Welcome to Term 2 folks!
No, Ms. Zuba has not lost her mind...even though she did watch The Walking Dead last night, which always brings out the "prepper" in me and my husband does have a zombie survival kit in our attic (and we have a "Z" plan)...this blog entry comes to me after reading the essay Taking a Fall. I'd like you to read the essay and join in a discussion on our blog. This week I am asking you for two things:
1. post a response of your own after reading the essay
2. Go back a few days later and make a comment on someone else's post
Things to think about as you read:
• Did you enjoy the essay, why or why not?
• How does the essay represent our society's feelings on survivalism?
• What is the author's purpose in writing the essay?
Enjoy!!! And if you start hoarding power bars and bottled water, don't blame me!
Ms. Z.
I enjoyed reading this essay. I believe that the Dan Koeppel's purpose was to give out information that will never happen to these aircraft travelers or reassure them that it is unlikely to happen to them. The audience was to the airline travelers, to entertain them while they were on the plane. I thought that the whole story about Juliane Koepcke was very interesting to read about - I would NOT have been able to survive going through the amazon alone at age seventeen. The story reminds me of "Hatchet," a book we read in the sixth grade where a boy's plane crashes and he is forced to survive on his own.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of Hatchet too! Also, there is no chance that I would not be able to survive either!
DeleteI did not enjoy reading this essay because as a frequent flyer I don not like to read about plane crashes. Although this article is offering advice, I think that it just makes me more scared to fly. Its purpose is to inform airline traveller's but it just made me more timid to fly often. Its tone was assuring, but it did not really assure me of anything. I did like how it made the point that there is the slightest chance that any plane crash would happen though. There was a lot about crashing, but then the article switches to how "you are now safely landed on the tarmac" which I thought was a clever technique. This reminded me of the film United 93. This is a more realistic version of what to do in the event of a crash than the flight attendant's version you listen to on any average flight. This was overall a very interesting article and intro to this new units.
ReplyDeleteI thought of United 93 too! Great movie
DeleteI kind of agree actually... Most people do NOT want to think about crashing while they're on a plane - there's no wood to knock on after reading that essay when you're on a plane!!!
DeleteI feel ya mar, It made me even more scared to fly alone. annnd I didn't think of that movie until I read your post, and they are super similar.
DeleteI enjoyed this essay. When i was first reading it I wasn't really sure what the purpose was becasue it was so much information that I felt I would never use. I really liked the ending though becasue Koeppel was able to make an informative piece of writing into a commical piece. The purpose was to reassure plane riders that the odds of them crashing are so slim and all of what they are reading will most likely not be in use whatsoever. I think the essay represents society's desire to always be prepared for every possible situation. Koeppel makes readers realize they sometimes need to just relax and enjoy the ride.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Sometimes people need to relax and not worry about the situation at hand.
DeleteI did not enjoy reading this essay. as I read it, it made me feel like I was free falling out of the sky. I don't wanna read something that makes me feel like I'm going to hit the ground and die in any second. I think society thinks that everyone can survive a plane crash, if you know what to do. the point of the essay might of been to tell the reader that you can survive and some tips how. also some examples of people surviving plane crashes.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the piece was pretty funny, and it made light of falling out of a plane, which is something that most people would be very afraid of. I think the author does a good job of showing that sometimes you can't do anything about what will happen, and that there are no preventative measures for certain situations.
ReplyDeletegood point coombs - the author has a good use of sarcasm
DeleteI think that this was a very interesting article, and probably the most useful asignment in this class so far. Although being able to write good is useful, it will not save my life. The knowledge i have gained from this article could potentially save my life in the event of a plane crash or skydiving accident. Thank you
ReplyDeleteWriting may save your life, you never know what will happen man
DeleteAlthough surviving in this type of situation is not likely, now you have the knowledge to increase your chances
DeleteI thought the essay was really funny, I just hope it will never happen to me!! The whole time I was reading it I was thinking about that if I was falling from a plane I would accept my death and spend the time crying over the fact I'd never see my family again. Kinda makes me not want to skydive now... there is a bigger chance of that going wrong than getting in a plane crash!
ReplyDeleteI really did like this article. I found serious at first, but as I went on it sounded more sarcastic. I think the fact that it's supposed to represent society's view on survivalism depends on the reader. I think it does represent society's view. I know I would not want to be plunging 3,000 feet from the plane. I think it was supposed to entertain rather than inform. I think if you are falling from a plane, you probably are paralyzed with fear causing you not think straight. I don't think people can react when falling from a plane. I started think of 'Lord of the Flies' since everyone somehow managed to survive the crash.
ReplyDeleteI thought of Lord of the Flies while reading this as well!
