Brendan+Walsh

**Introduction** My name is Brendan Walsh. I am a student in the English 1010 class taught by Mrs. Karen Lowry. This class focuses on nonfiction writings and how to write. The purpose of me taking this class was to improve my writing skills and take a lot from a more experienced writer, or Mrs. Lowry.

**Poem**

**Brendan Duggan Walsh** Brendan, Humble, funny, motivated, outgoing, Brother to three competitive Brothers, Who is known for his personality, Who loves his family, friends and sports, Who feels refreshed and determined about the spring, Who needs water, his iPod and chewing gum, Who fears tarantulas and clowns, Who gives more than he can receive, Who would love to see Europe, Born in Virginia, Raised in Maryland, Walsh.

**Formal Essay**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I picked this particular essay due to the fact that I was most excited to write this one. When Mrs. Lowry gave out the readings to choose from to rebuttal, The Batman one quickly caught my eye. I began writing this essay in class and I hate writing. This essay made me a better writer due to the fact I put a lot into it.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">Batman Cannot Kill the Joker <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Many people who have seen the Batman movies, or read his comics would agree that Batman should kill the Joker and all his arch-enemies, such as Two-Face or the Penguin. There is a line of morality that makes a hero super. A hero can make a sacrifice for the best interest of the whole population. A super hero can usually do what is best for the whole population without a sacrifice. A super hero risks himself or herself to save people, not sacrificing something unless it is themselves. Now, keep in mind that a super hero is also super due to his or her super powers or elite technology. In the Dark Knight’s case he is super due to his mastermind, state-of-the-art technology. He uses his wings to glide, hence bat, and special gadgets to help him save the day. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">If Batman has all of these gadgets and access to weapons why wouldn’t he kill the Joker? The Joker is a murderer; in the “Dark Knight” he kills people to persuade Batman to unmask himself. This is a part of the story that enrages all viewers. The dilemma Batman is faced with is a sticky situation. He either divulges himself, which would cause police to make action against him. Or, he can stay hidden behind his mask, attempt to stop the killings (which led to a few people being murdered in the movie), and catch the Joker handing him over to the police. The scene in the //Dark Knight// when Batman has a chance to let the Joker die, he uses his grapple to save his most notorious villain. This causes confusion in the minds of the entire audience. Why didn’t he simply let this serial-killer fall to his well-deserved death? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Batman is considered a civilian vigilante, or a citizen trying to take justice into his or her own hands. Batman takes matters into his own hands because the police cannot stop the crime that is really hurting Gotham City. Batman is targeted by police because he is doing the policemen’s jobs, and people are dying so the Joker can know who this hero really is. Why can’t Batman kill the Joker? Batman cannot give real reason for the police to want to incarcerate him. He has that special morality and judgment to make every right decision that a hero needs to have. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The second reason he cannot kill the Joker is because of his “White Knight” image would go away. For all time Batman confines or captures a villain, of course using force, then turn them over to law enforcement. He never kills anyone; he justifies Gotham with force but never committing murder to uphold that he wants all criminals to go through the same system. He wants criminals to have to face the judicial system so they will be imprisoned or justly put to death. He makes sure to just hand the criminals over to be judged so he is not responsible for the punishment given to the “bad guys”. He does not want to descend to his foes level. He will not allow himself to kill a person, no matter how evil, due to the fact that he has to answer to it if caught. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The problem with this question, “Should Batman kill the Joker?” is that Batman is not real. Superman, the X-men, and the Fantastic Four have the fictional title also. The reason Super Heroes do not exist in real life is due to the fact that no one has a next to flawless mentality, and if a person somehow does have this mentality, super powers are not real. Sure, people could say technology may have the capability to stand in the place of super powers, but the world is far from creating the next Iron Man. No one will ever understand the real reason why Batman cannot kill the Joker. Maybe, Batman is afraid if he kills his villains he is less likely to see more villains rise up, therefore putting Batman out of work. Perhaps, Batman likes chasing the Joker, and is fascinated with his opponent’s incomparable malicious intentions. Maybe, Batman really is the White Knight he lives up to be. Maybe, the Batman really does just want justice. Batman in the //Dark Knight// says this, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Batman quotes Harvey Dent; in the movie, Dent goes from one of the most prominent young District Attorney’s Gotham City had ever laid eyes on, to an angry murderer, Two-Face, who only wants to avenge his late fiancé’s death that he believed should have lived is his place. This is why I believe Batman cannot kill his adversary. He lives his life by this one sentence, he knows what killing one man, lunatic murderer or not, will do to him. It will transform him from hero to villain and contradict all he has done for Gotham City.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">**Journal Entries** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 32px;">I picked these journals because I received my three best journal grades on them. Again interesting topics cause for better writing, in my case, because I take a better approach to them and try to fully answer every question.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> This Journal was very easy for me to write because I am aware I watch to much sports. I like to know who wins what games and this journal is not at all personal, so I picked it.

Cookies or Heroin Journal

In Marie Winn’s //Cookies or Heroin,// She describes the addiction to be an overused word in today’s world. She says it is overused because addiction should be taken seriously, but she then questions is being addicted to cookies or television a real addiction? She then states that people can be attached to TV over reading because the picture in the brain is more realistic. Television can also be bad due to the fact that it can be easier than “reading or gardening.” My addiction is a television related one. I am addicted to Sports, so I watch a lot of “Sports Center” on ESPN. I have to watch it once a day and find out the inside information in the world of sports. I am always watching football, basketball, and lacrosse. I went to a basketball game tonight and saw my team win, Go Blue Devils! I am going to always stay up on the sports section because it keeps me interested.

