Dec 19 2022
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Final Reflections

Final Class Reflection

Alina Hadzovic 

12/17/2022

Final Class Reflection

Like many first-semester college students, I have found myself experiencing the highs and lows of school. From making new genuine friendships to losing sleep over studying, these past few months have encapsulated countless emotions in my classes. However, it is this class specifically, Freshman Composition, that has fueled my passion for writing beyond high school ever has. Despite the few other classes that required papers and other writing assignments, this one specifically stood out for the range of genres and course focuses across the many class sessions. Not only that, but the knowledge I have gained about myself is stronger than any class’s lessons ever were. 

This idea of discussion and collaboration has been instituted in the class since the beginning; each day, at the start of class, we “write into the day” by independently answering questions posted for us and then sharing with the class. This discussion not only engages the students in the class, but also sets up the class for that day with a taste of what we will talk about in the hour to follow. I found these practices to be very helpful and prompted healthy discussion and analysis in an educational setting, something not found in some other classes. Although the topic of rhetorical analysis has come up often in high school and these writing exercises, this class taught me multiple new ones that I have never even heard of. For example, I have used fear appeal multiple times in my final paper because I think it is extremely persuasive and effective; while I knew fear appeals existed, learning the term and its uses of it added a new tool to my repertoire. I hope in my next classes that I can expand this toolbox even further. 

Although I am studying Earth and atmospheric science, I have always loved English. The writing was how I cleared my head, reading was how I escaped my issues and passed the time. I was extremely set on getting my undergraduate degree in English until my AP environmental science class senior year, but half of my soul (like the poets say) will be teathered to English and composition I think. There is a stereotype that all STEM majors hate English, but I have always happily been an outlier to that. I think that writing is beautiful and reading is a gift; literacy has always been a privilege I do not take for granted. My bookshelf has practically doubled this semester alone. I’ve always considered myself an avid reader- the title of “writer” has never really been one I’ve used to describe myself. These past few months have proven that anyone can be a writer if they set their mind to it. I started writing poetry again after being reminded of the beauty within allusions and metaphors, for example. Creativity and free will are blessings, forming a liquid box around the bounds of any thought and spreading with each passing moment. Much of this semester has focused on nonfiction writing, but I think that only set my love for fiction higher. It was the experience and immersion embedded into this class that allowed me to learn what I loved most about composition. 

While I always knew language arts were beautiful, the only thing that has transcended this was the idea of trying new things and knowing that I will always have my love for writing to fall back on. Writing has always come relatively easily to me to the point where most of my family was shocked that I chose to commit to a STEM major. At the beginning of the year, I wrote “Rediscovering how beautiful the art of language is proved that society is ever changing, but composition is transcendent.” If I could go back and give myself a pat on the back, I would. I think that I put my feelings towards both this class and composition as a whole perfectly and eloquently. I would rather not boost my ego, but at times like these when my heart is full of love, I can only do so much against it. I hope beyond words that next semester will only increase my love for writing and reading as I continue to learn about myself, others, science, and the world. 

Dec 19 2022
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Final Reflections

Course Objectives Reflection

Alina Hadzovic 

12/18/2022

Learning Objective Statement

In my portfolio, I included the three main papers with their respective reflections. These three alone include examples of my mastery of the eight course objectives for the class. I have included the eight objectives at the bottom of this page for your reference. 

The first paper, where we had to come up with a situation where an opinion or belief of ours has changed throughout our life, was probably my favorite. I wrote about my developed opinions on the ability to have my dreams and aspirations grow in New York City. This assignment covered the first, second, and fourth course objectives. In this paper, I had to explore a different genre of writing- personal narration was a genre of writing I never really gravitated towards because I had always favored analyzing different stylistic decisions an author/writer made in their piece. Furthermore, we spent time in class for this assignment discussing and brainstorming different ways to stay organized while drafting and collaborating by conducting peer reviews and combining ideas in guided in-class conversations. 

The second paper of the class was focused on analyzing rhetorical decisions made in a movement of our choice and comparing them to the old rhetorical strategies from ancient philosophers like Aristotle and Cicero. This assignment covered objectives one, three, five, six, seven, and eight. For this assignment, there was no class-mandated peer review because we were not graded on our writing itself, but rather on our skill. However, I did explore and analyze the development of rhetorical strategies in the settings of this social movement and practice these rhetorical strategies in the presence of others in my own writing. I also had to use different sources for this assignment, exploring the City College archives in the library with the class and researching digitally for articles on the current analyses of the Schools Strike for Climate movement. Since I used a variety of sources, I also had to cite them for the sake of allotting credit where it is due and avoiding plagiarism. 

For the third and final written assignment of the semester, we had to write a research paper on, again, a topic of our choosing, so long as it fit the criteria provided in the rubric. I chose environmental racism, which I was very enthusiastic to learn more about. This paper covered, realistically, every learning criterion. We went through two rounds of peer review (learning objectives two and four), which narrowed down ways to improve our writing with fresh eyes and colleagues in the same boat. This paper also required extensive research (objectives five, six, seven, and eight), dialing in on the importance of education on a topic that is not so well researched. By spending so much time gathering data and other information and understanding the value of a reliable source, I was able to analyze the purpose of each data point in reference to my overarching thesis very effectively. This writing assignment was somewhat foreign to me in an English class since I was so used to writing research papers in classes like science or history. However, since we had to include different rhetorical devices in these papers that we learned in class (objectives one and three), it felt more natural and appropriate for this class in my head. 

While there were only eight objectives, I learned a lot more about myself as both a reader and a writer. Spending so much time in different genres of writing truly allowed me to perceive language and composition differently than I did walking into my first semester of college. I think that with my next composition class, writing for the sciences, I will be able to continue applying these strategies and goals with a more targeted approach for my major. I am truly excited to see where next semester will take me after such a strong foundation in college composition. 

