Essay Reflection

Candela Lattanzio

Debra Reece

English 1010

24 September 2014

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, Why Curfew Shouldn’t Ensue

            I consider myself a good daughter. I have never tasted anything remotely alcoholic, I have never abused substances of any kind, and I have always kept fairly good company. I would like to think that I have been a fairly easy teenager to raise. Despite this, my parents and I have had an ongoing conflict for several years, this being: Curfew. This never ending feud has caused several late night arguments. They believe that curfew stands no matter what age you are, who you are with, or what you are doing. In contrast, if you are a responsible individual, I believe that curfew should be left up to you. I understand their concern with my safety, but they should also understand my need for independence and individuality. Hopefully, this will settle that argument once and for all. Curfew should not be set by the parents, but by the individual going out.

            Parents often want their children home at a reasonable hour, even after their children turn eighteen years old. This is reasonable enough and I agree, to a point, that everyone should get home at a fairly decent hour. However, the problem is, how does one determine a decent hour to be home by and who gets to determine it? One might argue that the parents get to decide what hour their child has to be home by. How is this fair to their child? If the individual in question is under the age of eighteen then one might suggest that both the parents and the child sit down and converse about what time curfew should be set at. Both parties should also take into account the age and maturity of the individual that will be receiving a curfew. If the child is a minor they should take into account that the parents are still liable for them and that therefore they should abide by parental rules. If an agreement can’t be achieved then one might try to abide by the curfew set by the city or state that they reside in (more on this later). However, if the child is eighteen years of age or older then the situation becomes slightly more complicated. Since the child is now legally an adult they are allowed to govern themselves and don’t technically have to abide by their parents’ rules. Again, a helpful suggestion would be to sit down and talk through the issue in an attempt to reach an agreement. This still might not work since the eighteen-year-old is legally able to stay out until they please, but it is worth a try. The issue with trying to determine what time someone should be home by is that everyone thinks differently. If one hundred people are surveyed and asked what time they think curfew should be set at each one would answer differently and a conclusion would never be met. Each individual knows their limits. No one knows themselves better than themselves. Therefore, the best person to determine a “reasonable hour” to be home by is you. 

            Not only is defining a proper curfew an issue, but, unfortunately, not all young adults make good decisions. Some of them decide to drink alcohol before they are legally able to do so. Others choose to intoxicate their bodies with drugs or other harmful substances. Others are complacent with taking lives or committing felonies of all sorts. Still others do any combination of all these things. Even if this is not the case some people are simply troubled. Troubled children tend not to make the best decisions that get them in trouble when they are out and about in the dead of night. If a parent has a child such as this then it is fully comprehensible for them not to want their child to stay out past a certain hour. In contrast if the child, presumable eighteen years of age, has not exhibited any questionable behavior and has given reason to be trusted then there should be no reason why a curfew should still be enforced upon them. If the young adult has proven that they are responsible enough to stay out late then the parents should trust their child’s judgment and allow them to stay out late. If the child breaches the parents’ trust and gives the parents reason to believe that the child can no longer responsibly stay out past a certain hour, then it is completely understandable for the parents to now enforce a curfew. Unless that happens, if the young adult has proven themselves worthy of trust and of not needing a curfew then the parents should not dictate one.

            It is comprehensible and utterly sensible for parents to set a curfew for their children until their child reaches the age of eighteen. Until then their child a minor and must abide by parental rules. Not only that, but the city or state they reside in also sets a curfew for minors. According to the Utah State Legislature, bill SB0042 states “The hours between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. each day of the week are established as statewide curfew hours. It is a violation of this chapter for any minor under the age of 18 years to be or remain in any public or semipublic place during curfew hours” (United States. Utah State Legislature. Juvenile Curfew. Washington, 1997, Print). For this reason it is understandable that parents would want their children home by midnight or earlier. However, what is difficult to comprehend is why parents still insist on a curfew after their children reach the age of eighteen: The legal age of adulthood. Once a person reaches their eighteenth birthday their parents are no longer in any way, shape, or form liable for that individual. The law itself, the very thing that governs us and that we abide by, says that eighteen year olds are adults and are free to govern themselves and to do as they please as long as their actions are in accordance to the law. If legally we are permitted to do as we please then why don’t our parents see it that way? It might be a stretch to say that our parents are denying us our constitutional rights but, according to what the law says about adults and curfew, they are. We abide by the law and if the law says that we can be out past a certain hour then it should be so.