DeleteI enjoyed this article because it was funny but also informative and I thought it was nice to know that it is still possible to survive a plane crash. I think this essay showed how people will try to do anything to survive, even in situations where the chances of surviving are slim to none. I think the purpose was to inform people of how to survive a plane crash even though its basically impossible.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point
DeleteI enjoyed reading this article. It was funny, and very useful if I very fell out of a plane, but that is not something I want to think about. I like how the author made something that many people take so seriously into something informative and comical at the same time. I'm not sure that I would be able to remember any of this if I did ever fall out of a plane, but it was still a good reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree I thought it was funny and informative too!
DeleteI really enjoyed reading this article! I thought that the authors lighthearted tone was appropriately used to not make the article seem depressing. As for the purpose of the essay, it is always nice to know what to do if you ever are approached with a crash landing. I really enjoyed the transitions throughout the piece (the time passing by ect). It more fun to tell a story rather than to give concrete instructions about how to preform a task.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I really liked how the author divided up the instructions according to the time periods before the crash.
DeleteAlthough this essay was very informative on what to do if your plan crashes, I found the essay more frightening then helpful. As a frequent flyer, like Mar, this essay just accentuated my fears. I also don't think plane crashes are a laughing matter, and when Dan began to poke fun at the topic it bugged me. Also when Dan wrote about Juliane Koepcke, it reminded me of Lord of the Flies and Hatchet, because they are books on survival and the imapct it has on teenagers.
ReplyDeletethat's a very good point Lindsay! I AGREE
DeleteI really enjoyed learning about how to survive an airplane crash. As a reader, i definitely wouldn't like to read this essay while on an airplane but it gave me valuable information and reassured me about the possible dangers of flying. Before reading this i thought for sure any sort of plane accident resulted in ultimate death and if not, it was a pure miracle. Although all this information is great to know to help you survive a plane crash, I feel that if I was in a malfunctioning plane about to crash, I wouldn't be able to remember all of this because I would be too busy freaking out.
ReplyDeleteThat would be very frightening indeed.
DeleteI thought the article, while interesting to read, was in fact quite useless. The chance of surviving a fall from an airplane are slim to none, and if one ever finds themselves in this situation, they should just hope for the best. I think that people often take survival too seriously when in reality, there is not much we can do. Falling out of a plane is just one of these examples. This author's purpose is to clearly portray this idea.
ReplyDeleteI found myself to be very tense while reading this essay. The authors use of description made me feel as though I really was falling out of a plane. The ending of this essay was by far my favorite part, as I was at that point, able to relax and stop worrying. I realized that I was not actually falling out of a plane but rater was simply sitting at a desk reading an essay. However, in the unfortunate chance that one day I do find myself falling out of a plane, I now feel as though I have a chance at survival thanks to this article.
ReplyDeleteI agree! At least surviving is shown well through this essay :)
DeleteI thought that the concept of the essay was very original. What I liked most was that Koeppel used sense of time to fully immerse readers in the experience. People love to feel prepared for any emergency, and feel safer in almost certain death experiences. It's nice that Koeppel endeavored to give readers a sense of power in a situation they will never be able to control.
ReplyDeleteI thought the way he used time in his essay was interesting too.
DeleteThis essay was interesting to read because it is not something you get a chance to read about everyday. I do agree with everyone who says that this spiked their fears of flying, though. Yes, you always have to be prepared for something like this to happen, but that is why we trust the flight attendants and such when we chose to fly. Flying is not a fear of mine, but after reading this essay, it a little uneasiness sets in for the future flights I'll take.
ReplyDeleteI thought the essay was funny and sarcastic, but also intimidating because I do not like flying in airplanes so naturally it made me uneasy. I think the point was to be kind of tongue-in-cheek, making light of a very serious situation like dying in a plane crash, but also to be informative at the same time. The essay made you really think you were in the plane, and while it discussed how one can actually survive a plane crash, it did not give me much hope. I had a lot of mixed emotions while reading this!
ReplyDeleteI've ever ridden in an airplane so I would have no idea how any of this would work. The terminology was weird but only because I've never flown before! I think it was very witty and sarcastic and kind of scared because I didn't know if it was true or not!
ReplyDeleteI travel a lot and after reading this essay, I have to say that I'm a little scared to get back on a plane even though I know everything will most likely be fine! Great detail and frightening stories...
ReplyDeleteI really loved this article and the description in the article. I thought it was really serious but then I realized the humor in the story overall. I loved being able to feel as if I was watching everything happen. I felt really anxious through out it all because I am already anxious about riding in airplanes from stories I've heard and the feeling I get when I'm on a plane so it was a little scary. I liked how he paused from the seriousness often though and made it light-hearted. It was quite an article though!
ReplyDeleteI particularly liked this essay, because I think of myself as someone who can survive a situation, with my background of being a boy scout. I love flying and was not frightened by what he said, though it still raises awareness of what can happen. It proves the point that you always need to be prepared for anything, and with a little preparation, you can survive whatever comes your way. You should have basic knowledge of all the necessary survival skills when going in to any potential catastrophic event.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this reading. The style of it kind of reminded me of Fight Club. I think the way he wrote it really immersed the reader. Although this made me slightly nervous about flying a plane...
ReplyDelete