  1. Explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations.
  2. Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing.
  3. Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations.
  4. Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.
  5. Understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences.
  6. Locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazines, and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the Internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias.
  7. Compose texts that integrate your stance with appropriate sources using strategies such as summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation.
  8. Practice systematic application of citation conventions.
Dec 19 2022
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Edited Draft

Rewritten Paper Reflection

Alina Hadzovic 

12/19/2022

Rewrite Reflection 

Out of the three major assignments in this class, the second paper, “Social Movement Rhetorical Analysis” was the work I was the least proud of. I knew that I wanted to write about the rhetorical decisions in the Schools Strike for Climate movement once the topic was introduced, but I could not have foreseen how challenging it would be to contextualize the information I gathered. I spent about a two thirds of the time we had for this assignment procrastinating, and the final third writing and researching. I had assumed that the writing process would be simple and relatively easy, but the reality hit me hard. Thus, when it came time to finish and submit mu final paper, I felt as though my analysis and grammar was subpar. I wished I could have more time to work on it, but I knew that I had to submit whatever I had. When the portfolio required a revision of a major assignment, I knew I wanted to work on this one; with extra time and effort, I knew I could have created the paper I was proud to submit. There were moments in my original writing that felt unfinished and pieces of analysis that weren’t strongly correlated with my thesis, which I changed in the revision process. I also changed a few wordy sentences that held back from the development of my claims, because they were hard to digest. The points I made were all valid, but they were not written as powerfully as the topic deserved to be written as. 

With this new paper, I am able to proudly and confidently say that what I wanted to convey was appropriately presented. I think that I could have submitted this as my original paper if I did not underestimate the subject at hand, or overestimate my writing and research capabilities. Now, I feel as though my audience has a more fitting understanding of the social justice movement I chose and how old rhetoric can be seen within its values. 

Dec 19 2022
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Edited Draft

Rhetorical Analysis of Schools Strike for Climate: Rewrite

Alina Hadzovic

Professor Wood 

Freshman Composition

25 October 2022

Rhetorical Analysis of Schools Strike for Climate: Rewrite

After the industrial age, the use of fossil fuels increased as a source of energy to power machines and other processes. After some time, the greenhouse gasses emitted from the burning created a blanket of gas around the atmosphere that forced the global climate to warm and change. Despite the ever-present need for social change, decades have passed without any popular action. Laws have been put in place, but when it comes to the “now,” people are lost. It has been said many times in media that people past millennials do not care about climate change; the social movement “Schools Strike for Climate” exists because older generations leave the planet in coherent shambles for the younger generation to deal with. Typical goals for the students involved in this movement are to educate the public about the severity of global warming and underline the unwillingness of society to make a systematic change in the way we make our lives more efficient. To convey these messages, people in this movement use rhetorical strategies like group/physical rhetoric and Cicero’s canons of rhetoric on visual aids that drill their ideas into the minds of their audience. The messages of activism and togetherness of this movement highlight the need for change around the world. 

As society changed, rhetorical strategies and their effectiveness have changed, as well. Interestingly enough, these changes are (objectively) categorized by either old rhetoric or new rhetoric. Old rhetoric was described “as the art of persuasion” by the ancient philosopher Aristotle, one of the main backbones of old rhetoric (Wollacott). This idea of persuasion was mainly through speeches given in a courtroom about policies “good” men would like to pass in their society. Aristotle also developed the rhetorical triangle, which bound rhetorical devices with the speaker, audience, and objective of the speech (Lutzke and Henggeler). This connection can be seen today, just in different forms. As issues, policies, and norms were trying to be legislated in more contemporary contexts, creative means of persuasion were necessary. Rather than a single person standing in front of a group of men in a chancery, people of all ages and all gender identities are bound together by their cause and persuade their audience with their presence. This assembly of people that find solitude in each other’s company in this situation is called group, or gregarious, rhetoric. In these group protests, demonstrators adopt old rhetoric and creatively use them in modern contexts. We see posters in the “Schools Strike for Climate” protests with memorable phrases delivered in a unique and individual style. The idea of memorability for persuasion originated through Cicero’s canons of rhetoric, formulated around 50 BC. His cannons shared the importance of invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery in a persuasive setting (Pudewa). These principles are still found today, just in a more extant application. The effectiveness of new rhetoric would not be nearly as such without such a strong rhetorical foundation. Instead of incorporating these five components into protests, posters would have long and wordy slogans that didn’t hit the audience in a way that urged them for change.

The “Schools Strike for Climate” movement truly began after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg protested in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018 with a poster saying “schools strike for climate.” The importance of location in this movement is also vital in its persuasiveness. By protesting in front of the parliament instead of just an insignificant street, people with the power to make the requested change are being alerted and are being directly signaled about the movement. Just the next year, Thunberg inspired over a million students around the world to stand up for what they believe in. The idea of political leaders needing to enact principles to prevent further global warming was extremely common in the visual aids within the protests. Posters in hand, students in countries like the Philippeans, United States, and Germany walked in front of their own government buildings to announce their negative opinions on the federal regulations concerning climate (Crouch). Corporations and monopolized governments have so much more power to change the direction of the planet’s climate than individual citizens. Thus, protests are being held in calculated locations for the best effectiveness. Even today, four years after the initial objection, groups of young people still gather today as a way to convey the core values of the movement with safety and strength in numbers. 