            It’s unmitigated that parents worry about their children when they are out at night. Any good parent would. Still, there are ways around posing a curfew. The individual going out could agree to check in with their parents once every so often. Not only that, but before leaving, the child could tell their parents roughly what time they plan to be home by. If for some reason they’re going to be late coming back home, they, the child, could text or call their parents and explain the situation and say that they will be returning later. This way, the parents are reassured that their child is safe. If the parents don’t receive some form of communication then, and only then, would it be reasonable for them to get in touch with their child and inquire about their whereabouts. However, parents, don’t constantly badger your children. Text or call them only once to insure their safety and remind them to check in. Afterwards, let them check in with you. If they forget to do so, then, again, it’s alright to get in touch with them. This could be a solution to the curfew issue. Checking in will allow the child to stay out with the parents knowing where they are and what they are doing. This way both parties are happy. The child gets to stay out and the parents know that their child is safe.

            In retrospect although parents’ concerns with having their children home by a specific hour is understandable, there’s also reasons why teens don’t need curfews. When trying to decide on a curfew it hard to agree on a time to come home because everyone has a different definition of a “decent hour” to be home. Not only that, but if the teen has been proven to be trustworthy then there’s no reason to believe that they’ll get into mischief while being out. It’s also important to consider that once teens reach the age of eighteen they’re now liable for themselves and are able to make their own decisions. If all else fails, compromise. Teens, agree to check in with parents and parents agree to let your kids stay out as long as you know their whereabouts. Remember, we are our own agents and are able to choose for ourselves. For these reasons curfew should be a choice, not a demand.

     Writing this essay was a long, time-consuming, complicated process. I started out with a very badly, hastily written, three page essay. It then developed into a five page paper that had many hours dedicated to it. 

     One thing I love about drafting is that you get to see your progress. I wrote four different drafts for this paper and each one got progressively better. Seeing that always makes one feel proud. 

     Not only was drafting a rewarding process, but we also learned a lot of useful writing skills from the reading and in class. We were taught different methods of introducing our topic and of concluding. We were taught the old-before-new contract and many other things. All of those were really useful to keep in mind while writing. I went through my draft on one occasion and noticed that I had nothing at the beginning of my body paragraphs that transitioned well because I wasn't using the old-before-new contract. Also, at the beginning I had a very boring title. It was "Curfew". How boring is that? After talking about how to revise introductions and titles and after "nutshelling"  I came up with a much more fun and slightly crazy title "Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, Why Curfew Shouldn’t Ensue"

     Though very stressful and time consuming, this writing process was very rewarding and I learned a lot. Hopefully my essay reflects that.

Reading reflection #3

     I went over my essay the other day with my reading in mind and I realized that my paragraphs don't follow the old-new contract. Whenever I start a new paragraph I just dive straight into the argument. I need to call attention to what I've said previously and then build on it.
     Section 17.3 talks about writing chunks and scratching things out. I've done that a lot in my drafts. I actually wrote an entire chunk that I installed into my first paragraph, but I had written that chunk way after I had written the original paragraph. I've also scratched out and rewritten things as my arguements are grown and developed. I find the chunk method very useful.
     Section 17.6 talked about transitions. I use those from sentence to sentence but I've noticed how I don't really use them from paragraph to paragraph. That is something I need to work on.
     I have struggled in this process because when I sit down to write so many ideas with supporting arguments flood my head and I can't properly put them on paper. I can't decide what ideas I should write about and which ones aren't worth my time. I then also find that when I am writing an idea I can't recall what my arguments for it were because I still have all this information in my head. I haven't found a method yet to organize them coherently on paper even if it's just my chicken scratch to later install in my paper. That has been my biggest challenge.

Peer Review response with reflection

     As states in an earlier post, Ammon printed out my paper and wrote notes directly on it. He wrote down what he liked, what he related to, and what I should change. Tyler compared two of my drafts and told me what he liked best from each one, what I should combine from each one and what should be left out. They were both very helpful. I did the same thing as Ammon. I printed out their drafts and wrote dirtily on them. So, Im going to summarize what I wrote fir them.

  In Ammon's:
        His topic was really awesome. I really loved it. He had very vivid imagery and lots of helpful statistics. He included his own personal experiences which make the essay so much better. His paper over all was just amazing. I corrected some grammatical errors, but besides that I didn't think there was much else to do. His essay, to me, didn't seem like it needed much else.

In Tyler's
       Tyler's topic is something that i feel very strongly about. He had great arguments, but they weren't very well organized. Also, his sentence structure lacked. I wrote down suggestions on how to make them better. I also wrote down counter arguments that people might have and I told him that he should address them. He also had several grammatical things that I addressed. His essay has a lot of potential, he just has to tweak it up a bit.