I found this reading interesting because I used to watch the Three stooges, so the title pulled me in. The study was even more interesting because it is something that everyone has felt but rarely realized.

When Moe Hits Larry “When Moe Hits Larry…” by David P. Barash is about a biological study. The study was done on a term known as “redirected aggression.” Redirected aggression, which was hypothesized by two Nobel Prize winners, Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen, is when an animal is victimized in a way and he doesn’t get back about the one who made him a victim but another animal. It has been studied in all different types of animals and humans; it always seems to end up in a similar result. Barash compares this to the three stooges how they just hit each other down the line. Barash refers to a study conducted with baboons. When the head baboon hits another one the victim doesn’t get revenge but will see his chemical balance go out of whack shortly and may experience ulcers. That is unless he gives his pain to someone else, redirected aggression has occurred. So baboon one has hit two, which led to two hitting three. For all we know this really is a circle like the Three Stooges when Moe hits Larry who hit Curly. Barash states the obvious when he says humans want to give someone their hurt and pain. And once baboon two hits three he feels better and his chemical imbalance is balanced.

The only reason for choosing this journal was I received a good grade on it. I also have always found talk shows ridiculous.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In Defense of Talk Shows

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 200%;">“In Defense of Talk Shows”, an essay written by Barbara Ehrenreich, she describes what talk shows do to people and how a talk show can be demeaning to the participants. She gives an example of the Montel Williams Show. This talk show is where people can go to have a public therapy session that the audience can chime into. This is why it can be demeaning these people with very dysfunctional lives are being judged and sometimes made fun of by a higher social class, or more stable class you may say. She gives her example of a girl being stalked by an Ex-Boyfriend. What she failed to reveal until the man came on the show was she had been stalking him and had been with him only days before the show, and had prior legal problems. Then Montel steps in and yells at her in front of viewers and tells this person she must clean up her act essentially. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 200%;">According to Ehrenreich, this is called “class exploitation.” It is finding people who need the money to come on the show and be paid to tell their embarrassing story or entire life. Either way it is taking what really matters to people, money, and making a person humiliate themselves to make the cash. Ehrenreich then goes on to say what she would do with her own talk show, and who she would invite on as guests. She claims she would have on “CEOs who rake in millions while their employees are being downsized,” or “Senators who voted for welfare and Medicaid cuts.” This makes total sense. Have on people who others really want to scold at, and these people would be getting embarrassed not embarrassing themselves.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; line-height: 200%;">**Research Abstract**

Thesis: There is a reason Student comes before the athlete, and that reason is that in the end your brain is more important to your success than anything.

My research paper was a statement that Student-athletes need to have academic standards up to par with all students. Someone’s athleticism shouldn’t give them a break on academic success. Colleges all around the United States are accepting students that would never normally get in, but due to sports they “meet requirements” when coaches pull strings. This is a problem that we cannot afford to keep making. The U.S. is already behind in education and cases like this is just pushing us farther back because they are taking spots of great minds who will mean more to the economy in the long run. The graduation rate of division 1 sports is significantly low and needs to be raised. This will require the participation from coaches, parents, and the athletes themselves. This problem needs to be fixed immediately and the NCAA is making requirements tough, although they can be tougher. As a nation we need to put or priorities in the order they need to be in for success and that is academics first.
 * Final Reflection**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Language Arts was never an easy thing for me. I never really could wrap my mind around a lot of grammatically correct concepts. It was hard to put the comma in the correct spot, or use quotations effectively. This is why I was extremely nervous to take ENG 1010 before the semester. I usually see my English teachers as a mountain I have to get over and I know it is never going to be a something that comes easily to me. Little did I know you can easily improve in this area. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Many things have come to my knowledge during the course of the semester. I learned how to correctly use a comma. I also learned how to document information in a research paper. Another thing I learned was how to use a juicy quote sandwich and effectively use quotes as paper enhancers. Writing became a lot easier as the course went on. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I never knew there was so much to commas. Before this class I had never heard the words “comma splice” I recognize today. Commas can be used in many ways. Some of these ways are simple, such as for one of the ‘F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.’ or with a sentence interrupter. Other ways unfortunately were harder including when to use it with a clause or nonessential clause.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Documenting was never a thought in my head until this course. I just went to a bibliography maker online and used that. Now I know in bibliographies URL’s are no longer used or considered useful at all due to the confusing code and length. I also have learned how to document information put in a single sentence or a paragraph. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lastly quotation is much easier to me now. For a correct way to quote you need to introduce the quote, put the quote itself, and document the quote. This is called the “Juicy Quote Sandwich.” Although this is a seemingly easy formula, it can be hard to do correctly. This course has taught me how to quote intelligently. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">These were the major lessons I took from this class. This class has made me a better writer through writing, reading, and peer editing. I enjoyed the readings in this class a lot. My favorite one was the argument and rebuttals for changing the name of Cleveland’s Baseball team. This class seemed to be a nightmare at a glance but I got a lot from it and am pleased that I took it.