Nowadays, persuasion in protests is seen in large numbers, chanting and holding signs. Group rhetoric is effective because it shows the commitment of such a large group of people with unified goals. This is a successful decision as a rhetorical device in the conditions of “Schools Strike for Climate” because it is a joint avenue towards policy change and influence, one professionalized to make politics more reflective of societies’ wants, needs, and demands. The audience in this situation includes representatives in the federal position, who are able to apply the progressive wants of the public to civil situations. Rather than a single student stepping out of an academic setting to advocate, the large scale of participants comprises the majority of concerns and connects activists around the world. It allocates accessibility for people whose concerns deserve to be heard but cannot physically participate. 

While I have never had the opportunity to participate in the protests physically, I spent time creating posters for my friends that they have used in their moments of dissent. Choosing to include short phrases like “our future is in our hands” was a powerful decision since it uses purposeful diction and is also memorable. The repetition of the word “our” in this phrase drills the idea of integrating each individual with their surroundings and the effects of corporations on climate change; we are all only one population, and this is “our” planet, so it makes sense to work together and solve issues regarding it. Having such a short and fixed phrase also highlights Cicero’s canon of delivery, since it is short and sweet and commonly yelled in a call-and-response form. In that scenario, it is resolute because there is a synthesis of all these different people standing alongside each other finishing each other’s sentences. 

There is no way to imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t unify and take climate change as seriously as it deserves. Frankly, I cannot help but feel drawn toward the dynamic values of this movement. I find myself just as, if not more, passionate about climate justice than those around me, and I feel proud of my generation for taking the mental and physical time to speak up for us and our future. While school is certainly important, the dedication students have for the world is admirable. Although not many influential men support the “Schools Strike for Climate” cause, I know Aristotle and Cicero would be fascinated and in full encouragement at the applications of their ancient rhetorical devices in conditions like these.

Works Cited 

Wollacott, Mark. “What Is Ancient Rhetoric?” Language Humanities, 9 Oct. 2022, 

www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-ancient-rhetoric.htm#:~:text=Ancient%20rhetoric%20is%20described%20by,expressed%20almost%20exclusively%20in%20speeches.

Crouch, David. “The Swedish 15-Year-Old Who’s Cutting Class to Fight the Climate 

Crisis.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Sept. 2018, www.theguardian.com/science/2018/sep/01/swedish-15-year-old-cutting-class-to-fight-the-climate-crisis. 

Lutzke, Jaclyn, and Mary Henggeler. “The Rhetorical Triangle: Understanding and Using 

Logos, Ethos, and Pathos .” Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, Nov. 2009, www.lsu.edu/hss/english/files/university_writing_files/item35402.pdf. 

Pudewa, Andrew. “The 5 Canons of Rhetoric.” Memoria Press – Classical Christian Education, 

28 Sept. 2022, www.memoriapress.com/articles/5-canons-of-rhetoric/.  

Dec 18 2022
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Unit 3

Unit 3 Reflection

Alina Hadzovic

12/18/2022

Unit 3 Reflection

I’ve always been interested in human influence on the planet’s changing climate. From the end of middle school, I started researching the effects of increased carbon emissions and how people can reduce their carbon footprint. Last year, in my AP Environmental Science class, I heard about sacrifice zones and was introduced to the idea of environmental racism. We briefly learned about the components and effects of this social and political force, but after hearing about the liberty this final paper had, I was genuinely excited to learn more. 

I began with general research on what caused sacrifice zones, who were the ones affected by it, and what people could do to stop it. It was through this general research that I began understanding the impacts of environmental racism on specific sacrifice zones in states like Louisiana and Michigan. It was very eye-opening to learn the different types of pollutants and how they influenced the health of those whose lives are sacrificed. The research came relatively easily since I was so interested in it. However, when it came to writing the data into a paper format, I found it difficult. 

I put this paper off relatively late, which caused a lot of stress toward the end of the semester. That all to say, I know if I spent some more time editing and revising, my paper would have earned full marks. To be clear, I am proud of my work and know how much time I spent on it; I think environmental racism is a topic not well understood by many, so I was extremely willing and enthralled to be one of them. To associate climate change and systemic racism might be a stretch to some, but I know that it isn’t. Just a few moments online can teach you all you need to know, and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to learn about it. I recognize my privilege to not live in a sacrifice zone directly, but also aware enough to know it is my place to understand.

Dec 12 2022
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Unit 3

Unit 3: Paper

Alina Hadzovic 

Freshman Composition 

Professor Wood 

19 November 2022

Environmental Racism in the United States  

As humans, we involuntarily blink, inhale, and exhale without thinking too much. However, after inhaling, we breathe out carbon dioxide. This molecule is also released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, which are materials formed naturally within the Earth from natural materials. Since carbon makes up every living material, the extraction, and burning of these materials bond with the oxygen in the world to produce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, a main driver of the Greenhouse Gas effect. The Greenhouse Gas effect, simply put, is the process of greenhouse gasses blocking the ozone layer with a blanket-like film, sealing the planet from allowing the sun’s heat from escaping. About 30% of the sun’s radiation is reflected and does not warm the Earth (“The Sun’s Impact on the Earth”). The idea of the Greenhouse Gas effect is rejecting this reflection and keeping some of this 30% in the atmosphere. 

The burning of these fossil fuels- coal, natural gas, and petroleum- can cause a multitude of adverse health, social, and environmental effects over an extended period. This pollution can infiltrate waterways that are used for farming and ecosystems for different species of fish and other aquatic animals. The animals or plants that have been exposed to these toxins can transfer illnesses and other bodily issues if eaten. These pollutants are also released into the air in the form of air pollution. If inhaled in its concentrated form close to the burning facilities, living organisms are more at risk for cancers, asthma, and stunted development (“Sacrifice Zones 101”). Communities that live nearest these facilities have the highest risk of health problems, and the federal government recognizes this. Thus, land and homes near industrial plants tend to be cheaper so that people who make less money in this society can still afford a place to stay.  White people in the United States carry the majority of higher-paying jobs compared to Black and Latino workers. According to Kaitlin Mulhere, editor and writer for Money, a site for educating the public on personal finance strategies, a report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce found that White workers held 77% of all family-supporting jobs in the country, despite only making up 69% of the workforce. Black workers and Latino workers, contrarily, were underrepresented in higher paying jobs: Black workers held 10% of good jobs, and 13% of all jobs, while Latino workers held 13% of good jobs and 18% of jobs overall (Mulhere). These facts force people of color in our society to settle and raise families in neighborhoods that suffer most from the effects of climate change and fossil fuel emissions. In a way, society “sacrifices” these communities to save wealthier and healthier areas for richer White people.

