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Entry #10 - What did I Learn in this Course?

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  What did I Learn in this Course? Composition I has been one of my favorite courses at university. Despite writing at an advanced level and taking great care of my grammar for years, I realized I had a lot to learn. Text is not just a form of expression; rather, it is an artful representation of our thoughts, and as art, it is crucial to master the techniques that allow us to impress our readers. In this course, I learned the importance of outlining and adequate essay structure. One of my biggest challenges before taking Composition I was logically organizing my ideas. However, once I learned about outlining and applied it to both paragraphs and whole essays, my writing improved drastically. This technique has been of immense help, as using it has allowed me to write more coherent texts where my points are communicated appropriately. Before taking this course, my essays contained a lot of information that could have been trimmed down had I known how to outline. Now, I write mo...
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Entry #9 - Three Drawbacks of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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  Three Drawbacks of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Alternative medicine, often called complementary medicine (From now on, CAM), refers to treatments for illnesses and conditions used instead of biomedicine. CAM may include remedies, brews, meditation, and other practices often rooted in tradition, religion, or anecdotes, and is commonly used among people who believe modern medicine is unreliable and untrustworthy. Although alternative medicine has been prevalent throughout human history, it presents three drawbacks in the medical field: it is ineffective, unsafe, and wasteful. CAM’s first drawback is that treatments are often ineffective. Many alternative therapies are based on pseudoscience and superstitions stemming from ancient beliefs and traditions with no scientific basis. Angell and Kassirer (1998) argued that the reliance of CAM on testimonies and loosely formulated hypotheses, rather than science, renders it not a true form of medicine. Furthermore, because t...
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Entry #8 - Three Challenges Writers Face Every Day

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  Three Challenges Writers Face Every Day The life of a writer might seem relatively relaxed. Many people imagine authors sitting on a comfortable sofa by the cozy warmth of a chimney on a winter night, capturing their thoughts on paper with impeccable form. Nevertheless, being a writer is not as easy as one would hope. Obsessing over research, avoiding plagiarism, and struggling with writer’s block are three challenges novelists, journalists, bloggers, and many other kinds of professional writers face every day. Have you ever wanted to write a piece, but researching your topic became a never-ending quest that prevented you from getting started? Many writers find it challenging to immerse themselves deeply in their research without letting their writing suffer. Authors with a perfectionist side very often investigate every minute detail with incredible tenacity to ensure their work is accurate and credible. Although this might seem like an excellent habit, it is not without its...
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Entry #7 - The SAG-AFTRA strike has ended

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  According to the BBC, the strike by video game voice actors has officially come to an end. Members of SAG-AFTRA began striking on July 14, 2024, primarily in response to concerns over the unauthorized use and replication of their performances by artificial intelligence (AI). Motion capture actors also demanded that their work be acknowledged as performance, rather than being reduced to mere “data.” The strike lasted a full year, significantly impacting video game development as voice actors withdrew from recording sessions. Other entertainment sectors, including animated series and related productions, also felt the effects. Recently, SAG-AFTRA reached a new agreement with ten major video game publishers. The union announced that 95% of its members voted in favor of the deal, which includes protection against AI replication of their work. With the agreement finalized, video game production has now returned to normal.
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Narrative Essay #1 - My First Time Performing on Stage

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  Performing on stage was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. In 2012, my music teacher had been requesting that I play the piano for my entire school for several months, which I kept politely refusing due to lack of experience on stage or time to practice. However, after Holy Week, when approached again by my teacher, I decided to accept the offer. The day of the event, I oversaw setting up the stage, practiced, and played the piano for my entire school. When I arrived at the school that day, my teacher immediately sought me out. To my surprise, he had convinced the principal to unbox a brand-new, silver-colored Yamaha PSR-series digital keyboard. Then, I was told I was setting up the stage for the show, for which I talked a few friends into helping me. The implements included the keyboard stand, the pedal I brought, and the cherry on top: a raggedy old office chair that looked like it was one bad day away from turning to dust. It did not take us long to have everyt...
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Entry #6 - Commentary on Umair Shahzad's Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Solution

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              Not very often I am left unimpressed by a scientific paper or article. Unfortunately, Umair Shahzad’s Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Solution turned out not to live up to expectations. First, the paper presents many grammatical inconsistencies. Punctuation is rather weak all through, as commas are missing from a lot of lines where they would be adequate. Added to that, terms are frequently repeated in the same paragraph, and certain words jump from singular to plural in several instances. Second, the paper possesses too much visual noise, making it difficult to read. The watermark behind the text presents itself as the biggest offender, and figures are used too often and in clusters that disrupt the reading flow despite the intention of elaborating through visual aids. Lastly, this paper is rather outdated. “Global warming” has not been the scientifically appropriate term since 1988 (Weart, 2003), and we sho...
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Entry #5 - The Impact of AI in Climate Policies

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              The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has made it increasingly difficult for companies to achieve climate goals. According to Roth and Calma (2025), AI data centers have led to an increase in carbon emissions by various companies. Astronomical amounts of energy are being used to power AI data centers around the world, such as that of tech giant Google, who reported an 11% increase in their annual carbon emissions last year. Additionally, companies are prioritizing construction of these massive data centers over the development of eco-friendly technologies. For example, Meta is building a gas-powered data center in Louisiana, and President Donald Trump is promoting coal-powered data centers through a new executive order. These factors are putting corporations’ climate goals at risk. E., & Calma, J. (2025, June 27). Google’s carbon emissions went up again as its AI push continues.  The Verge . https...
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