My Opinion Editorial Analysis

So, I wrote my opinion editorial about how driving less can improve the lives of students at BYU. My audience, clearly, was the BYU student body, but more specifically those who drive to campus everyday. I felt it was worth taking about at this point in time because of the recent complaints in the opinion editorials in the Daily Universe. People have always had issues and complaints with parking, so this topic is always one of interest to drivers at BYU. Another popular complaint is the high food prices in the Cougar Eat, especially right now as some prices have just risen. The last was regarding a complaint regarding the crazy pedestrians. With all of these being talked about fairly recently, I felt it pressing to address them with the solution I presented.

I did my best to appeal to the audience by recognizing the difficulties they would face and possible counter arguments and then emphasizing the benefits of not driving. Even though I know that this solution will be overlooked by many, I wanted to show all of the ways that not driving can help. I tried to be complete in recognizing counter arguments.

Another area I tried to focus on was my language and tone of the paper. In writing to college students, I knew I needed to have an intelligent tone, but still one they could identify with. I wanted to create a feeling in my voice of humility yet boldness. I wanted to avoid seeming overly preachy or that I knew more than the audience, but still presenting my opinion in a presentable way. This audience would only be convinced if they felt their opinions were respected and that I, as the writer, was merely trying to communicate an idea. I feel as though, especially with this audience, tone is the key to getting them to apply and even read my opinion.

Here is just a little body paragraph in my opinion editorial, and this part is addressing people who have been complaining about pedestrians who don't pay attention when walking to school and how if driver's don't like it, they should not drive:

Complaining about crazy pedestrians who don’t pay attention is a futile attempt to better the situation. I’m sure there are many drivers, who, like the students, could pay more attention and be more courteous and cautious. The complaining goes both ways. Basically, when walking and driving onto this crowded campus, there will always be congestion. This is a truth of life at BYU. If you don’t want to deal with the stress of letting a student cross the street or being extra alert for all the those students who are walking near you, then don’t drive. It is the only logical solution.

Intro

This is my introduction to the world of blogging, so bear with me. Last semester in my biology class, I had a particularly good teacher who helped inspire me and made me think about how I live and the consequences of my actions pertaining to the state of our planet in 50 years when it will be inhabited by our grandkids. I understand that my opinion may be a bit biased and one sided as it is largely based on one source, but I really think that we humans need to reflect and perhaps change some of the ways we treat the earth. My biology teacher was so passionate about this subject that I think it necessary for me to learn more about my responsibilities and stewardship as a member of the human race. Our actions need to show how grateful we are for our planet. I am not expert on the subject, but I figured this would be a good way for me to find out more and get some information on something I am interested in, all while fulfilling an assignment. I want to explore the facts about greenhouse gases, deforestation, global warming and its real risks (or lack thereof), and any other interesting things I may find in my research about how we are currently taking care of our planet. My title and URL may seem a bit too environmental, but really the title came from a Jack Johnson song that I find particularly catchy, and it fits my topic. The two were a perfect match. Hopefully I can convey my true feelings and gain a non-biased opinion on this subject and help other people form their own opinions, which may lead to actions and changes in the way people live their lives.