Proposal

If you were to ask me if I enjoyed high school as a freshman, sophomore, or currently as a junior, I would give you a very frank no.  If you asked many of the other kids, you would probably get the same answer.  I often hear current college students or graduates say, "High school is your worst four years and college are your best four years."  Why?
High school is meant to prepare us for hard, grueling classes in college.  But it seems in the process,  they have lost the essence of education: actually learning something.
As an incoming freshmen, I was scared out of my mind at the sight of a big school with tall seniors and so much homework.  I didn't sign up for this!  And the worst part was sitting in class and not being able to understand what the teacher was teaching.  Taking all Honors classes was not easy and not being able to keep up on top of that was even more difficult.  As a junior, those problems have not magically been wished away overtime.  If anything, they have grown worse.  Now, I have to think not only about Honors classes but also AP classes, SATs, college, and my future.  I'm only 15 (almost 16)!  Oh, but it's not over yet.
I had always be social anxious around people and I had a difficult time trusting them.  And unfortunately, high school brought out a whole new level of anxiety.  I was let down by many people and wasn't emotionally mature enough to handle any of it.  Stupid, I know, but I'm not the only one (even if others don't want to admit it). Social interaction is during teenage years because kids are becoming more mature, physically and mentally. And frankly, we feel awkward almost all the time.  So trying to be accepted and secure with your own self is like climbing Mt. Everest, hard.
This is what the situation currently looks like, from the perspective of a high school student.  That doesn't mean we can't change it.
I believe that the first step to making high school a more comfortable environment for students is by making a smoother transition phase for freshmen.  In order to accomplish this, I want to create a one-semester course for incoming freshmen.  This class would be similar to that of a freshmen seminar in college.  Here, you could learn about the do's and don'ts of high school, learn useful skills on study habits and time management, how to accept who you are and present yourself in front someone or a group of people, be aware of the important things to focus on in high school such as CAPT, SAT, college, AP, and general expectations of classes as a whole.  The class would give you a thorough outline of what you need to know in order to survive and not go completely insane.  Having someone who graduated high school recently would be quite beneficially in making this course helpful to freshmen because they would be able to relate more with someone who just went through high school a few years ago than with someone who might have graduated in the 1970s or 1980s (large generation gap).
This can decrease the anxiety that students face from academics and social interactions, improve their grades, make them feel more comfortable in school and not have them regret getting out of bed, and create a more focused generation of kids.
We have to remember that these kids are going to be the next generation of change for our country, our world.  We have to make sure that they know that there is a future for them.  If they resent high school, they will never look beyond it and look forward to higher education and doing something for the world.      
      

Toulmin Analysis on "Social Change Using Ethos"

The argument begins with introducing the main idea/problem, that freshmen are not prepared for the new high school environment and social stress.  It continues by stating personal experience with social and academic anxiety and stress, building the author's credibility and ethos.

"I entered high school with PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, and Clinical Depression."

This indicates the author's personal relation with high school and mental illnesses and the authority they have on presenting this issue. 

Later, the author builds their ethos even more by relating with other freshmen and high school students.

"As a current high school student with similar issues, I know what it feels like to take one step forward and ten steps back." 

By showing that the author is currently in high school, they are implying that they know what high school life is like and how freshmen can adapt to the environment.  In the same paragraph,  the author uses parallel structure to further emphasize their point and build their ethos.

"I know what it feels like to take one step forward and ten steps back.  I know what it feels like to not be able to speak up in class.  I know what it feels like to be misunderstood and rejected."

Warrants in the article are not clearly stated but somewhat implied throughout the passage. 

·         Stress and anxiety can cause mental instability.

·         Bullying and suicide can be caused by stress and anxiety.

·         Confidence is lowered when put under pressure and stress.

The ultimate claim does not come until the middle of the paragraph about the author's motives. 

"If they take this class in their first year, they will be prepared for coming years in their high school career."

The reasoning comes in the second to last paragraph.

"We will have a more inviting school community.  Students will be able to get along with each other because they know that they are all in the same boat.  Bullying and suicide will be cut down because students will stick together, knowing that they are all going through the same process of anxiety and stress.  Students will be more confident about themselves and be able to present themselves with pride."

The claim and reasoning effectively go hand in hand and the warrants also show the thought process between the reasoning and the claim and displays valid assumptions on the issue.

However, qualifiers and rebuttals are not identified in the article.  To build the character of the author, presenting counter claims and not generalizing the population of students may have been helpful.  In addition, specific data and statistics may also increase the validity of the passage and be accepted more by the audience, which seem to be the students as well as the school administration.

Audiences.

1.       High school students (generally)

2.       Freshmen

3.       Teachers/Administration

4.       Guidance counselors

5.       Students with academic/social anxiety and/or other mental illnesses

6.       Parents of freshmen and/or troubled students

7.       Potential state government/Board of Ed.

1.       Freshmen---> They have not been exposed  to high school culture and expectations.  If freshmen are already exposed to skills helpful in high school in their first year, they will be prepared for upcoming years. 

2.       Parents of freshmen---> Parents of incoming freshmen should also be informed on skills and ways to cope with a challenging environment such as high school.  This way, they help their child if they are ever in distress.

3.       High school students---> Upperclassmen (10, 11, 12th graders) can also benefit this course.  It can be open to any students older than freshmen that need skills in order to deal with heavy coursework or making friends.

Freshmen would benefit most from this program because they will gain skills to handle high school right from the beginning.  They will be able to have someone guide them through how to handle friend-making, school work, etc. instead of having to figure it out by themselves, the hard way.  Even though it is open to all students, freshmen will get the most out of it because they don't know anything about high school.  Upperclassmen have already adapted to the environment in some ways and coping by themselves by sophomore year.