Sacrifice zones can be best described as places where residents – usually low-income families and people of color – live in proximity to polluting industries and plants that expose them to all kinds of dangerous chemicals and other environmental threats. Predominately Black communities are more likely to reap the health effects of climate change because their lack of political voice and social unanimity robs them of their right to be heard. To put things into perspective, Black people have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than other groups, and Black children have a 500% higher death rate from asthma compared with White children (Williams and Norman). Frankly, sacrifice zones are found around the country, and little has been done to stop them until quite recently in modern history. 

An example of a sacrifice zone in our nation is Cancer Alley, a regional nickname given to Jacob’s Drive, Louisiana. Also considered Death Alley, this is a town along the Mississippi River, containing over 150 petrochemical plants and refineries. One of these plants is the Denka plant, which produces chloroplene. 93% of the demographic that lives within a mile of this harmful pollutant-releasing factory are Black, something that has been systematically traced since the Reconstruction era in the late 19th century (Song).  Residents report the air having an odor comparable to that of rotten eggs or nail polish remover. A ProPublica article written by Younes, Lulla, et al. mentions that Hazel Schexnayder, a primary account of the severe air pollution in Louisiana, lives just one mile away from the world’s largest manufacturer of polystyrene (styrofoam) run by Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA. Hazel is a resident of Cancer Alley and a witness to the changing environment in her town, so there is less room for biases and is more accurate since it is so objective. She recounts the dying neighbors, the rotten smell of the air, and the increasingly hapless fortune of her town. One community in Cancer Alley has a risk of cancer 50 times the national average, the highest in the country (Lartey et al.). While studies and information about how dangerous this pollution is have been available for years, more and more facilities continue to open in the area. The manufacturing of polystyrene results in the release of two hydrocarbons called styrene and benzene. When these are released into the air, they react with nitrogen oxides and produce ground-level ozone, often correlated with impaired lung function and respiratory illness (“FAQs: STYROFOAM”). This piece also mentions the Shintech ethylene plant and Union Carbide plant which both emit concerning amounts of ethylene. Ethylene oxide is produced when oxygen and ethylene react. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to ethylene oxide increases the risk of cancer and respiratory disease. Lastly, this article discusses the Denka neoprene plant which emits chloroprene (“Ethylene Oxide”). Chloroprene is classified as a likely carcinogen to humans and animals (“HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE”). Styrene, benzene, ethylene, and chloroprene are all persistent organic pollutants  because they are all emitted as a result of industrial processes. All of these pollutants are considered secondary pollutants because they form in the atmosphere. The difference here between secondary pollutants and primary pollutants is that a primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted directly from a source, like carbon and nitrogen oxides. A secondary pollutant is not directly emitted from a location, but forms when other pollutants react in the atmosphere.

Research shows that there are higher-than-normal amounts of lung, stomach, and kidney cancer among certain populations living in Cancer Alley. Anecdotally, residents say there are troubling clusters of several other cancers, including rare ones like neuroblastoma (cancer of the nerve cells) and rhabdomyosarcoma (cancer of the skeletal muscle). The NATA, National Association of Testing Authorities, found that the top five census tracts (subdivisions of a county) with the highest estimated cancer risks in the country were in Louisiana (“National Air Toxics Assessment”). It is not a coincidence that this town out of the countless ones in the state of Louisiana has this affliction. The hardships of this town is blatantly an effect of the government avoiding voices and concerns of burdened community members; society assumes that sacrifices must be made in order to progress, but that does not include the sacrificing of faultless lives that compose the communities of our “free” country. 

Another example of a well-known sacrifice zone is Flint, Michigan. Different from the air  pollution in Cancer Alley, Flint’s instances of environmental racism take flight in the form of water pollution. Flint’s demographic proves this case of racial injustice with 54.04% of its community being Black (“Flint, Michigan Population 2022”). The Flint River in Michigan has been used as an unofficial garbage disposal site for both processed and untreated waste for the numerous local companies that have arisen along its shores, including carriage and automobile manufacturing, meatpacking facilities, timber and paper mills, and more. Additionally, agricultural and urban runoff, sewage from the city’s waste treatment facility, and pollutants from landfills have all entered the canal (Denchak). Residents of Flint experienced several serious water quality and health problems as a result of the inadequate treatment and testing of the water; these problems were repeatedly ignored, overlooked, and discounted by government officials as a result of systematic racism. This issue has stretched out its arms and embraced the town with skin rashes, hair loss, and itchy skin for the 18 months that the fetid water was running in the taps of Flint. Unfortunately, the city’s remedial action of raising chlorine levels without addressing other root causes led to the emergence of a new issue: high levels of total trihalomethanes, carcinogens produced as byproducts of chlorinating the water (Denchak). This chemical byproduct can cause bladder and colon cancers, as well as reproductive issues and birth defects if prolonged exposure ensues, which is exactly the case for Flint’s inhabitants (“TRIHALOMETHANES”). Thus, the rejection of funding proper filtration devices for this water has led to direct harm upon the residents of Flint.  