Peer Review Reflection

Candela Lattanzio
Debra Reece
English 1010
18 September 2014   


 This last Wednesday in class we peer reviewed our peers papers. I enjoyed the whole process. I was very helpful to me to have my peers review my paper. Ammon and Tyler were both super helpful. Ammon printed out my paper and wrote notes on it on how to make it better. He told me what he likes and what I should add to make it better. Tyler, actually compared two of the drafts I did. He told me what he liked from both, what to keep from both and what I should get rid of all together. Because of past experience I didn't expect for this review to be so helpful and useful, But it was! Now I know what I need to change and how to better my paper. Thanks peers!
     In the next week I commit to re reading the suggestions my peers have given me and applying them to my paper. I have a physical copy and I will revise it the same why I did with my peers papers (going through in red pen and marking everything up). Then I will type up a completely new one using ideas from the old one as a guide. Also, this time I will make it at at least four pages long.

A&B Reflection #2

     So, surprisingly, this reading was very insightful and helpful. I love how it gives reasoning for revising so often. I also like how it goes over ten expert habits that help improve your writing. In the chart that lists strategies on how to revise, I like the part that says to cut and paste and move things around. I'm the kind of person who does that. As for peer reviews I love having my friend go through my papers with me (we'll both get on google docs at the same time and I'll share my papers with her). She will go through everything and just tear my paper apart. She tells me what I do right and what I can do better and she gives me ideas. She's actually super helpful because she focuses on the deep details of my writing and not just the superficial errors such as commas or periods. That's actually an issue I have with peer reviews. Some people are just not very good or helpful at reviewing and helping to improve my writing, which is why I like that this reading goes over what to do as a peer reviewer. So that was nifty. Anyway, that is all!

Rough Draft Reflection

Alright peeps, here's a reflection. I started off writing this well and then I got writers block. I have too many ideas in my head to organize them coherently on paper. I obviously have a lot to improve on. I was mostly being motivated by my strong emotions on the issue since I have a very big opinion on the matter. Basically, it's a rough draft. It's very rough and not long enough. I will get there eventually. I just need a little more practice. Below this is a copy of my draft. No judgement, ok? 

Candela Lattanzio

Debra Reece

English 1010

11 September 2014

Curfew

            Over the course of my teenage years my parents and I have always gotten along very well. We have never argued about big issues such as alcohol or substance abuse. I consider myself a good child. The only constant, ever-going argument we have is about curfew. This ongoing battle had been raging for years and we have yet to reach an agreement. They believe that I should get home when they tell me to and I believe that I can make that choice for myself. Perhaps seeing this argument from the point of the teenager thoroughly thought out, it will make a little more sense.

            I agree, to a point, that everyone should get home at a fairly decent hour. The problem is, how is a decent hour defined and who defines it? Until the age of seventeen I feel it alright for parents to enforce a curfew. However, upon reaching the age of eighteen, lawful adulthood, parents should not continue to enforce curfew. Once a person turns eighteen, their parents are no longer liable for them. Everything the now-legal-adult does is solely in their hands. If they screw up no one is allowed to blame the parent. If they do something good, it’s their own accomplishment. That is how the law treats it. If the law, the very thing that governs us, agrees that we can make our own decisions then why don’t parents as well? As legal adult we have the right, the civil right, to govern ourselves.

            As human beings we have a marvelous gift called agency and free will. Agency, as defined on the web dictionary, is “The means of exerting power or influence”. We have the ability to exert that influence and that power over ourselves. By forcing things upon, or telling children what they can or can’t do, that agency is taken away. By enforcing a curfew the power to govern oneself and to make choices for oneself is being wrongfully deprived. As adults we have knowledge enough to know what is right and what is wrong. When we are out we can make our own choices about what we want to do, including when we want to get home.

            When someone tells you not to look at something or not to touch something, what is your first instinct? You automatically do the opposite of what you have just been instructed to do. The same applies to curfew. The more a curfew is enforced or pushed upon an individual the more they are going to fight against it. At least that is the case with me. My parents and even my siblings are constantly texting me through the night telling me that I need to be getting home. They do this even when it is not late at night but when the night is still quite young. Their constant badgering turns me away and makes me not want to go home. The more they push, the more I pull away. This is something parents need to realize. The more you try to force something upon your child the more they will rebel. We are teenagers and want to enjoy these few years we get of being young. As long as we are not doing anything unlawful I don’t understand why it is such a crime in the eyes of parents to stay out a little later than their recommended curfew.

