boys at BYU intend to serve missions, but also want to get attention from the ladies. They don't always think about the affects certain relationships will have on their future. Therefore, the content of this paper can be valuable to their perspective.

5. Effective? This paper is not as effective as it can be. There are a lot of good points that might not have been considered by BYU freshman, but the paper lacks outside research. It is a purely opinionated paper. Research would help give more validity to the argument being made.