What it comes down to is putting people over polluter profits. There is no need to be sacrificing human health and countless lives in order build new petrochemical or power plants that will only continue to harm the planet and its communities. Around the United States and world, many living in sacrifice zones live with high pollution levels and environmental degradation. However, hope and progress come in the form of many incredible local activists from these sacrifice zones, using their personal experiences to bring attention to this critical issue and advocate for leaders to act. Groups like Black Millennials for Flint, RISE St. James, and CIDA Inc. bring light to the environmental injustice happening in their communities by organizing protests, posting on social media, and speaking to representatives and legislators (“Let’s Talk about Sacrifice Zones”).

Environmental justice means that all people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, are treated fairly and participate meaningfully in the formulation, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. No group should be disproportionately burdened with the negative environmental impacts that arise from industrial, governmental, and commercial activities or processes. People have the opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and health. Public opinion may influence regulatory decisions. Community concerns are considered in the decision-making process, and decision-makers seek and facilitate the involvement of those who may be affected. The issue with the implementation of environmental justice is that there is no safe platform for prejudiced communities to speak up. Voices are silenced on a federal level when in communities like Flint, complaints and genuine concerns are not given the attention they deserve. 

Climate change is one of the most defining social issues of our time. It is frankly undeniable that humans are changing Earth’s climate. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, sea levels have risen, Arctic sea ice is melting, and more biochemical changes influencing lives. The impacts of climate change on people and nature are increasingly evident: flooding, heat waves, and wildfires have cost billions in damages. For instance, California suffers from aggressive wildfires that have killed many species and forced homeowners to flee their towns and leave behind many precious items (Cart). Habitats are undergoing rapid shifts in response to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns. Aside from these biological changes that need to stop, the societal changes that come from disregarding racial minorities must, as well. 

The disproportionate hostility towards people in this country that are not White forced adverse health effects on communities that do not deserve it. Systematically, people of color are oppressed, and now the government is further pushing a racist agenda in the context of industrialization. Environmental racism is a term not often used or understood; by researching the causes and effects of it, more people can stand up for communities that are not so listened to. There is strength in numbers, but as of contemporary times, minimal support in this field has forced racial minorities in America to suffer. Reflecting on the way federal and district leaders go about modernizing the general public can lead to an immediate conclusion in regards to the anguish, grief, and harms put mercillesly on communities of color. Silence is no longer an option, and understanding the hard truths is quickly becoming the only way to save repressed individuals. 

Works Cited

Cart, Julie. “California California Wildfires.” CalMatters, 1 December 2022, https://calmatters.org/category/environment/california-wildfires/. Accessed 11 December 2022.

Denchak, Melissa. “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC, 8 November 2018, https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know. Accessed 10 December 2022.

“”Ethylene Oxide.”” EPA, December 2018, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/ethylene-oxide.pdf. Accessed 9 December 2022.

“FAQs: STYROFOAM.” Children’s Environmental Health Network, https://cehn.org/our-work/eco-healthy-child-care/ehcc-faqs/faqs-styrofoam/. Accessed 9 December 2022.

“Flint, Michigan Population 2022.” World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/flint-mi-population. Accessed 10 December 2022.

“HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE.” HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE, October 1994, https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0407.pdf. Accessed 10 December 2022.

Lartey, Jamiles, et al. “’Almost every household has someone that has died from cancer.’” The Guardian, 6 May 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2019/may/06/cancertown-louisana-reserve-special-report. Accessed 9 December 2022.

“Let’s Talk about Sacrifice Zones.” Climate Reality Project, 13 May 2021, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/lets-talk-about-sacrifice-zones. Accessed 10 December 2022.

Mulhere, Kaitlin. “White Workers Have a Disproportionate Share of Good Jobs in the Labor Market.” Money, 17 October 2019, https://money.com/job-market-white-workers-black-workers/. Accessed 10 December 2022.

“National Air Toxics Assessment.” EPA, 4 March 2022, https://www.epa.gov/national-air-toxics-assessment/2014-nata-assessment-results. Accessed 10 December 2022.

“Sacrifice Zones 101.” Climate Reality Project, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/sacrifice-zones. Accessed 9 December 2022.

Song, Lisa. “EPA Cites Environmental Racism in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.” Undark Magazine, 25 October 2022, https://undark.org/2022/10/25/epa-cites-environmental-racism-in-louisianas-cancer-alley/. Accessed 11 December 2022.

“The Sun’s impact on the Earth.” World Meteorological Organization, https://public.wmo.int/en/sun%E2%80%99s-impact-earth. Accessed 9 December 2022.

“TRIHALOMETHANES.” Delaware Health and Social Services, January 2015, https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/files/trihalomfaq.pdf. Accessed 11 December 2022.

Williams, David, and Florence Sprague Norman. “Health disparities between blacks and whites run deep.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 15 April 2016, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/health-disparities-between-blacks-and-whites-run-deep/. Accessed 10 December 2022.

Younes, Lylla, et al. “Welcome to “Cancer Alley,” Where Toxic Air Is About to Get Worse.” ProPublica, 30 October 2019, https://www.propublica.org/article/welcome-to-cancer-alley-where-toxic-air-is-about-to-get-worse. Accessed 9 December 2022.

