Home » News
Category Archives: News
Scripted Interview
Writing for the Sciences Miriam Mendez
May 17, 2022
Interview
What is depression? How does depression affect someone and how can we treat it?
In this interview, it will be discussed what depression is in the eyes of nurse Michie Perez. Michie is a nurse who takes care of patients who suffer from depression. She has been doing her line of work for 7 years and has learned a lot through the years. I sat down on the phone with Michie to discuss some questions I myself might have and others could have as well.
Q1: What is depression?
A1: Depression is a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It is a mood disorder that runs along a spectrum. It can range anywhere from a mild adjustment disorder to a major depressive disorder. An adjustment disorder is short-term while a major disorder is one that can be very serious if it isn’t addressed.
Q2: Why is it important to report symptoms of depression to your doctor?
A2: It is important to report symptoms of depression to your doctor because other medical considerations need to be evaluated. For example, one can come in for a visit because they’re experiencing their heart pounding 140 beats per minute due to anxiety. However, it is not because the patient has an anxiety disorder, but because the patient is anemic. Therefore, the patient needs a different kind of treatment.
Q3:What symptoms of depression may be noticeable to others?
A3: Patients with depression often lose interest in everyday things they loved doing or used to make them happy. One can notice a shift in their activities or their mood.You might find someone with depression that is not doing much with their day and isn’t engaging in activities like they used to.
Q4:When should the doctor be informed of the patient’s depression?
A4: Well first, there should be some discussion between the patient and doctor about the patient’s symptoms. It is important, not only to take care of a patient’s physical state but also their emotional state. If depression is interfering with a patient’s ability to function or participate in their own treatment, it should be brought to a doctor’s attention.
Q5: Why should patients seek treatment for depression?
A5: It is a stigma in society that depression patients are often untreatable, that they will be depressed forever. That is most definitely not the case. It is important for patients and caregivers to understand that depression is a treatable disorder. Additionally, they do not have to live with these conditions forever. Patients and their families should know these feelings are common and
are nothing to be ashamed or afraid about. If left untreated, depression can have an affect on their ability to cope, adhere to treatment, and have an adverse effect on survival.
Q6:What kinds of treatments are used to treat depression?
A6: Well, there are a lot of treatments that can be used. A treatment most commonly used are therapies such as psychotherapy and medications. Psychotherapy can be done in a group setting or one-on-one. A brief therapy session can go a long way and can be effective in preventing depression from becoming a full blown major depression. Antidepressants are a form of medication/therapy. A combination of these two can really help the patient.
Q7:What are some techniques for managing depression?
A7: I myself am actually a big fan of distraction. It helps keep the mind from the negative thoughts patients could have. Patients should try and focus on something that takes their mind off depression. Oftentimes I find myself trying to find out what the patients liked to do and try to relive the happy memories they had while doing those activities.
Q8: What is postpartum depression?
A8: Postpartum depression is where you’re going to feel intense feelings of sadness and you don’t like feeling like doing anything at all, same as regular depression. It is normal for moms to feel anxious or sad or even tearful after having a baby. However, postpartum depression is really when you start having those intense feelings after two weeks of delivering.
Q9: Is anyone at higher risk for postpartum depression, and who might that be?
A9: People who are at a higher risk are people who have had depression before in their lives. It is very important to let your OBGYN know if you have had depression before. As well as trauma you’ve experienced before, like a death in your family, or etc, in that first stage of becoming a mom, it can make you vulnerable. Women who do not have social support can feel like they are isolated and are also at a high risk.
Q10:Do you have any advice for loved ones who may be worried about a new mom who’s not herself?
A10: Yes of course! I would like to start off by saying, please do not hesitate to contact anybody. Of course make sure you trust them enough with your feelings and make sure they can provide the emotional support you need. Your partner can be your best friend in this situation. You both are going through these stages together and they can be tough but they can provide the shoulder to cry on. Never ever stay quiet about your feelings!
Works Cited
Perez, Michie. Personal Interview by Miriam Mendez. 15 May 2022. Phone Conference.
