Foundation of the Research

Purpose of the Assignment

The essay by Swartz was written for the Rhetorical Communication (FCO105) course at York College. Swartz's section was taught by Nickolena Herdson, an Adjunct Lecturer in Writing in the York College Department of English & Humanities. This Research Analysis Essay is designed for students in the FCO105 course to choose a topic of desire, and analyze the topic using a combination of scholarly sources, and non-scholarly resources that are reliable. The foundation of the assignment is to identify discourse communities, or a group of people that share a common interest or belief, to begin the research process. From that point, students are encouraged to find at least three scholarly sources, otherwise referred to as primary sources (i.e. journal articles and publications). Other reliable secondary sources relevant to the chosen research topic are to be used, as well. Students are required to format their essay using either MLA 7 or APA formatting and citations (their topic will dictate whether MLA or APA is to be used).

Swartz's Essay

Swartz created a 9-page APA essay on the topic of veterans, and the various benefits, ways that can be identified as disrespect, and the current suicide rate of veterans, as well as some suicide prevention initiatives from the VA and other entities. The reason why Swartz chose to do his research on veterans is because of his care he passes on to them, and his experience working with veterans.

Swartz's Experience with Veterans and Family History

Since the fall of 2013, he has been assisting with an Honor Bus organization that was started in 2011 by his Father, who is a Social Studies Teacher at Northeastern High School in Manchester, PA.

In addition to that, the Swartz family has a history of service men themselves. Swartz's late Grandfather served in World War II in the Army, 30th Infantry Division, 117 Field Artillery on D-Day, and was given a Bronze Star. Swartz also has an uncle who served in the Marines in Vietnam, as did a next door neighbor of Swartz's. One of his Father's nephews was also in the Marines, stationed in Somalia in the late 1980's. Swartz and his Father are also friends with someone who is a retired Marine, and also assists with Honor Bus. Also, Swartz has a lifelong friend, whom he graduated High School with, who was sworn into the Marines back in January of this year, and she is returning from training in just a few weeks.

It really is all of the history of service and hearing all of the stories from the different veterans who went on the bus trips, and the loss of his Grandfather to suicide from PTSD and schizophrenia in 1990 that inspired Swartz to do this research, plus his ambition to educate his future students on why veterans deserve to be treated with utmost respect and gratitude.

While Swartz doesn't go into much detail about veterans with PTSD in his essay, and brings light upon the issue of veteran suicide, and the exact number of how many, not only commit suicide a day, but per year. It is an unfortunate thing to have a Grandfather end his life abruptly seven years before being able to meet his grandson, but Swartz knows that PTSD is not a pleasant experience for any veteran.

Research Wordle. (2014, July 28). Retrieved May 1, 2017, from http://timkienthuc.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-is-research-wordle-from.html

Research (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2017, from http://web.peanutlabs.com/research/