Nov 07 2022
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Unit 2

Unit 2: Reflection

Alina Hadzovic 

10/30/2022

Unit Two Reflection 

This unit, we focused on the applications of rhetorical devices and how they apply to modern real world situations. By choosing a movement on our own accord, I was certainly more interested in the research aspect of the final essay, considering it was something I was interested in. While I understood the whole “new” vs “old” rhetoric, I really was surprised to find the plethora of connections between the two. After analyzing the rhetorical strategies used in the Schools Strike for Climate movement, it was clear that Cicero’s five canons of rhetoric applied in the posters used in the strike, a connection I hadn’t made prior. I wonder how things like the use of Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle (audience, speaker, message) have changed over time- has a speaker’s credibility changed over time? We have learned in class that rhetorical strategies only applied to “a good man,” and I wonder to what extent that still pertains. If two people were saying the same thing but one appeared to be more sophisticated, would society be more inclined to be persuaded? This unit allowed me to push the boundaries of the strength of rhetoric, and how powerful it can really be. While I complete every textbook assignment about rhetoric, these actual real world examples only underlined the true rigor of rhetoric. 

I wish there was  more time between the end of this unit and the previous one because I think a day or two going over the rhetorical devices we learned about in our readings for homework would have made it stick better and thus lead to a stronger final essay. It was hard for me to think back into what we’d read in the book since it was constantly fogged over with other assignments; of course, I could have easily looked through the book on my own (I did), but I think the entire class would have benefited from a day of review. Regardless, the Writing into the Day assignments were very helpful in practicing how to analyze rhetoric and what it means to use “effective rhetoric.” While this essay frankly isn’t my strongest, I am not embarrassed or ashamed of the quality of work. I would have loved to continue my research and continue my understanding of the movement itself and the effects of the protests, along with the effects of persuasion based on rhetorical devices. 

Nov 07 2022
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Unit 2

Unit 2: Paper

Alina Hadzovic

Professor Wood 

Freshman Composition

25 October 2022

Rhetorical Analysis of Schools Strike for Climate

After the industrial age, the use of fossil fuels increased as a source of energy to power machines and other processes. After time, the greenhouse gasses emitted from the burning created a blanket of gas around the atmosphere that forced the global climate to warm and change. Despite the ever present need for social change, decades have passed without any global decision to do so. The social movement “Schools Strike for Climate” exists because older generations do not care about climate change, and nonconsensually leave the planet in its shambles for the younger generation. Typical goals for the students involved in this movement are to educate the public of the severity of global warming and underline the unwillingness of society to make a systematic change in the way we make our lives more efficient. To convey these messages, people in this movement use rhetorical strategies like group/physical rhetoric and use Cicero’s canons of rhetoric on visual aids that drill their ideas into the minds of their audience. It is time for a difference, and the messages highlighted in this social movement definitely recognize this. 

As society changed, rhetorical strategies and their effectiveness have changed, as well. Interestingly enough, these changes are (objectively) categorized by either old rhetoric or new rhetoric. Old rhetoric was described “as the art of persuasion” by ancient philosopher Aristotle, arguably one of the main backbones of old rhetoric (Wollacott). This idea of persuasion was mainly through speeches given in a courtroom about policies good men would like to pass in their society. Aristotle also developed the rhetorical triangle, which bound rhetorical devices with the speaker, audience, and objective of the speech (Lutzke and Henggeler). This connection can be seen today, just in different forms. As issues, policies, and norms were trying to be legislated in more contemporary contexts, more creative means of persuasion were practiced. Rather than a single person standing in front of a group of men in a chancery, people of all ages and of all gender identities are bound together by their cause and persuade their audience with their presence. This assembly of people that find solitude in each other’s company in this situation is called group or gregarious rhetoric. In these group protests, demonstrators adopt old rhetoric and creatively use them in modern contexts. We see posters in the “Schools Strike for Climate” protests with memorable phrases and delivered in a unique and individual style. This originated through Cicero’s canons of rhetoric, formulated in —. Cicero wrote his five canons of rhetoric in around 50 BC, sharing the importance of invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery in a persuasive setting (Pudewa). Really, these principles are still found today, just in a more extant application. The effectiveness of new rhetoric would not be nearly as such without such a strong rhetorical foundation. 

The “Schools Strike for Climate” movement truly began after 15 year old Greta Thunberg protested in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018 with a poster saying “schools strike for climate.” Just the next year, she inspired over a million students around the world to stand up for what they believe in. This idea of political leaders needing to enact principles in order to prevent further global warming was extremely common in the visual aids within the protests. Posters in hand, students in countries like the Philippeans, United States, and Germany walked in front of their government buildings to announce their negative opinions on the federal regulations in regards to climate (Crouch). Even today, four years after the initial objection, groups of young people still gather today as a way to convey the core values of the movement with safety and strength in numbers. 

Nowadays, persuasion in protests are seen in large numbers, chanting and holding signs. Group rhetoric is effective because it shows the commitment of such a huge group of people with unified goals. This is a really successful decision as a rhetorical device in the conditions of “Schools Strike for Climate” because it is a joint avenue towards policy change and influence, one professionalized to make politics more reflective of societies’ wants, needs and demands. The audience in this situation is clearly representatives in the federal position to apply the progressive wants of the public to civil situations. Rather than a single student stepping out of an academic setting, the scale being so large listens to everyone’s concerns and connects activists around the world. It allocates accessibility for people around the world who’s concerns deserve to be heard but cannot physically participate. 

While I have never had the opportunity to participate in the protests physically, I spent time creating posters for my friends that they used in their moments of dissent. Including short phrases like “our future is in our hands” was a really powerful decision because not only does it use purposeful diction, it also is memorable. The repetition of the word “our” drills the idea of integrating each individual with their surroundings and the effects of corporations on climate change; we are all only one population, and this is “our” planet, so it makes sense to work together and solve issues regarding it. Having such a short and purposeful phrase also highlights one of Cicero’s canons of delivery, since the phrase is short and sweet and commonly yelled in a call and response form. In that scenario, it is resolute because there is a synthesis of all these different people standing alongside each other finishing each other’s sentences. 

