Already from the first article we can see Joe Clark’s enthusiastic determination to improve a chaotic Eastside school. The school faced may problems, and it was difficult, if not impossible to control and manage every student. Joe Clark not only took control over the students and teachers, most importantly he gained their respect, and for many changed their lives. It didn’t take him long to do it. Just one day, a single day to establish order in the vulgar ruined Eastside.
“A single day to establish order and to run the hoods out of what was formerly one of the most turbulent high schools in the nation?”
Joe Clark uses informal words in the article, such as ruined, wrecked. Drug dealers, ripped out… He does this to catch the readers’ attention and to make it sound authoritive.
At the beginning, Clark uses negative and controlling language so we see the school in shoddy perspective, everything ruined and destroyed, and the tables’ wrecked, broken windows… and even drugs.
“The entire school stank of mustiness, tobacco, marijuana, spilled alcohol and soda, and urine”
These points give us a picture, more like a ghetto rather than a school.
As the article continues the language changes from negative to positive, so the reader can see there’s being an improvement since Joe Clark’s appointment as principal.
Considering that the article has two clear sections, a dark, somewhat sinister “before picture” and a brighter positive “after picture”, it shows that his done good for the school since he become the head.
“These efforts, which have since proven quite successful, were directed towards academic improvements, the building of self-esteem, and the heightening of awareness of career possibilities”.
I personally think that Joe Clark should have a right to feel particularly proud because he has change a vulgar and destroyed school to a well respected joyful school. He managed to succeed in his goals by striving and fighting above everyone and with the help of many students and staff.
Care it’s another important theme in this article. I’m sure that Clark cares for his students, so they succeed later on in life. He also cares about the school as a community, and more personally he cares about his reputation as being the principal of Eastside.
“Come September I’m going to be checking out the students, searching for artistic natures to help me redecorate… But no one is going to bring disrespect upon this institution and deface its appearance again without having to reckon with me”.
Now, I’m going to illustrate and comment the second article. “Joe Clark bullhorn control”. A very powerful title that seems to demonstrate his determination, by simply highlighting his vision of his ideal school.
The pronoun “I” is particularly important in this article as it shows that Clark is in control, as the title suggests.
“I want to be seen. I want students and teachers always be aware of Joe Clark, and to know that I care…”
As we can see, the language used in this article is in his perspective, which indicates how Joe Clark has control over the school.
Lots of words and phrases are repeated in this article, which determines that Joe Clark is in control of the school.
“I want” is repeated frequently.
To conclude my essay I want to say that Joe Clark It’s a successful principal, which actually manages to change a poor and problematic school to a well disciplined and organized school. From my point of view a good principal needs to be benevolent “Big Brother” in order to success.
