Cover Letter

Sage Tolotti
7208 S Station Creek Way #4A
Midvale, UT 84047
3, August 2016

Professor Johnson
Professor
Salt Lake Community College
Taylorsville, UT 84129
Dear Professor Johnson:
In this cover letter I will be reviewing three assignments I have done for my
college course English 1010. The assignments reviewed were my three major
classes and will demonstrate what I have learned in my class. The first is a Flash
Narrative, which is a short prologue for a story. The second is a rhetorical analysis
of a speech done by politician Christopher Hichens. The final is an issue exploration
into gay adoption.
I feel like I entered this course with a good idea of writing and of English itself. I
have always enjoyed creative writing, poetry, research papers, anything that had to
do with writing. I definitely gained some good skills in this class that I will take onto
my next class. I had a relatively good idea of narratives but I did learn that I have
some problems focusing too much on sensory details and leaving out plot key
points. I re-wrote my flash narrative quite a few times and I am beginning to
understand how to formulate plot better. With the rhetorical analysis, I had really
no knowledge of what it even was. After a lot of help from my professor, some
family members and the internet, I was finally able to understand the reason and
purpose for a rhetorical analysis. Finally, was the issue exploration; I have had
some experience in writing research papers but that was in high school and this was
much more complicated than I thought it would be. I struggled a lot with the paper
and in the first draft I turned in, I was confident I would have to re-do the entire
thing. When I got my feedback, I was pleasantly surprised. All I had to was make
my perspectives more specific. As I dove into my revision and then realized I had
no idea what to do. I started at my computer screen for almost an hour before I
made the required changes, gave up and resubmitted. I got my assignment back

and as it turned out, I had accidentally plagiarized. Once again, I made the required
changes and resubmitted. I do not honestly expect a good grade. I struggled so
much with everything about this assignment. The research was easy, but making it
work for the perspectives was difficult. I ended up reiterating the stories I had read
with facts I had learned. I received helped from my professor, my peers, family
members who have written books or are in college English classes and in the end, I
got frustrated and disappointed to say, but gave up. The other thing that I
struggled with was MLA format. The initial start to the paper is easy; it is the
citations that I cant seem to get right. Even after checking out the websites that
my professor suggested and compared to essay given as examples, I still didnt
understand. Eventually I turned in what I thought was correct and it turned out I
accidentally plagiarized. I revised, adding quotations and resubmitted. I hope in my
next English class, I can apply more effort to learning these few things. Other than
those, I feel like I learned a lot and gained a substantial amount in this course, I
really enjoyed this class.
Even with the many struggles I faced in the class, I still really enjoyed it. I
have also loved English classes and took at least two every year I was able to
choose my classes. At one point, my career choice was to be a journalist and
photographer for a newspaper. I wanted to report on hard hitting, controversial
things but have recently changed to wanting to get my doctorates in psychiatry.
Without this class and the things I learned from rhetorical analysis and issue
exploration, will be able to help me with case studies and being able to use critical
thinking to help people. Along with this career choice, I wasnt to be a novelist, and
the things I learned about my writing from the flash narrative feedback will help me
along that path of writing stories and books.
The following pieces of work are my three major assignments of my English 1010
course. The first is a flash narrative, which is just a brief prologue type story. My
story is about a boy, Kyle and his Irish girlfriend Fiona. Fiona is the light in Kyles life
and end alludes to something terrible happening to Fiona. After receiving feedback
on this assignment, I learned that I have a tendency to focus on sensory details
instead of the plot and with this I learned how to focus on the plot and let the reader
make their own details and feelings for the story. The rhetorical analysis was a
different task. I have never written or even heard of a rhetorical analysis for that
matter. It was fun to learn all the ins and outs of the genre. The rhetorical situation
I chose was Christopher Hichens speech, Freedom of Speech Means Freedom to
Hate. I chose to aim this at the audience of unknowingly uneducated fence-sitters
that didnt really have an opinion on the matter. My purpose and hope for this
audience was to gain the knowledge that the world is bigger than they think, from
them to question the identity they had been given and realize that they can have
their own opinion and not just the one that has been given to them by
indoctrination. The final one, the issue exploration, I did not enjoy. I realized I knew
nothing of this genre, including MLA format. If I were to continue to working on

these drafts, I would add more plot to the flash narrative, more specifics to the
rhetorical analysis and probably redo the issue exploration all together.
All in all, I really enjoyed this class. I thought my professor did a great job
compressing the class for a shorter semester and making it an online. I wish we
could have met more, maybe an actual class once a week and not just a meet and
great. I learned a lot and grew a lot as a writer and feel like I am ready to take on
English 2010 next semester.
Sincerely,
Sage Tolotti