There is no way to imagine what the world would be like if we didn’t unify as one and take climate change as seriously as it deserves to be taken. Frankly, I cannot help but feel drawn towards the dynamic values of this movement. I find myself just as, if not more, passionate about climate justice than those around me, and I feel proud of my generation for taking the mental and physical time to speak up for us and our future. If no one will support the “Schools Strike for Climate” cause, I know Aristotle and Cicero would be amazed at the applications of their ancient rhetorical devices in conditions like these.

Works Cited 

Wollacott , Mark. “What Is Ancient Rhetoric?” Language Humanities, 9 Oct. 2022, 

www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-ancient-rhetoric.htm#:~:text=Ancient%20rhetoric%20is%20described%20by,expressed%20almost%20exclusively%20in%20speeches.

Crouch, David. “The Swedish 15-Year-Old Who’s Cutting Class to Fight the Climate 

Crisis.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Sept. 2018, www.theguardian.com/science/2018/sep/01/swedish-15-year-old-cutting-class-to-fight-the-climate-crisis. 

Lutzke, Jaclyn, and Mary Henggeler. “The Rhetorical Triangle: Understanding and Using 

Logos, Ethos, and Pathos .” Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, Nov. 2009, www.lsu.edu/hss/english/files/university_writing_files/item35402.pdf. 

Pudewa, Andrew. “The 5 Canons of Rhetoric.” Memoria Press – Classical Christian Education, 

28 Sept. 2022, www.memoriapress.com/articles/5-canons-of-rhetoric/.  

Nov 07 2022
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Unit 1

Unit 1: Reflection

There are many things they don’t tell you before you enter college. One of which is that you’d think, at 18 years old, legally considered an adult in the eyes of the law, that you know everything there is to know about writing for a class. I mean, you’ve been taught how to organize a paragraph since you were 11, and you have been telling stories through writing since before then. Despite my plethora of English classes and all of their lessons tucked into my sleeve, there was still room for improvement that this first unit of Freshman Composition taught me. I didn’t know how to really seamlessly incorporate anecdotes and rhetorical devices in the same written space; I feel like I always struggled with the two being interconnected in a way that made sense. The unit’s This I No Longer Believe narrative was extremely useful for me to really visualize the two and their bond in emotional writing. Of course I knew the usefulness of rhetorical devices in nonfiction writing, but this unit truly underlined the few different applications of specific rhetorical tools that I can easily use in my writing, like anaphora and antithesis. In the conclusion of my narrative, I was very impressed with myself in my incorporation of antithesis in a way that solidified my opinions on New York City developing and changing over time. Being able to effectively connect the audience with my individual life with rhetoric was very exciting for me. However, the most exciting activity in this unit was the dialect test for me. Not only was it engaging and fun, but it was really interesting to compare results with my peers and see what was different amongst them. 

If I could go back through this unit, I would have spent less time outlining my major assignment and more time interconnecting ideas. My first draft is so different from my final draft that it put me in a stressful situation closer to the deadline, since I felt like I was writing an entirely different assignment by the end. Much of this was because I took the edits I got from peer review very seriously, considering they interpreted this assignment through the eyes of a student like me, with the same deadlines and structured instructions. While it was naturally very helpful, I think in the next unit I really want to take advantage of office hours and get more teacher feedback. I found the most useful tool in this unit to truly be the feedback on the second draft from the professor, where it was extremely targeted to the rubric and what you were really looking for as a grader. Truly, I am very proud of how concise but effective my writing is; there was not really a moment where I felt like I was blabbering or going off on a tangent when writing, something that took a while to teach myself. 

Genuinely, I participated a lot in this unit, something out of my comfort zone. This is a new place, and regardless of being here in this class since August, I still have a lot to learn about my peers, professor, and myself honestly. I would love to explore myself as a writer more, considering this unit’s main assessment was very personal, and it forced me to write about my personal beliefs in a way I hadn’t before. I wonder what this essay would have looked like if I’d been exposed to this sort of emotional vulnerability prior, or even outside of this graded and stress inducing context. After this unit, I really can’t wait to see the way I go about analyzing rhetorical devices in a more persuasive context rather than a personal one. 

Nov 07 2022
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Unit 1

Unit 1: Paper

Alina Hadzovic

Professor Wood

Freshman Composition

3 October 2022

The Big, Rotten Apple

The Big Apple, my city, your city, our city, New York City. Appropriately named “the city of dreams,” New York City is home to millions of people and I have lived here all 18 years of my life. I know my neighborhood streets more than I know myself, and can name every avenue from West to East, forwards and back. I say “hello” to the man my mother told me to give five dollars to when I was six years old. I ask the deli worker I buy eggs from how her family is doing after she tells me my total is 3 dollars and some change. This city is unequivocally my home, for better or for worse. Being raised in the same building for so long has allowed me to understand the importance of community and courtesy, something I will never take for granted; there is not one person better or more qualified for something than another, a lesson my parents taught me.

Many Balkan refugees from the Bosnian genocide came to this Northeastern coast to escape death and find happiness in the in the humble luxuries America’s labor opportunities offered. Back home, they hear only positivity of New York from their two cable channels, dreaming of tall buildings made of concrete and dogs on leashes in the park instead of walking aimlessly with fleas on dirt trails. Since birth, my immigrant parents and extended family members have drilled the idea that all of America is the fertilizer for my aspirations, but specifically New York was the hub of opportunities and life. If you come to America for work, you aren’t given many chances for wealth; most male Balkan immigrants are either Italian restaurant owners (none of us are Italian, but the cuisine is simple enough to quickly learn and have similar ingredients to our cultural dishes- random vegetables cooked down and paired with a carb) or have jobs in construction (plumbing, superintendents or porters of buildings, inspectors, etc.). Women weren’t given opportunities for education in the past, so generationally speaking, none of us work. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents alike have entrenched this idea that putting education first will lead me to breaking this trend and making a name for myself in this restless metropolis.  I was told to like and appreciate New York, so I did. I ignored my truth and traded the city’s countless disruptions for the beauties that are the Hudson River and manmade parks. I listened blindly, like any kid does naturally, and told myself I’d live here forever, like my older family members do. 