Theme Selection
The theme I will be prestenting is mental health and what are ways one can become better. The question that will be made is “What are the most effective ways to treat depression?”. I chose this topic because it can be relatable to anyone who is suffering a mental illness like depression and maybe I will dicuss ways to help that they, themselves, had not thought of. I have some outside knowledge due to the fact, as sad as it is, a lot of people close to me suffer from depression and it can be really heartbreaking seeing someone go through that.
Source:
Knopf, Alison. “Treat youth anxiety and depression with brief therapy in primary care.” The Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update, vol. 23, no. 5, 2021, pp. 1-3, https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=8a3ee7b0-5490-4524-b08c-01cdfb06c4ed%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=149926977&db=a9h.
Research Proposal Draft 1
Miriam Mendez Writing for the Sciences May 3, 2022
Depression: Many Shapes Many Forms
Depression is a medical condition that affects your mood and ability to function. Depression is very common; Matter of fact, “healthcare providers estimate that nearly 7% of American adults have depression every year. More than 16% of U.S. adults–around 1 in 6– will experience depression in their lifetime” (“Depression: Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment”). There are many different types of depression such as, major depressive disorder, perinatal and postpartum depression, bipolar depression, and etc. The big three that will be discussed are major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, and depression amongst children and adolescents. Additionally, treatments and ways one can manage depression will also be discussed. If you or anyone you know suffer from depression there are many ways one can get help or contact someone for help.
Major depressive disorder also known as MDD is a clinical depression and has “intense or overwhelming symptoms that last longer than two weeks. These symptoms interfere with everyday life” (“Depression: Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment”). One can be diagnosed with MDD through a physical exam, lab tests, psychiatric evaluation and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Symptoms caused by major depression can depend on the person. It is stated in the article mayoclinic.org “To clarify the type of depression you have, your doctor may add one or more specifiers. A specifier means that you have depression with specific features, such as: Anxious distress – depression with unusual
restlessness or worry about possible events or loss of control, psychotic features – depression accompanied by delusions or hallucinations, which may involve personal inadequacy or other negative themes…” (“Depression (major depressive disorder) – Diagnosis and treatment”). There are many more specific features that can determine what kind of depression one might have and can even have one or more specifiers. Another one on the list is one many women can relate to which is peripartum and postpartum depression.
Peripartum is one of many specifiers of depression. Peripartum onset depression “occurs during pregnancy or in the weeks or months after every delivery (postpartum)” (“Depression (major depressive disorder) – Diagnosis and treatment”). In an article titled Preventing and Treating Women’s Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Systematic Review on Partner-Inclusive Interventions, Stephanie Martins and others create a study “to synthesize the literature on partner inclusive interventions designed to prevent or treat postpartum depression (PPD) in women” (Alves et al. #1). In other words, they created this study to combine partner inclusive interventions that are designed to prevent or treat postpartum depression. During postpartum, “women’s partners often have difficulties in understanding their spouse’s emotional experiences” (Alves et al. #1) which can cause the couple to clash and thus creating unstable communication. On the upside, “they may benefit of being included in treatment plans to learn about the symptoms of PD and how to provide adequate support and assist women in their recovery. This may help partners feeling less helpless to cope with women’s PPD and women may feel more supported” (Alves et al. #1). Treatments like antidepressant medications as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal therapy have been effective. Antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants “do not have adverse effects on breastfeeding infants, including long-term studies that suggest no developmental problems are found”
(“Postpartum Depression”) which can be good for the baby’s sake. It is still important to talk with a primary doctor and see what is the best medication when breastfeeding. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective since it “improves problem-solving skills, teaching relaxation, social skills, and scheduling pleasant activities… research shows that CBT for postpartum depression is significantly effective” (“Postpartum Depression”). Moreover, interpersonal therapy focuses on one’s relationships with their partner and it involves 12 sessions, more sessions than CBT which is 6 to 10, and IPT is effective in reducing PPD symptoms and can help prevent symptoms peripartum. Other methods of helping women with PPD is creating time to bond with your baby as well as creating time for yourself, as well as exercising.