My Little Flower
August 20 , 2014. 7:53 AM. Police sirens blared past the school, I assume heading
th

towards the explosion that happened a moment ago. I find myself sitting in plastic on the first
day of my last year of school. Fucking genius who thought that one up, I said as my fingers
went tap, tap, tap across the desk my legs hid under. I am still the only one here. 7:55 AM. The
bell tolls monotonously and echoes down the empty hall.
What class is this anyway? I thought while I scratched at my tangled beard. I picked up
the washed out blue colored paper the office attendant had given me. Go Warriors she had
said with forced enthusiasm.
God, I hate this school, theres no point of even being here. I thought angrily as I
scanned the paper with my eyes. The blue was hard to read and my eyes strained through
discount glasses.
This is going to suck. I looked up from the obnoxious paper to a still empty room.
8:03.
Jesus, is it senior skip day already? I wondered aloud with apathy.
No, my love. Its just a bunch of arse-holes tinkin they be too good to accompany us to
the first day of lessons. The words floated to my ears on a thick Irish accent, blocking out more

sirens buzzing past the school. Funny how I had always dreamt of going to Ireland, and I fell in
love with an Irish girl.
I found me a lucky pot of gold. I joked internally then laughed at my silent joke. I kept
quiet, knowing if it escaped my lips, her brilliant green eyes would pierce the soul I didnt believe
I had, searching for an answer I did not want to share. I turned my head towards the voice, and
caught a glimpse of the most breath-taking girl my eyes ever had the privilege of laying upon.
Fiona. She was the love of my life, and the moon of my sky. She smiled brightly at me, her
messy, red curls resting in the way of her stunning emerald eyes.
God, I love that smilethat hairthose eyes mainly the smile, though, I thought
dreamily staring at her. She should be on the cover of magazines or modeling or in movies, her
smile brightens the bleakness of this world, but then I for sure wouldnt deserve her I pushed
down my darkness as it invaded my happiness.
What re you doin sitting all the way in the back like youve gone and done sometin
wrong, Kyle, my dear? she inquired, breaking my day dream, which served as a nice break
from the dense blackness that normally clouds my thoughts.
Oh, her accent. I mused, happiness bubbling back up in me. She sauntered towards me,
her heavy black combat boots thudding against the carpeted concrete. She reached me and
smiled again, even brighter this time. Her freckles shone brightly against her porcelain skin. She
bent, kissed my check, and plopped into my lap with a happy sigh.
A beautiful, brain like yours should be sittin up front! She threw her arms up and tipped
backwards. I caught her easily and held her closely. She giggled then looked at me seriously.
Appy Anniversary, a str, she said happily. I leaned away from her and gasped in
mock shock.
No way! How many years has it been now? I teased.

Oh my silly, little milish! It as only been one! She laughed; Ill never understand her terms of
endearment. Although, I can understand how it would feel like a million, she winked. She took
the seat next to mine.
I cannot wait to give you your present tonight. She chirped.
Let me guess, its an Irish something or other Ill be unable to comprehend? I teased
again.
Yep, she responded. She was focused on her drawing of a Celtic symbol.
Well, whatever it is, I am going to love it, my little flower. I wrapped my arm around her
slim frame and laid my head on her shoulder. 8:17, still not even a teacher present in the
classroom, so I let myself become lost in the smell of her hair and I was gone. I became lost in
my own world, where I could imagine our future. I also thought about her smile, that stunning
smile that, and Ill admit it, took my breath away. A smile, in no world or lifetime, I deserved to
call mine, yet was lucky enough too. But, we always lose the things that mean the most to us,
in the most horrible of ways. Just then, I realized why the class was empty as a person
smashed through a window and two more rolled through the door, all of them ablaze.

Sage Tolotti
Professor Clint Johnson
English 1010
16 July, 2016

Is Freedom of Speech Really Free?

In his speech, Christopher Hichens, who was a socialist, Marxist, atheist
and antitheist, all self-proclaimed, asked the question, is freedom of speech
really free? At the University of Torontos Hart House Debating Club in
November 2006 Hichens begged the more unknowingly uneducated fence
sitters that attended his speech to really think about the points he makes.
He suggested that freedom isnt truly free except to those in religion.
Hichens made the points that speech isnt free unless it is absolute by asking
who you would give the job of deciding what was free and what wasnt, by
saying that religion is the bad guy and finally by challenging peoples
identity itself.
This speech is about Christopher Hichens sharing his opinion about
freedom of speech, or lack thereof. He begins by telling us about a Supreme
Court Justice that jailed Yiddish-speaking socialists for writing an opinion