When I turned eighteen, I didn’t know how to explain to my American friends that things would still be the exact same as they have always been. In movies, as soon as the protagonist comes of age, they are free to move out of their parents’ homes and reign unsupervised; I can only ponder what my parents would say if I brought up the idea of leaving the house before marriage. Although strange to some people, this is extremely normal in any Balkan home and is something I’ve had to adopt as my truth. Reasonably, my life is considered “old fashioned” to my American friends, since I forcibly listen to elders about outdated concepts out of respect instead of figuring out things for myself. To kids at my schools, it was a wild concept to do things with the idea of pleasing others in mind. When I complained about a 95 instead of getting a 100, I was told to “shut up” and “calm down” more often than the moon says hello to the stars. Knowing my parents came from nothing to comfortably living in New York City, it was extremely difficult to be happy with anything less than perfect; I had an impressive reputation preceding me. My education system was better than theirs, my neighborhood was safer and more reliable than their towns, my family was more supportive… I generally had it better off. Whenever you speak to anyone in the generation above mine, all you hear is how they came into this city with no money, teaching themselves how to survive- you assume New York City is where success is made. Frankly, they all have families and are objectively happy together. Yes, things have changed over the past few decades, but they’re all okay and have New York to thank. I was so proud to be a New Yorker, knowing I have come from a place where dreams turned into reality, where lives were made. It took me a long time to understand that this city isn’t magical and cannot hand you achievements. Truth be told, success comes from luck a lot more than people think, especially when you have no knowledge of English or any monetary, social, or physical understanding of the country, forget about this understanding of this hectic and overwhelming city.

Not only is this city bustling, it is also the definition of filthy. I’ve been in public school my entire life, something I’m truly proud of. In New York City public schools, you are forced to be educated in a common core curriculum. Part of that is learning about pollutants and how they affect your lungs, setting you up at a higher risk for illnesses like lung cancer, asthma, and skin diseases. Obviously, this entire country is in the midst of a climate crisis, but somewhere without such industrial culture emits considerably less toxins that we are currently exposed to daily. As amazing as the city is for immigrants, giving them the opportunity to safely get money and start families in their respective households, someone born and raised in this city has the exact same chance as any other educated English speaker. In the suburbs, I know that this anxious part of my life would be at ease, at least significantly compared to how it is now. I wonder sometimes how different my life would be if I had the experiences of the suburbs from a young age- football games, white picket fences, a rocking chair on the balcony, the whole nine yards. I’d like to think that I’d see New York as just another city instead of idolizing its magical properties from hearing about it my entire childhood. I feel like it would be so much more rewarding to raise a family in a smaller, safer, more quaint neighborhood where kids can explore life without fear or fret than in a city where you are notified of crimes daily just around your block. 

Like any Balkan girl, my biggest dream is being a mother; my mind is permeated with the thought of starting a family in a blue house with a wrap-around porch and a backyard, something I cannot get in New York City without spending millions of dollars. Spending my childhood worrying about my health in such a synthetic environment is something I would never wish on the next generation. I’ve set my heart on being a high school teacher, and we all know that such a paycheck will not fly in supporting my desired reality. Thus, while my parents and their family members all came to New York with the intention of amplifying their own dreams, it is simply something I have to differentiate myself from. By having my dreams be so different from my parents, I have no need to be surrounded by tumultuous people in a soul draining city to support them. I’ve always been told I am a follower and not a leader, which I understand, but in this situation I have to put myself first and lead the way for my own future family to not feel pressured to believe in the city like I did. 

Modern society is shaped in such a way that we are sort of bound to constantly compete against each other, or even ourselves. We are always trying to reach our short-term goals and trying to better ourselves to match the expectations set upon us by society. Many of us are guilty of working long hours and getting less sleep each night; we travel the extra mile and feel content that we have achieved perfectionism. We toil in and out every week; even during the weekend ‘relaxing’ and ‘having a good time’ seems like a forced chore. The city is a well-known competitive place, with people all over the world coming here for work opportunities and trying to be at the top of the success pyramid. As a consequence, we end up being too hard on ourselves all too often without even realizing. All of us are more or less stuck up and consumed by our work, social interactions, life goals, weekend plans and so on. There is not one person in this city content with the place they’re in right now. Everyone wants to be better, make more, reach greater heights. This society is packed with dreams, aspirations, and goals. Each and every human being has something they are working for; for the most part, this city is a splendid place to nurture those dreams into reality. My dreams, anyhow, would absolutely and positively die in a place like New York. 

Thinking that a city would fill a void I felt inside of myself is unhealthy, that the constant rushing and change would distract me from the truth. I first had to tune inward to myself and found a weak void, something no pleasure discovered in my neighborhood could fill. Society talks highly of self-love, and how it is extremely important for a happy and healthy life. There’s this well-known notion of self-care or loving yourself that can be seen as “selfish,” but I see it as the most selfless and loving thing we can do for the world. When we are kind and compassionate to ourselves, we can fully show up as that for the world around us. The issue with New York City is that many don’t feel they have the time or energy to love themselves without wasting moments that could be used productively for work or socializing. It feels that the city is on 1.5x speed compared to the rest of the world, moving ahead and making accomplishments that other towns and states just admire from a distance. While I will always consider myself a “city girl,” I know deep down in my heart that such a busy, loud, industrialized life is not meant for me. Despite taking 18 years to realize this, I accept the truth for what it is- that New York City may be my city, but it isn’t the city for me. 

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