Timmy McGrath
Forensics
Current Event #3
October 1, 2017
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
The Article “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms” written by Gina Kolata talks about Otto Warmbier and what happened to him and what was reported by the coroner's office. Otto F. Warmbier was the college student that was held in North Korea for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda poster. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for his alleged crime. The North Koreans claim that his condition was caused by sleeping pills and botulism. But his parents are claiming that he was greatly tortured by the North Koreans. He died six days after being returned to the US. Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco was the coroner who performed the autopsy on the body. She could not find any signs of torture but at the same time she couldn’t rule it out as a possibility. “There are a lot of horrible things you can do to a human body that don’t leave external signs behind.” she said. She has stated that the most frustrating thing about this whole ordeal is the lack of what happened to him in North Korea.
This Article was brought to my attention because it is something that is going on in our world and something that people should be aware of. We don’t always hear of these things but at this time with everything that is going on between North Korea and the US it feel important that people hear this. The forensic science was done by Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco as she looked through the body she looked at the teeth as well as many other things to look for signs of torture.
This article was well written and a good read. I thought that is was a little lengthy but when you started to get bored of reading it something new popped up and made you want to continue. The title could have been a bit different. The title I personally feel like gave off that they were only going to be talking about the brain damage but if you actually read the article you learn that that is not true. It was overall a good read and I enjoyed it very much.
10 comments:
I really liked your current event because of how much common sense it made. It is very important to learn about these conflicts about the US and North Korea because of how much it affects us as citizens. We must realize that the are concerning issues and need to be completely dealt with before we can move on to other world matters. I liked your part about Dr. Lakshmi and the detail you aligned up with him within your piece. I also liked your piece of how important you thought these matters were it made it feel a lot better.
I thought you could have improved on the relevance this has on us and made more of a case for people like us in this situation. Or you could have Explained a little bit more o Dr. Lakshmi.
Over all a great post and cool story.
I personally really enjoyed your current event and thought it was a great analysis of a great article. I think this is front page news type. I like your parts when you talk about what we can do as a society to better face North Korea and Dr. Lakshmi. I really liked your opinion, "The title I personally feel like gave off that they were only going to be talking about the brain damage but if you actually read the article you learn that that is not true. It was overall a good read and I enjoyed it very much." i could not agree more with considering the articles relevance to the social scene of the US. finally I really enjoyed learning about Dr. Lakshmi. His works are whats making all of this relevant that is for sure.
I thought you could have improved on bring up Dr. Lakshmi a lot more and describing his roles in his field as well as others. Also, you say "The North Koreans claim that his condition was caused by sleeping pills and botulism." for the North Korean view, But i disagree.
Over all I enjoyed your article a lot and thought it made a lot of sense. This situation is definitely a current event based on facts a d makes perfect sense for the one to choose.
Timmy McGrath reviewed an article in the New York Times titled, “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner
Confirms”. His summary was concise in that it stated only the necessary points without restating the entire article. While he could have pointed out that the likely cause of Warmbier's brain damage was cardiac arrest, that he had no bed sores or skin conditions among other issues; McGrath realized that not every scientific fact was important to highlighting the particular forensics dilemma presented in the article or the current event that made this forensic issue more important. He just presented what the issue was, or that there are not enough procedures in forensics to determine what exactly happened to a body when there is a lack of external signs, and he stated the two sides of the debate: Korea attributed the damage to a sleeping pill overdose, but the parents of Warmbier as well as the United States at large doubted this claim and suspected torture. By only including the purpose of the article, the reader will want to read the full article for those small details yet still understand the gist of the article’s message. Another particularly well presented element of the article was when McGrath pointed out where forensics was being applied to this broader issue: “The forensic science was done by Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco as she looked through the body she looked at the teeth as well as many other things to look for signs of torture.” By pointing out exactly where forensics was applied, McGrath increased his credibility by showing that he understands what forensics is and where it is applied. The last aspect of his article that was particularly well-presented was how he logically ordered the details of his summary to set up his implication paragraph. His use of a powerful quote in his summary paragraph set up exactly what the forensics issue would be and how that hindered finding out whether the North Korean government committed a grotesque crime during a particularly high-tension moment in the US-North Korean rivalry. By making the most relevant information to forensics and the world the last information presented in the summary paragraph, he would be able to smoothly transition into an even more well-developed paragraph that could utilize prior knowledge of what we learned in class and further connect the issue.
However, despite McGrath ending his summary paragraph in a way that would allow for a smooth transition into an even stronger implication paragraph, he could have utilized the way he set himself up to do this to make new and more well-developed points connected to forensic science as a whole. For example, if Locard’s Exchange Principle allowed scientists to use trace dust particles to solve a crime, or if computer technologies could allow trace DNA evidence from people to solve a crime, why doesn’t a method exist to find trace evidence that would indicate torture? Given the current political climate presented in this article, that type of technology would certainly be in demand. McGrath could have thought along these lines to connect the relevance of North Korea to the context of forensic science, but by choosing not to ask these questions, he neither built on his earlier points about the existence of the issue in forensic science nor connected this issue to why he believed it was relevant in this current event, thus not answering the question. He stated that North Korea is relevant and where forensics was applied without connecting the two elements.
What I learned about forensics from this review and article was that despite the fact that so many areas of forensic science have already been studied comprehensively and utilize the most advanced technologies, for example DNA evidence, there are areas of forensics that are as relevant to the world as dictating current politics that haven’t been touched despite their high level of demand.
