Section:Enjoy By: SANTOKH SINGH Publication: The New Paper 15/03/2009 Page: 33 No. of words: 557
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SANTOKH SINGH
FATHER FIGURES
santokh@sph.com.sg
HOW would I have reacted as a father if my sons had been caught streaking on campus?
Reading about some male students getting punished for running naked from one building to another at the National University of Singapore set me thinking, and two other reports on youth provided some background.
I think I would have sat my boys down and lectured them on respecting themselves, respecting the rights of others to their space (and views) and so on.
Then I would have knocked them on their heads for getting caught. - Vivid, Concrete Language (That is something I learnt in the Army – if you pull a prank, make sure you don't get caught. - Appeal to authority: Quotation & etc.)
After which I would have gone to the Hall, and the University, to appeal on their behalf, if it came to that.
Too protective? Too relaxed? Excuse for poor upbringing?
Perhaps, but the other reports in the same three days would have put some of this in perspective.
First, there was the story of a 17-year-old who was an average student, from an average family, with average grades in school.
He was believed to be socially well-adjusted and did not display any signs of violence.
But he went on a shooting rampage at his school, killing 10 schoolmates, three teachers and three passers-by before being gunned down by the police.
That was in Germany on Wednesday.
Average students.
Then there was the report of 13 average students, from average schools, and believed to be from average family backgrounds.
They, too, were understood to be socially well-adjusted, until they were caught carrying dangerous weapons to school. Their intention, we are told, was to hurt people in their schools.
That was in Singapore.
So the story of a group of 20-year-olds streaking in their Hall pales in comparison.
Yes, they too were all average students, from average families, and with average grades that helped them qualify for university.
They are also understood to be socially well-adjusted, active sportsmen who did not display any sign of sexually maladjusted behaviour.
Yes, this "group of misfits" went on a streaking rampage, running naked from one hostel block to another in the middle of the night before they were reported to the authorities by some female students.
But all they did was to give some students a view they were not comfortable with. They did not kill, or threaten to kill, anyone.
While no one can tell the future, I do live with some confidence that my sons are not likely to turn out killers or likely to take choppers to school. - Hyperbole (exaggeration)
But I'm not too sure about the streaking, especially if it is done as part of a Hall tradition or an Officer's Mess ragging session in the Army.
Yes, I do have some confidence in the value systems of my children, and their ability to tell right from wrong.
But I would find it difficult to moralise, let alone punish them with a clear conscience, for something like streaking. - Appeal to personal ethics and character
After all, I too had gone skinny-dipping with some friends, though not on our shores, when I was in university.
It was not to celebrate any sporting victory nor to drown any sorrow. It was also not part of a dare.
It was just for the fun of it.
And we didn't get caught or thrown out of university. - Use of Humour
Overall: - Language appropiate to audience and subject
and some stuff
this guy is pretty funny lol
this is getting boring zz
bleeding till 6:38 PM
first post of my english blog!
so the topic is: What is an exposition?
"Exposition is one of four rhetorical modes of discourse, along with argumentation, description, and narration. The purpose of exposition is to inform, explain, analyze, or define." WIKIPEDIA
eh so from the other sources i am guessing exposition as something to do with explaining the setting / backstory of the story. wheeee and literally it means the discourse of information.
so i dunno... are flashbacks counted as expositionizing? -nization?
in movies and stuff exposition are used as a "info dump" or "plot dump" to let the reader catch up with the story ( setting / backstory / villain's evil schemeee ), but apparently too much exposition at one time is really bad. like ice cream. good in short chunks but too much of it makes you sick. :) which is obviously cuz too much exposition is so boring meh.
i guess Al Gore's movie can also be counted as exposition, because it's based on "cause and effect" which is also a type of exposition. well since we are talking about types of exposition let's just list all the types:
yeah rock on. so this are all types of exposition writing. amazing what you can get from wikipedia ain't it?
buh-bye.
bleeding till 6:08 PM