paper about the President. He goes onto giving us many pathos and ethos
examples of people using religion to be able to keep freedom of speech for
themselves specifically, and stealing it from those who do not support there
theism. He also gives examples of writers and scientists battling the same
point. He concludes with comments towards censorship and ends with a quip
about thinking for yourself.
Hichens appeals to the logical of his fence-sitters by asking To whom
do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful or who is the
harmful speaker? In asking this he is imploring you to ask yourself to look
inward and come up with just one person you would give the privilege of
telling you what you can and cant say. Hichens is unapologetically antireligious and goes as far as to say You know what, this Holocaust, Im not
sure it even happened. In fact, Im pretty certain it didnt. Indeed, I begin to
wonder if the only thing is that the Jews brought a little bit of violence on
themselves. To prove further that people can speak all day long about the
justice of God but as soon as someone, an atheist for example, cannot
challenge knowledge.
Secondly, he appeals to his audience with having them question their
morals. He asks with a passionately pathos tone, are just the people who
are going to seek the protection of the hate speech law if I say what I think
about their religion. Here is where he dives into his belief of religion is the
bad guy. A self-proclaimed atheist, it is very obvious that he believes that
people of religion hold themselves above everything, laws of speech
included, because they have God. In reference to the secondary quotes in
the precious paragraph, he loves to use the tactic of making people
uncomfortable. He is constantly referring to the Holocaust and a disbelief in
it, to make people understand the unfairness that comes with freedom of
speech not being absolute, as it should be.

As a final statement towards the identity of the uneducated

themselves he says, except that Ive always been taught this and never
heard anything else? He is making his readers look inward once again and
consider their identity. He is causing self-doubt and insecurity by challenging
people against what they have been taught and told their entire lives. By
installing that doubt in them, they are forced to wake up and think about
whom they are, which causes more anger, because no one likes to be
challenged on whom they are. Another play on identity, he asks censorious
instinct we basically know all that we need to know, and weve known it.
He really wants people to think about the identity they have given
themselves or furthermore, that has been given to them.
Now, I am absolutely convinced that the main source of hatred in the
world is religion and organized religion. Absolutely convinced of it. And Im
glad you applaud, because its a very great problem for those that oppose
this motion. The whole message Hichens is attempting to impress upon his
readers, is that freedom of speech, cannot truly be free unless it is absolute.
Hichens, who probably stated more times than his own name, that he is an
atheistic antitheist who blames religion for most the worlds problems, is noteffective in making his point in this speech. Most people that came to this
speech were probably students that either already strongly agreed with him
because of their previous knowledge of him or students that had to go
because they had to go. He uses such a heavy emphasis on fear and hatred
that I truly believe unless you believed in what he saying one hundred
percent, you wouldve tuned him out because he challenged your belief or
you werent intelligent enough to understand his message. In conclusion,
the unknowingly uneducated fence-sitters, did not understand this message
and left this speech angry and did not even know why.

Work Cited
Hichens, Christopher. University of Torontos Hart House Debating Club
November, 2006
Sage Tolotti
Professor Clint Johnson
English 1010
30 July, 2016
A Grey Area of Equality
In April of 2012, twenty year old Kayla Curtis was five months pregnant
and made the decision to give her child up for adoption. She contacted a

local adoption agency and received a password to view couples online that
had submitted applications to foster or adopt. She scrolled through
hundreds of profiles that all said the same thing; they were a loving,
Christian family. Soon she came across the profile of recently married gay
couple, Joe Branham and Tom Craft. Residing in Nashville, Tennessee, where
Branham is a real estate agent and Craft is a project manager, they were
about six hours from where Curtis lived. She loved the fact that the couple
wanted her involvement in both their life and babies. Curtis knew by that
time she was having a daughter and was over joyed that she would still be
able to be the mother to her daughter. Even with this trend, there are still
states that explicitly allow same-sex couples to petition for a second parent
adoption include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Vermont (Lifelong Adoptions) instead of just
allowing them to legally be the parent to their child. With this trend and the
basic human want for children, it is still considered sinful. The question
come to mind, legality and religion aside, should it be legal for a same-sex
couple to adopt?
Rights to a Name on a Birth Certificate
Parents around the United States are scrambling to be able to legally
call themselves parents to child conceived and adopted in a legal marriage.
Adoption itself can be tricky, even with an opposite-sex couple, but no one

