Problem: Article: Look for a flat spot, especially if you have to squat. If you can’t find a flat spot, at least make sure you’re facing the downward slope to avoid getting in the way of any runoff. It’s not necessary to dig a hole if you’re peeing, although you can if desired. The hole should be about 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) across as well. Use a small trowel to dig the hole or try using a rock or study stick if you don’t have a trowel.  A good rule of thumb is to make sure the hole is at least as deep as your hand is long. If you’re in the woods in the snow, the hole should extend 6 inches (15 cm) below ground level, not just the snow. Squatting as low as you can will make it easier for you to defecate. If your clothes are slightly below your knees, they shouldn’t get in the way.  If you can’t hold a squat, position yourself part way on a rock or log. If you brought these supplies with you, remove them from your toiletry bag. If you don’t have toilet paper, tissues, or wipes with you, look for a smooth leaf (making sure it’s not poisonous) to use instead. If you’re not sure whether a leaf is poisonous or not, it’s best not use it.
Summary: Stand on even ground if you’re urinating. Dig a cathole at least 6 inches (15 cm) deep for a bowel movement. Squat low and ensure your clothing isn’t in the way before you do your business. Wipe using toilet paper or baby wipes.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Unless your prompt or assignment states otherwise, you’ll need to follow some basic conventions when writing your persuasive essay.  Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, use rhetorical devices to persuade their readers. In persuasive essays, you generally have more freedom to make appeals to emotion (pathos), in addition to logic and data (logos) and credibility (ethos).  You should use multiple types of evidence carefully when writing a persuasive essay. Logical appeals such as presenting data, facts, and other types of “hard” evidence are often very convincing to readers. Persuasive essays generally have very clear thesis statements that make your opinion or chosen “side” known upfront. This helps your reader know exactly what you are arguing.   Bad: The United States was not an educated nation, since education was considered the right of the wealthy, and so in the early 1800s Horace Mann decided to try and rectify the situation. The art of persuasion has been studied since ancient Greece. While it takes a lifetime to master, learning the tricks and tools will make you a better writer almost immediately. For example, on a paper about allowing Syrian refugees, you could use:   Pathos, Ethos, and Logos: These are the 3 cornerstones of rhetoric. Pathos is about emotion, ethos is about credibility, and logos is about logic. These 3 components work together to help you develop a strong argument. For example, you could tell an anecdote about a family torn apart by the current situation in Syria to incorporate pathos, make use of logic to argue for allowing Syrian refugees as your logos, and then provide reputable sources to back up your quotes for ethos.   Repetition: Keep hammering on your thesis. Tell them what you're telling them, tell them it, then tell them what you told them. They'll get the point by the end. Example: Time and time again, the statistics don't lie -- we need to open our doors to help refugees.   Social Validation: Quotations reinforce that you aren't the only one making this point. It tells people that, socially, if they want to fit in, they need to consider your viewpoint. Example: "Let us not forget the words etched on our grandest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, which asks that we "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” There is no reason why Syrians are not included in this.   Agitation of the Problem: Before offering solutions, show them how bad things are. Give them a reason to care about your argument.Example: "Over 100 million refugees have been displaced. President Assad has not only stolen power, he's gassed and bombed his own citizens. He has defied the Geneva Conventions, long held as a standard of decency and basic human rights, and his people have no choice but to flee." You need to sound an expert, and like you should be trustworthy. Cut out small words or wishy-washy phrase to adopt a tone of authority.   Good: "Time and time again, science has shown that arctic drilling is dangerous. It is not worth the risks environmentally or economically."  Good: "Without pushing ourselves to energy independence, in the arctic and elsewhere, we open ourselves up to the dangerous dependency that spiked gas prices in the 80's."  Bad: "Arctic drilling may not be perfect, but it will probably help us stop using foreign oil at some point. This, I imagine, will be a good thing." Persuasion is about upending commonly held thoughts and forcing the reader to reevaluate. While you never want to be crass or confrontational, you need to poke into the reader's potential concerns.   Good: Does anyone think that ruining someone’s semester, or, at least, the chance to go abroad, should be the result of a victimless crime? Is it fair that we actively promote drinking as a legitimate alternative through Campus Socials and a lack of consequences? How long can we use the excuse that “just because it’s safer than alcohol doesn’t mean we should make it legal,” disregarding the fact that the worst effects of the drug are not physical or chemical, but institutional?  Good: We all want less crime, stronger families, and fewer dangerous confrontations over drugs. We need to ask ourselves, however, if we're willing to challenge the status quo to get those results.  Bad: This policy makes us look stupid. It is not based in fact, and the people that believe it are delusional at best, and villains at worst. While the majority of your essay should be kept to your own argument, you'll bullet-proof your case if you can see and disprove the arguments against you. Save this for the second to last paragraph, in general.   Good: While people do have accidents with guns in their homes, it is not the government’s responsibility to police people from themselves. If they're going to hurt themselves, that is their right.  Bad: The only obvious solution is to ban guns. There is no other argument that matters.

SUMMARY: Understand the conventions of a persuasive essay. Use a variety of persuasion techniques to hook your readers. Be authoritative and firm. Challenge your readers. Acknowledge, and refute, arguments against you.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: This works best on timed tests. Teachers will just think that you are checking the time.
Summary:
Buy a pocket watch that has a lid. Tape a piece of paper with your notes onto the watch. Pretend to check the time.