Staying active when depressed can actually be more enjoyable than expected. To increase the amount of activities one can “list activities you used to enjoy, plan one of these activities each day, increase the amount of time available for activities you enjoy, after an activity, think about or write down what you enjoyed about it, talk to others about what activities they like” (“Depression – treatment and management”). Yoga is said to be therapeutic when it comes to treating anxiety and depression. A study that involves thirty-six adults with anxiety and depression is taken and they will be self selected into a therapeutic yoga program. CBT is also a method that will be used to help treat the adults in this study and “researchers have sought to enhance CBT protocols with mindfulness-based approaches, such as yoga” (Capon et al. #1). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 27 participants immediately after the eight week program then again three months later. After thematic analysis and engagement over time, it was revealed “Yoga was identified as providing a unique combination of elements that complemented processes of CBT, such as behavior activation and thought disputation”. It was also concluded
“therapeutic yoga warrants consideration as an adjunct treatment for anxiety and depression as it offers unique and complementary elements to CBT and can enhance engagement and perceived clinical outcomes” (Capon et al. #1). To put it another way, CBT and yoga are proven to enhance engagement and can effectively treat depression and social anxiety.
Depression can be common towards children and adolescents. According to The Brown University article about Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology update, youth anxiety and depression are common and undertreated. Transdiagnostic therapy is used for “young people with anxiety and depression when done in primary care, compared with referral to community outpatient mental health care, a recent study has found” (Knopf #1). About 30% of youths have anxiety, depression or both by the end of puberty which can then be carried into adulthood (Knopf #2). Finding the best depression treatment is very important. If your depression is keeping you from living your life, please don’t hesitate to seek help. Therapy as well as medication can help minimize symptoms or help treat depression. Getting social support like talking to a trusted family member or friends (Smith et al.) or even seeking help from a counselor can help the feeling of going through your depression alone.
Treatment takes time and commitment. The road to recovery is long but ultimately and can feel overwhelming. It can feel like you’re on a rollercoaster that never stops but eventually, the ride will stop and you will come off it feeling brand new. If you ever feel depressed, call 1-(800)-273‐TALK (8255). Speaking up is better than not speaking at all.
Works Cited
Alves, Stephanie, et al. “Preventing and Treating Women’s Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative
Systematic Review on Partner-Inclusive Interventions.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 27, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-25.
https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=15& sid=8a3ee7b0-5490-4524-b08c-01cdfb06c4ed%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb Gl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=127145515&db=a9h.
Capon, Hannah, et al. “Yoga complements cognitive behaviour therapy as an adjunct treatment for anxiety and depression: Qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study.” Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, vol. 94, no. 4, 2021, pp. 1015-1035. https://bpspsychub-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/doi/full/10.11 11/papt.12343.
“Depression (major depressive disorder) – Diagnosis and treatment.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/diagnosis-treatment/drc-2035 6013. Accessed 03 February 2018.
“Depression – treatment and management.” Better Health Channel, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/depression-treatment- and-management. Accessed 3 May 2022.
“Depression: Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 31 December 2020, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression. Accessed 3 May 2022.
Knopf, Alison. “Treat youth anxiety and depression with brief therapy in primary care.” The Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update, vol. 23, no. 5, 2021, pp. 1-3, https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&si d=8a3ee7b0-5490-4524-b08c-01cdfb06c4ed%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl 2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=149926977&db=a9h.
“Postpartum Depression.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, 30 September 2021, https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/women/postpartum-depression. Accessed 3 May 2022.
Smith, Melinda, et al. “Depression Treatment.” HelpGuide.org, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-treatment.htm. Accessed 25 April 2022.
Annotated Bibliography
Alves, Stephanie, et al. “Preventing and Treating Women’s Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative
Systematic Review on Partner-Inclusive Interventions.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 27, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-25.https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=15& sid=8a3ee7b0-5490-4524-b08c-01cdfb06c4ed%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb Gl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=127145515&db=a9h.
The main argument in this article is to prevent and treat women’s postpartum depression. Stephanie Alves and et al. make valid points about the behavior of the partner who can contribute to PPD. As well as, lack of support and emotion towards the women. The study helps bring out evidence that can help the lack of communication between partners.