            I also pose a compromise. If there is no badgering from the parental end then the teenager/young adult will periodically check in to assure the parents that they are alright. When my parents are constantly sending me messages I ignore them. I don’t like that they constantly have to know every aspect of my life. I like having my individuality. When they constantly annoy me I feel like they are trying to control my life. We as people like to be in control of as many things as possible, ourselves being one of them. So when I feel like I’m being controlled I want to do what will make me feel like I’ve regained control. If that is getting home at a later hour then so be it. On the other hand, when they don’t badger me, I will text them telling them where I am going, who I am with, and what I will be doing. When I feel like I am in control I am more than complacent. Once that is taken away I am quite the opposite. This compromise, parents not constantly nagging their children and their children then checking in, is very promising. Everybody wins. The parents know that their child is safe and the child gets to go out and have fun without worrying about getting in trouble with their parents.

            In conclusion, we must allow our children to express their agency. They are old enough to make their own decisions and govern themselves. It is not unlawful for adults eighteen years of age or older to be out past eleven o’clock. The more you push the more they pull away until they finally break free and you lose them. If you want to know what your kid is doing then have then check in with you. Come to a compromise. Things can be worked out. Parents, please try to understand your children. You were once teenagers too. This is a fragile, fleeting time in their lives, time that they will never be able to get back. So let them go out and have their fun. After all if we truly want them to learn we will let them learn through experience. Experience and mistakes are the best teachers. There are good reasons for having curfew, but if your child is eighteen they are legally an adult and have the power to make that decision. Let your adult decide. Let them choose for themselves and perhaps you will see that by giving them a little freedom, you’ve received a little respect in return.   

           

Reflection

     For English we had to write a proposal about an issue we wanted to address. Afterwards we are supposed to reflect. This is my reflection.
     I wasn't exactly sure how to do my proposal. I would have liked to see an example of what I was supposed to do. I know WHAT I was supposed to do I just didn't know HOW. So, i just sis what worked for me and I went with it. If it wasn't exactly the correct way then oh well. Better luck to me next time. 
      I guess this assignment was difficult for me (even though it was probably supposed to be an easy assignment) simply because like I stated before I wasn't sure how to do it. I think my proposal is actually not very good. I have to rethink my arguments for and against my topic. I need stronger, more concrete arguments. I also have to find more rhetorical ways of saying things. I know that being Hispanic I can use ethos because I have experience in being stereotyped for being lazy and unmotivated.  I can also appeal to the logic in people because everyone knows that stereotypes hurt and aren't nice. And pathos, the emotional side of people can definitely be touched if I simply recount a story about being discriminated. I guess i just have to find better ways to appeal to my audience.
     I don't really have much more to say on the subject. I didn't really like this assignment. I like to just dive myself into my writing and not have to think about it before hand. I think that's all I have to say on this topic.
   
Here's my proposal:

Candela Lattanzio

Debra Reece

English 1010

3 September 2014

Writing Proposal

Topic: Break the stereotypes that surround you. Stop stereotypes.

Situation and explanation: Stereotyping is human nature and everyone does it, but it’s still hard to believe that in today’s ever more accepting society that stereotypes still exist.  The problem with that is that people start to believe their stereotypes and fall into them. People need to stop stereotyping and those stereotyped need to not conform themselves with those stereotypes. They should break their stereotypes. They should prove their critics wrong.

Counterarguments:

• It’s easier to just go with the flow and fall into stereotypes
• If people are really like that then it’s not stereotyping
• If everyone already thinks something of me then what’s the point of trying to prove them otherwise?
• People are set in their ways and are stubborn and no matter what they will not ever change
• It’s only human nature and you can’t help but stereotype
• It’s only an assumption. Stereotyping doesn’t really hurt anyone
• Sometimes stereotyping actually motivates people not to conform themselves with their stereotypes and actually work harder towards their goals so that they can break those unfair stereotypes

Importance: It is important for people to stop stereotyping. Stereotypes are basically a form of bullying and bullying is not okay. When we put a label on them we are telling them that that’s all they will ever be and that they can never amount to anything more. We are putting people down. I don’t think we always realize how much stereotypes can actually hurt people. By stereotyping we sometimes limit people in their thinking. The way we look at people really does affect the way they look at themselves.

    Also, it’s not only important not to stereotype but it’s also important to not fall into our stereotypes. By doing so we are letting the enemy win. It is not alright to prove those who are bullying us right. We have to show those people who criticize that we can be more than what they see in us. We must prove that we are better than our stereotypes.