Eggs, Bacon, Toast, and My Hero.

This I Believe:
Enjoy :)

The Will of the Tunisian People

In Barack Obama's SOTU Tuesday night, he said of the Tunisian citizens "the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator." I just finished reading many articles on CNN about the current protests in North Africa. In class, we are writing This I Believe essays. These are concise, organized statements about our personal values. In North Africa, citizens are asserting their beliefs through a different medium: protest. The power of protest is inspiring, especially when citing the country of Tunisia.

The country of Tunisia formally presented itself as a Republic. Former President Ben Ali (ousted just recently from his 23 years in office) committed acts of corruption against the ideals of a Republic. The protests of Tunisian citizens began in mid December. Protesters are voicing their outrage against many faults within Tunisian society. Protests have escalated and led police to use brutality to control civilians. Despite the protests that have ended in violence, I am inspired by Tunisia.

I consider myself lucky to be a citizen of the United States. I believe I have access to many opportunities and the ability to voice my opinion. However, I don't know that I have ever done just that: voice my opinion. The oppressed Tunisian citizens managed to voice their opinions via protest and are in a complex process of improving their country. I'm not oppressed. I haven't protested. Reading these articles reminded me of my duty as a citizen and not just my privileges. I must protest what I view as unjust. I must model my own actions after the people of Tunisia.

I wish I could road trip to Washington DC right this very moment. However, I can't. I do know that the news coverage on these stories has brought to my attention the dire need for me to use my voice. Perhaps one day I will deliver a concise, organized speech in front of hundreds, calling for change. Perhaps one day I will spontaneously protest in my nation's capital against an unjust act. Until then, I'll follow news coverage on North Africa protests closely, edit my This I Believe, and store my knowledge of a citizen's duty in my mind.

Read up! Tunisia

The Art of Asking for Money

 As a part of Penn State Dance MaraTHON, I actively participate in fundraising. I am a member of an organization called Domani THON. Each year, students address THONvelopes to family and friends, asking for donations. I fell a bit behind and missed the deadline to send out THONvelopes. However, I can still reach out to family and friends via online donations. The operative phrase in that sentence is reach out. I have to decide what the best approach is to writing an email that will motivate my family and friends to make a donation online.

 This experience is reminding me of rhetoric's ethos and pathos. I am writing many drafts of this email that will reach dozens of loved ones; asking myself which method of rhetoric is more appropriate: ethos or pathos. If I employ ethos, I will focus mainly on the credibility and character of THON. I will explain its financial success, the overall mission, my personal involvement, and the practical need for fundraising support. If I employ pathos, I will focus mainly on the emotional appeal of THON. I will explain the grueling treatment of pediatric cancer, the overwhelming statistics for victims, and some of the individual stories of a Four Diamonds Family. Which rhetoric is more effective? Which rhetoric is more appropriate? Is a combination of ethos and pathos the best approach? It is surprising how complicated a simple plea for money can become. I am struggling to decide which is the best rhetoric approach. I do not want the email to be an inexpressive, boring plea for donations if I lean too heavily on ethos. In contrast, I do not want the email to be an overemotional, zealous plea for donations if I lean too heavily on pathos. My ultimate goal is to reach out to the my loved ones in the most effective way so that they can help me in my fundraising goals for THON.

 It boils down to this: Will my family and friends be more affected by an email that is sprinkled with ethos, or freckled with pathos?