Capon, Hannah, et al. “Yoga complements cognitive behaviour therapy as an adjunct treatment for anxiety and depression: Qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study.” Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, vol. 94, no. 4, 2021, pp. 1015-1035. https://bpspsychub-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/doi/full/10.11 11/papt.12343.
Yoga and CBT go hand in hand in treating depression. Yoga is found to be therapeutic and merged with CBT can leave depressed adults feel a sense of ease. Other methods are also included.
“Depression: Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 31 December 2020, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression. Accessed 3 May 2022.
In this article, it talks about depression and many ways it can be treated. Not only does it talk about specific types of depression but it also lists the causes and symptoms.
“Depression (major depressive disorder) – Diagnosis and treatment.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/diagnosis-treatment/drc-2035 6013. Accessed 03 February 2018.
Lastly, this article mainly points out one kind of depression, major depressive disorder. It contains methods of treatment as well as symptoms and causes of major depressive disorder. After explaining all the causes and symptoms, it gives examples on other forms of depression as well as their causes and treatments.
The Debate of Death/ Final Draft Argumentative
Miriam Mendez Writing for the Sciences April 12, 2022
The Debate of Death
The death penalty has been around since the Colonial times. In other parts of the world, the death penalty was merely beheading. As time went on, criminals have been put to death by hanging, shooting, electrocution, poison gas, and lethal injection. Today, all states that have the law of the death penalty use lethal injection. As a human living in today’s society, do you believe the death penalty is a just punishment? Some might say the death penalty is justified, some say it’s cruel and nobody should be put to death for their actions. However, some actions, like murder and many more I will discussing about, deserve a certain punishment like the death penalty. The death penalty is justified and is known for inforcing and preserving law as well as structure.
There was a study made in Brazil by Francis Danso Boateng and Michael K. Dzordzormenyoh about the death penalty and the examination of the public support towards the penalty. Brazil has the death penalty for cases like war crimes, genocides, crime against humanity, and terrorism. Police brutality is a worldwide phenomenon; Meaning everywhere in the world faces police viciousness. In Brazil, “police brutality and execution of criminals on the street is very common. These extrajudicial executions of citizens—majority of which are Blacks and mixed-race people—create fear among minorities and will not only influence support for the death penalty… can be viewed as a form of death penalty administered by the street-level bureaucrats.”. (Boateng, Francis D., and Michael K. Dzordzormenyo) Police officers engage in not legalized killings of unarmed or non harmful individuals, more specifically Blacks and mixed-race individuals, and it makes minorities fear for their safety. Police brutality pushes
support for the death penalty because these police officers or “street-level bureaucrats” are often not penalized or are exempted from getting any form of punishment from the law, in which are increasing the support for the death penalty to put these monsters away for good. (Boateng, Francis D., and Michael K. Dzordzormenyo) Many innocent lives have been taken by the cruelty police officers do that the death penalty should be placed on them. A life for a life. Many of these kids have a future and it was taken away because a white police officer took one look at a black kid and thought they were up to no good. The case of Trayvon Martin is a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Trayvon Martin was wearing a dark gray hoodie walking around Twin Lakes community when police officer Zimmerman saw Martin and thought he looked suspicious and followed him even when other officers told him not to. An altercation happened between the two causing Zimmerman to shoot Trayvon resulting in him being killed. All that happened to Zimmerman was he was found not guilty and was acquitted of his charges. This is not the first but one of many, too many, police brutality gone unpunished. Too many minorities dying and too many extrajudicial killings with impunity. The death penalty “appears to have steadily increased from 65 percent in the early 1970s”. Wouldn’t you too believe in a life for a life?