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” The New York Times, © 2017 The New York Times Company, 28 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics%C2%AEion&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.&_r=0.
My citation
Alexander Plaza
Mr.Ippolito
10/02/17
Forensics Comment
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
Timmy, I read your review of “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms” by Gina Kolata and I thought that you did a good job. I thought that you did a nice job with your summary of the article. I was not confused about your topic. This is good for the readers since it creates a understanding of the subject matter for your review. Also, I like that your summary includes background information about Otto Warmbier. It gives the reader useful information to the significance of the findings. Finally, I like that you are able to add a quote from the scientist performing the autopsy, providing an expert's opinion.
Although your article was good, there are some things that you could improve on. First, I think you could elaborate on how the scientist conducted their autopsy or make a criticism about the article if it was not there. It would help to learn more about the forensic science aspect of the case. Also, I believe that you could improve some minor grammatical errors. This would stop the reader’s attention from being drawn away from the content of the review towards the grammar.
Overall, I enjoyed your review. This case really does show the significance of forensic science in decisions made in world politics.
Scott McGrath
10/2/17
Current Event 3
www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?
Timmy McGrath reviewed an article titled “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms” and did a very good job doing so. The article discusses the results from the autopsy conducted on Otto Warmbier, the college student sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea for stealing a poster. He was released and sent back to America, but to die only days after his return on American Soil. Timmy does a good job presenting the main idea of the article he read. He also did a very good job explaining how the article came to his attention,s something myself as a reader found interesting. A final thing he did very well was provide a relatable opinion about his views on the article, stating how it can get boring, but managed to reel you back in shortly. One thing that Timmy could do better is explain the article a little more. He did not really explain the details behind the coroner's explanations, something that can be done well next time around if taken into account. Another thing that can relate to my last point is that the article needs more length, being quite short as it is. More detail and an expanded opinion could prove beneficial in this case. One thing that blew my mind is that the coroner could not find evidence of torture, but has not ruled out the possibility. To me, this is interesting because they cannot fully determine how where the brain trauma came from. Overall, I think Timmy did a very good job reviewing this article.
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.”
The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
Timmy’s review of “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” by Gina Kolata was extremely well written. He very clearly gave the summary of the article, I was not confused at all when reading the article. I also liked how he implemented his quotes from the coroner in his review of the article. I also liked how he picked a very interesting topic that has relevance to today. As well as this review was written, there are a few things that could have been fixed. One being that he was a little vague when explaining what forensics were used on the case. Other then that I felt the article was very well written. I did learn quite a lot from this article. I had very little knowledge of the topic prior to reading his review and this article.
Thomas Baxter
Mr. Ippolito
10/2/17
Forensics comment
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
After reading Timmy's review of "Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms" by Gina Kolata, I was impressed. He was very coherent and literate. I was especially impressed by his usage of a quote to help validate his findings. He also explained the backstory of his article very clearly in such a way that was easily understandable to me. He provided sufficient information so that I, as a reader, understood fully the topic he was writing about. I also liked his added information. Timmy added alot of helpful information throughout his introduction that gave me even further insight into the topic at hand.
I feel, however, that Timmy could have incorporated some better vocabulary into his review. HIs review almost sounds too informal. While it makes it easy to read, it lacks a certain amount of depth. Finally, I feel he could also improve his grammar. At certain points throughout his review he had slip ups in his pattern of speech that were especially distracting to me as a reader. Despite this, I thought that Timmy's review was informative and interesting. It just goes to show how truly important and applicable forensics is in the real world.
Martha Thomas
10/11/2017
Current Even Review: Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms; Gina Kolata; Timmy McGrath
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.”
The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
Timmy did a great job reviewing New York Times’ article “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” by Gina Kolata. Timmy gave many important details about Otto Warmbier’s torture and death, reminding readers of these technicalities. Timmy’s writing was enhanced by his choice of quotations from the coroner. Timmy related the torture of Otto Warmbier to the nuclear tensions that the US is having with North Korea in an effective and captivating way.
Timmy’s criticism of the article was unclear and could have been improved by providing more specific suggestions regarding a new title. Timmy’s writing would also carry more weight if he used a more formal tone.
The death of Otto Warmbier is a tragedy and a really important moment in American relations with North Korea. I am saddened by final moments of this young man, but grateful for forensic technologies that have uncovered the truth behind North Korean treatment of Warmb
Isabella Dibbini
Mr. Ippolito
Current Event Comment
17 October 2017
Kolata, Gina. “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/health/otto-warmbier-north-korea-autopsy.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FForensic%2BScience&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
Timmy wrote an insightful review of the article “Otto Warmbier Suffered Extensive Brain Damage, Coroner Confirms” by Gina Kolata. His summary was very detailed and discussed all of the main points from the article. Timmy did a great job of explaining his points, with direct quotes from his article. For example, he states “There are a lot of horrible things you can do to a human body that don’t leave external signs behind,” and further goes on to explain the importance of this quote. Overall, Timmy’s review was very well written and incorporates many details and quotes to support his main ideas, he addressed throughout the summary.
Although this review is very good, there are a few things that can be improved. If Timmy made more connections between the article and its affects on society it would be more interesting. Also, there were a few grammatical errors, but these could be easily fixed.
By reading Timmy’s review, I learned how this issue is relevant in today’s society. He goes into great detail which makes his readers want to continue reading his review. By reading this review, I expanded my knowledge on biology. Overall, Timmy review was very well written and shows a great understanding of this article.
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