should have to adopt their own child. With all the fighting and liberation that
has happened in the last few years, same-sex couples are still running into
strange and unique hurdles. In May, 2016 Emma and Ashlee Lusch ran into
one of these hurdles when Emma was close to giving birth to their daughter.
According to Indiana law, Ashlee was not the legal parent of the baby. Ashlee
had to legally adopt her daughter in case there were complications in the
delivery and Emma did not survive, which could have cost upwards of $1,500
to determine whether or not Ashlee was fit to adopt her own child. The
Luschs are working with a lawyer, Barbara Baird, who made this statement In
an opposite-sex birth, there is a marital presumption that the man is the
parentwhen a heterosexual couple gives birth to a child conceived through
a sperm donor, the husband is listed as the father and adoption isn't
necessary (Harmon). With this statement made, it sounds as though same
sex couples are being targeted. Another hurdle the Luschs ran into was that
soon after the baby was born, the couple was sent a letter claiming that the
child was born out of wedlock. Megan Reust, the health department's
director of communications, confirmed that a heterosexual couple using a
sperm donor would not receive such a notice, but noted that the department
is simply following state statutes. (Harmon)
Matters of the Heart in Government
Starting back in 2000 when Mississippi politicians first forbade samesex couples from adopting, it was not surprising when they were the first to

make it a legal ban on homosexual adoption after same-sex marriage was

legalized in June, 2015. Mississippis been the first of its kind and was
immediately challenged not three days later by many couples and lawyers.
Janet Smith and Donna Phillips are a couple caught up in this ban. Smith is
seeking to legally adopt Phillips daughter, Hannah. Their main concern is
Phillips being in the military. She could be called to called or activated at any
time and Smith would have no legal right to keep or take care of Hannah.
The good news is they seem to making progress in their fight. We've come
so far here just recently; it's pretty amazing the speed of the change," said
Janet Smith (Lewin). and less than a year later, Mississippis ban had been
taken down by a federal judge. In April, 2016, US District Judge Daniel Jordan
ruled the ban was unconstitutional. It was said the ban's overturn occurs as
the national conversation on what constitutes a family is both shifting and
expanding (Lowenberg). With that said, the definition of family itself is
changing and to stop that would be unconstitutional.
Science in Australia
In June, 2014 Australias University of Melbourne scientists conducted a
study to see how children faired in a same-sex. The study follows gay couple
Spencer Chandra-Herbert and his husband Romi Chandra through their
journey in attempting to adopt a child. They submitted an application and
were accepted due to the fact that they were a mixed race couple, but were
soon rejected because of their sexuality. The child's extended family, which

did not want to take any part in raising the child, did not want it raised by a
same-sex couple (Corregan). The couple responded with grace but also had
to ask, why was their sexuality a measure of their parenting skills? Over one
thousand children are waiting to be adopted and perfectly good candidates
are being turned down. In the study, the children of heterosexual parents in
terms of their emotional and physical health, and in some cases are even
"healthier and happier" than their peers (Corregan). The University of
Melbourne discovered the reason children were turning out healthier and
happier is because most same-sex marriages are treated as an equal
partnership. The couple shares more responsibility, everything from the
raising of the child to household chores. The study even shows that girls are
growing up broader, and that relates to their fathers shared responsibility in
household chores.

It leads back to adoption is beneficial to children

because they get to go to a home and it so happens that statistically, samesex couples could provide a better home.
The Positive versus the Negative
It occurred to me while reading these articles that most of the hurdles
same-sex couples face are because people target them with uneducated
misconceptions. I believe the whole of this issue is related back to religion.
It has nothing to do with adoption at all, and everything to do with
homosexual people themselves. The bible says if a man lies with a male as
with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall

surely be put to death; their blood is upon them (Leviticus 20:13). The
country we live in was founded upon religious teachings it is understandable
why eighty-three percent identify as Christian and only eighteen percent
identify as non-religious with only a tiny four percent identifying as nonChristian religious. The University of Melbourne proved through science that
it is good, if not better for children to be raised in a same-sex home because
of the equality that is shared. The only negative effect they found was the
stigma the children received from being in a same-sex home. Religion has
invaded politics and politics have invaded matters of the heart. Why should
it matter if two happy humans want to marry and have a family? It all goes
back to the fact that religion infiltrates everything and has decided that if
you are gay, you and your wants do not qualify because you are less than a
human.
Works Cited
Corregan, Shannon, Remove Same-Sex Adoption Hurdles. Times-Colonist Newspaper. 18
July. 2014

English Standard Version Bible, Old Testimony. Leviticus 20:13

Harmon, Tim, Gay Parents Still Face Unique Hurdles As They Navigate Path to
Parenthood. .Journal Gazette 8 May. 2016

Lewin, Tamar, Final Holdout on Same-Sex Adoption. New York Times Newspaper, 13 Aug.
2015

Lifelong Adoptions, LGBT Adoption Statistics. 2016

Lowenberg, Olivia, Federal Judge Strikes Down Last State Law Barring Gay Couples from
Adopting. Christian Science Monitor, 1 April. 2016

Richards, Sarah Elizabeth. Two Dads For My Baby. Cosmopolitan, April. 2016