Is the notion of a life for a life really an option? Is that not just acting out based on your emotions and not thinking rationally. Yes the victims were killed but the killer has family as well. One family’s pain cannot be one family’s pleasure; Two wrongs don’t make a right. In 1986 criminologist Phillip Harris surveyed “revenge is a more powerful rationale than any of the utilitarian justifications”. Criminologist James O. Finckenauer agrees saying “the public’s desire for revenge is dictating public policy regarding the death penalty”. (Bedau, Hugo Adam) In other words, revenge is a more powerful reason than the “good” reason the death penalty should be
justified. The public is more in favor of the death penalty because all they want is revenge. Revenge is clouding their judgment and the ability to think straight in regards to the death penalty. Another point James Alan fox, also a criminologist, made was the “support for the death penalty depends a great deal on just what kind of murder is in question: Support for executing a serial murderer, such as the notorious Ted Bundy (electricuted in Florida in 1989), is one thing; support for executing a battered wife who in desperation killer her abusive husband is another”. (Bedau, Hugo Adam) Now what if the assaulted wife gets the death penalty just for killing her husband? What if a wrongfully accused man is sent to their death? Where is the notion “a life for a life” now? Author Sarah Roberts-Cady brought up a good point about “an eye for an eye; Stating “how would one have punished Hitler? One cannot commit genocide against a single individual. It would entail that is is appropriate to rape the rapist or torture the torturer. Unless one is willing to accept this unsavory consequence, one has reason to reject this standard”. It is an interesting rational to justify the death penalty. She expresses the fact that certain crimes were horrific “neither death by injection nor life in prison could match the losses of the victims of the most horrible types of crimes”. (Roberts-Cady, Sarah) Yes, revenge seems sweet at first, of course sentencing the criminal for death may sound better than just being in jail, but at what cost?
Have you ever heard of the Central Park Five? If you haven’t let me enlighten you on the monstrous situation that happened in 1989. In Central Park, New York, NY, five black/mixed male teenagers were indicted for raping a woman and other charges. The woman was found barely clinging to life. One of the four was given a plea deal and pleaded guilty to assault and other charges, the other four were indicted for assault and other charges. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam served their complete sentences
of 6 and 13 years before serial rapist Matias Reyes admits to the crime and DNA supports his confession. Those five kids spent almost their entire life wrongfully convicted and suffered many horrific and unspeakable things while incarcerated. There was a public outrage, some even wanting the death penalty for these boys. Imagine they were put to death and Reyes then confessed. Imagine how their families would feel, their children dead because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time? Joseph M. Giarratano suffered somewhat the same thing. Giarratano was a former Virginia death-row prisoner. Two days before being executed, he was granted parole after 38 years in jail for rape and double murder that lawyers and supports said he dd not commit. Giarratano had lived in a “party house” meaning strangers and visitors would visit freely. The night of the murders, he was there and being on drugs, he said he has no recollection of what happened. According to the article, “he said he woke up on the couch, discovered the bodies, and because no one else was in the apartment, he assumed he had committed the killings. He fled to Florida, where he turned himself in”. When giving his confessions it was indicated they were inconsistent and conflicted with the evidence at the crime scene. In the end, lawyer Stephen A. Northup revealed that he believed Joseph was innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted. (“Ex-Virginia Death-Row Prisoner With Strong Claim of Innocence Get Parole After 38 Years”)
Unfortunately, some unlucky souls are incriminated for crimes they did not commit. Some people may feel that justice is served when the criminal is caught and punished to the full extent. Some may even take matters into their own hands. On March 2nd 1998, Patrick O’Neal Kennedy called the police to report the rape of his 8 year old stepdaughter. It was revealed that the victim’s injuries were so severe it was required for an extensive emergency surgery. Kennedy was arrested, charged, and convicted of the offense. Given the severity of the victim’s injury, Kennedy was sentenced to death. Because of the Coker V. Georgia (1977) case it had “already
prohibited the use of the death penalty for the rape of adult women. That Court decleared that the use of the death penalty for rape was “grossly disproportiante and excessive”. Although the “Kennedy ruling invalidated similar laws in Georgia, Montana, Oklahoma … the very existence of those capital child rape suggets … unlike adult rape, aggrivated vicitmization of children is deserving of the most extreme punishment”. If the death penalty was so “grossly dispropriate and excessive” then the 8 year old’s severe injuries are what exactly? How can something so cruel and traumatic happen to an 8 year old and now have the death penalty as a justified punishment. The injuries included “a laceration to the left vaginal wall that resulted in a separation of the cervix from the back of the vagina, which in turn caused the rectum to protrude into the vaginal structure. It was also reported that ‘her entire perineum was torn from the posterior fourchette to the anus”. A 44 year old man caused those injuries to an 8 year old little girl and the death penalty should’nt be considered because it’s “grossly disproportiante and excessive”. The eighth amendment prohibited Kennedy from being put to death because the victim did not die and death was not intended. That is what I call grossly unreasonable and disturbing for that amendment to be allowed in the case.
