Dear Mr. Booth,

I really enjoyed reading this article! I thought that everything you said was primarily true. I also agreed with the reasons that you gave for the problems with writing as I have experienced some of the very same things that you described over my years of schooling. The only issue is that we have no solutions for the problem. Everyone hates english as a kid. And if they don’t then they soon will because no one teaches us that differing opinions are okay until we at least hit high school. As soon as one kid tells another that the english lesson for the day is completely boring then the other is instantly heading into that class with bad expectations. If we can figure out how to keep young people interested in the papers that they write, everyone would benefit. The teachers, the students, and the entire american schooling system.

Every reader has a different opinion on things and they will react differently to different approaches. For example, calling for action will cause some readers to be persuaded towards your side while others will be completely against you.

Academic argument is presenting two sides of a problem and then proving which you think is correct using different facts, opinions, ect…

When most people think of argument they think of two people yelling back and forth untill one makes their point to the other. In actuality, it is similar to a debate with certain “boundries” that don’t get crossed.

All of my expectations thus far have been met.

As for my questions…

What is this year going to be like? Fun
How do I manage my time properly? Make schedules and follow them.
How can I help my fellow classmates? Participate in group discussions
What should I get involved in? Anything you want to try.
How many activities should I get involved in? As many as you can handle.
What do I do if a teacher is being unfair to me or someone else? Talk to them personally and then go to your advisor.
How do I know who to trust? Give them the benefit of the doubt.
How many parties do I go to? That depends, do you have your homework done? If not, then only one.
Who is reading my blog? No one.