To conclude, the death penalty is a justfiable and a lawful punishment. Some may be wrongfully convicted or innocent of the crimes. However, if found guilty for heinous crimes, the death penalty should still be a considerable punishment for the crimes commited. A monster should be brought to death for their heinous crime. For those who have not watched the documentary about the Central Park Five, “When They See Us” on Netflix, I recommend watching it. It was educational because I learned facts about the case I never knew. These are real people who had their lives stripped over a crime they did not commit. It is a lot to handle and will leave your mind running and your heart/head racing with loads of emotions. Nonetheless,
the notion of “ignorance is bliss” is irrational. Knowledge is power and the more you know the better.
Works Cited
Bedau, Hugo Adam, editor. The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Oxford University Press, USA, 1998. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Boateng, Francis D., and Michael K. Dzordzormenyo. “Capital Punishment in Brazil: Exploring Factors That Predict Public Support for the Death Penalty.” Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, vol. Vol. 38, no. 1, 2022, pp. 56-71. Academic Search Complete.
Dierenfeld, Rick. “Support for the Death Penalty in Cases of Rape and Sexual Assault: Variation between Victim Age Categories.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, vol. 65, no. 16, 2021, pp. 1823-1846. Academic Search Complete.
Roberts-Cady, Sarah. “Against Retributive Justifications of the Death Penalty.” Journal of Social Philosophy, vol. 41, no. 2, 2010, pp. 185-193. Academic Search Complete.
Pathos Article:
“Ex-Virginia Death-Row Prisoner With Strong Claim of Innocence Get Parole After 38 Years.” Death Penalty Information Center, 21 November 2017, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/ex-virginia-death-row-prisoner-with-strong-claim-of-in nocence-get-parole-after-38-years. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Peer Review of Draft 1
Miriam Mendez
Isabella Roman
Isabella’s draft does include Aristotles’ 3 pain keypoints, pathos, logos, ethos. Pathos is seen throughout the essay but more specifically, it is shown through the personal stories/ evidence. It is seen on page 3. The evidence is less statistical and more emotional. Logos also known as logic is seen throughout the entire draft. Some changes that can be made are condensing the evidence and making it integrate into the paragraphs. That way it sounds better and flows better. For example, when saying “According to Doherty… 12 % of couples who go to a treatment stay together” one can say “Doherty and … believe couples therapy is a positive way to be in a healthy relationship since “‘12% of couples who go to a treatment stay together’(Doherty, Harris, Wilde 252)”. Ethos is seen throughout the essay especially in pages 4 and 5. The thesis is clearly stated at the end of the conclusion. The “hook” could be more interesting with asking questions to grab the reader’s attention or in this case a scenario. Other than the obvious, I liked the topic and everything was easily understandable and interesting. I like how the evidence is clearly stated as well as the works cited.
Draft 1: Argumentative
Miriam Mendez
Writing for the Social Sciences March 31st, 2022
The Debate of Death
The death penalty has been around since the Colonial times. In other parts of the world, the death penalty was merely beheading. As time went on, criminals have been put to death by hanging, shooting, electrocution, poison gas, and lethal injection. Today, all states that have the law of the death penalty use lethal injection. As a human living in today’s society, do you believe the death penalty is a just punishment? Some might say it is, some say it’s cruel and nobody should be put to death for their actions. However, some actions, no doubt, deserve a certain punishment like the death penalty. The death penalty is justified and is known for inforcing and preserving law as well as structure.
Body 1: Demonstrating how the death penalty is justified.
Body 2: The other side: Demonstrating how the death penalty is cruel and unfair.
Body 3: The pathos side of the argument: How innocent people get framed and be sent or nearly sent to their death.
Conclusion: Wrapping everything up and ending it with the thesis.
Works Cited
Bedau, Hugo Adam, editor. The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Oxford
University Press, USA, 1998. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Boateng, Francis D., and Michael K. Dzordzormenyo. “Capital Punishment in Brazil: Exploring
Factors That Predict Public Support for the Death Penalty.” Journal of Contemporary
Criminal Justice, vol. Vol. 38, no. 1, 2022, pp. 56-71. Academic Search Complete. Dierenfeld, Rick. “Support for the Death Penalty in Cases of Rape and Sexual Assault: Variation between Victim Age Categories.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and
Comparative Criminology, vol. 65, no. 16, 2021, pp. 1823-1846. Academic Search
Complete.
Roberts-Cady, Sarah. “Against Retributive Justifications of the Death Penalty.” Journal of Social
Philosophy, vol. 41, no. 2, 2010, pp. 185-193. Academic Search Complete. Pathos Article:
“Ex-Virginia Death-Row Prisoner With Strong Claim of Innocence Get Parole After 38 Years.” Death Penalty Information Center, 21 November 2017, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/ex-virginia-death-row-prisoner-with-strong-claim-of-in nocence-get-parole-after-38-years. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Argumentative brainstorm
Miriam Mendez
Writing for Social Science March 24th, 2022
Is the death penalty a just punishment?
Thesis: Yes, the death penalty is justified; a just punishment. The death penalty is known for inforcing and preserving law and order.
Works Cited
Bedau, Hugo Adam, editor. The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Oxford
University Press, USA, 1998. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Boateng, Francis D., and Michael K. Dzordzormenyo. “Capital Punishment in Brazil: Exploring
Factors That Predict Public Support for the Death Penalty.” Journal of Contemporary
Criminal Justice, vol. Vol. 38, no. 1, 2022, pp. 56-71. Academic Search Complete. Dierenfeld, Rick. “Support for the Death Penalty in Cases of Rape and Sexual Assault: Variation between Victim Age Categories.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and
Comparative Criminology, vol. 65, no. 16, 2021, pp. 1823-1846. Academic Search
Complete.
Roberts-Cady, Sarah. “Against Retributive Justifications of the Death Penalty.” Journal of Social
Philosophy, vol. 41, no. 2, 2010, pp. 185-193. Academic Search Complete. Pathos Article:
“Ex-Virginia Death-Row Prisoner With Strong Claim of Innocence Get Parole After 38 Years.” Death Penalty Information Center, 21 November 2017, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/ex-virginia-death-row-prisoner-with-strong-claim-of-in nocence-get-parole-after-38-years. Accessed 26 March 2022.
Journal Entry 2
- After reading The New York Times article “From Prison to PhD”, it talks over the case of Michelle Jones who served 20 years out of the 50 she was supposed to serve. She is just an example out of the organization for ex-criminals who can live normally. Some schools are not a fan of giving ex criminals an education. Certain schools like Harvard and Yale, make it hard for them to go out and get an education. Michelle shares her experiences and stories while still being rejected for her conviction of murder. She shares her journey with the readers as she aspires to get her PhD. The main message being that anyone can learn from their mistakes and become a better person.
- “People don’t survive 20 years of incarceration with any kind of grace unless they have the discipline to do their reading and writing in the chaos of that place,” Ms. Jones said. “Forget Harvard. I’ve already graduated from the toughest school there is.” I picked this quote because it gave an inspirational but real feeling. In the quote, she talks about people not surviving 20 years of incarceration or imprisonment because they lose their minds. They don’t try to bring peace in the chaos that is prison, which is why it is hard for criminals to get out on good behavior. Thus, Michelle explained that Harvard didn’t mean anything, she already graduated the toughest school there is, prison.
Argumentative Brainstorm Ideas
- Should the death penalty be legal?
- Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
- Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent?
- Should sports be segregated by gender?
