Process Reflection

Dear Students,

English 110 is a course all students have to take, unless you received examination credit for the course. Whether you like it or not, you must take this course. For some, this may not be a big deal, but others less inclined to writing and reading might be dreading the quarter they take English 110. I for one was one of those students. Despite being told in the past that I am a decent writer, English 110 was the one course that would seem to burden me the most-not because of the work load, but do to my lack of interest in the subject and intense focus in my major. Whether you are looking forward to taking this class or pessimistic in every way about it, English 110 was a very educational and helpful class. The theme of every class varies and the material explored provides a wholesome balance to keep students engaged. Sure, you may have heard about the “overwhelming” research paper, but the class also deals with less formal writing in Commonplace and blog posts. Besides, the research paper involves many steps to ease the writer into the process, so you never feel too overwhelmed with the guidelines or the writing process. My favorite blog prompt required each writer to sell something on eBay and write a short description of it. Reading over posts and responding in an online discussion was fun as it exposed other creative works to the class and generated new ideas. The class discussions let students voice their opinions about writing and student review helped each writer to develop further. I ask you to suspend judgment of how this class will settle with you and be open to new ideas, concepts, and ways of writing.

One of the biggest things I took out of this class is how to write a fluid, professional paper. The tone of my writing, I have noticed, has become more mature, bold, and unconventional. I learned new ways to look into a source and then analyze what the sentence structure, word choice, or absence of material really means. I no longer look past material I would have considered rather obscure in the past, but base discussion off of these points. Realizing these facts, I have been able to critique papers in a more in-depth manner and develop solid arguments quickly.

This being said, I have a few suggestions about how to navigate through English 110 and make the most out of it.

To be a successful writer, you cannot be afraid to voice your opinion when it applies. Make sure you have substantial evidence to back up your claims-this helps you, the writer, become more effective and shows your peers that you mean business.

Start assignments in a timely manner. This means not waiting until the last minute to start a paper or read a book. We all procrastinate to some degree, but putting assignments off just makes the situation that more stressful and this type of situation hinders the analytical writing process.

When writing, choose a subject that truly interests you or stimulates analytical thought. Choosing a subject you’re passionate about makes writing the paper easier. You are guaranteed not to get bored as quickly with your topic if it’s something that is intriguing. Also, apply the primary source analysis to your original topic. In this way, you already have something to expand on and won’t have as much difficulty in picking a subject to write about. Regarding the research paper, I found that picking a primary source with a lot of criticism surrounding its content or creation gave me a variety of choices to pick from regarding secondary sources. In this way, you can many options of where you want to take your paper, and which one you think you can expand on the most.

Read the assigned writings. You may think you know how to write analytically, but a little more advice from the text doesn’t hurt. The text book is a cook book recipe spelling out term by term how to write the analytical paper, essays, and reviews. This writing technique can be carried to all your other courses, so picking up tips now can help you for rest of your college career and beyond.

Above all, come into class with an open mind to different styles of writing, analysis, and student opinions. Don’t be afraid to ask a question-usually another person in the class is thinking the exact same thing.

Best of luck in exercising your analytical thinking and your writing journey.

Sincerely,

Jill Sanders

FOR SALE: Farmville Farm

It is 4:27 AM on a Thursday morning and I find myself on Farmville collecting chocolate milk from my brown cow. Yes, my procrastination is at its extreme, to the point where sleep deprivation no longer matters and where I just accept the fact that I will be up, yet again, the entire night. What is Farmville you ask? For those of you unfamiliar to Facebook and its applications or who have heard of it but refuse to give into this virtual fad (good for you), Farmville is a game application to Facebook that allows users to create their own farm by planting and harvesting crops which include a plethora of fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Users create their own farmer avatar, can send free gifts to their farm neighbors, visit other neighbor’s farms, adorn their farm with decorations, buy buildings, collect animals, pick trees, and build experience points whenever they move up a level. And this is what makes the game so addicting. Every time you buy a decoration, harvest crops, or plow land, you get experience points and/or receive coins-the more you do, the faster you’ll move up. Every level you move up presents the opportunity to receive different ribbons, which in turn give you more points and coins. The more points and coins you have, the more you can buy. I will admit that I stayed up one night to gain one extra “Farmville dollar” to buy an expensive pink gazebo for my farm, which in turn helped me move up a level because of the “xp points” I racked up from it. Unfortunately some of the crops are locked by levels; thus, I cannot plant lavender until I reach level 30. Though, I shouldn’t let myself get to this level of experience because continuing to play will fuel my pattern of procrastination, motivation to aspire to level 37, and poor planning skills. But I don’t feel so pathetic when I add a new Farmville neighbor and see that they have already reached level 33 (I’m at level 18), own multiple buildings, and plant crops in patterns to spell out a design in their field. So as you see, I cannot continue to let myself play this game-I have reached my breaking point and I must cut ties with my farm. Any buyer looking to stimulate their childhood imagination or get in touch with their inner farmer will find my farm the perfect match.

Evaluating Evidence

The first blog I chose talks about health care for government officials. The author, Jim Hightower, discusses how their plan is more socialized and how we, the American people, are funding their care. Hightower is very emotional in his blog and passionate about his opinion of socialized medicine. This leads to strong remarks targeted to a specific audience, the Blue dog Democrats and Republicans who are against a socialized health plan. He mentions specific examples of Congress officials who are staunch against the plan and those who are determined to serve and deliver a better plan to their constituents. These examples provided more insight to his opinion and were relatable. For example, Sherrod Brown (D-OH) refuses to take congressional coverage until everyone in America has equal coverage. The way he presents his examples backs up his opinion and informs the public. He crafts a unique writing style. By this, I mean his writing is informal and easy to read but at the same time, sharp, compelling, and almost addicting. I found myself wanting to hear more at the end of the blog post. Clearly, his writing style attracts many because he had several constructive comments regarding his post, which, to note, was posted yesterday. Highwater asks a few thought-compelling questions that tend to stem from his passionate writing style. His emotion builds up, he offers examples and statistics, and then poses a question to the reader as if he is looking for feedback. His noteworthy credentials back up his strong post. A columnist, author, national radio commenter, and public speaker for nearly three decades, Hightower seems to know a lot about Congress. His statistics show that he has done research and can make comparisons between studies. He can accurately refer to the FEHBP and can explain the issue at hand regarding this program to any reader. Highwater’s credentials, writing style, knowledge, and passion for his topic enhance the blog’s credibility and subtle use of sources.
link to blog: http://www.truthout.org/1028095

Another blog that also relates to health care on the more health aspect stance is a Healthy Kid’s Pediatric Blog on stress. The blog talks about stress, its causes, how it can negatively affect us, and then addresses how this can affect others around you. Dr. Deborah Z. Bain, the blogger, points out several stressors that affect nearly everyone’s lives. This makes the post relatable and keeps the reader interested. Bain makes the story personal because she writes the post as if it were a public diary. Her reflections on the week brought her to write about the topic and her personal encounters with breast cancer make her argument believable. She gives statistics on breast cancer, but her implications that stress is linked to breast cancer were a bit confusing. At first, I thought the blog was specifically addressing stress and how to overcome its negative effects, but she transitioned sharply into its links with breast cancer. A smoother transition and more statistics or cited research would have made her argument more convincing. I do not know if stress is at all linked to cancer-more research would have helped readers to understand this. She offers a different view of how to address breast cancer.

"As we all buy our breast cancer awareness t -shirts, mugs, and jewelry to support "finding a cure," shouldn't we be asking ourselves what we can do to prevent cancer from developing in the first?"

I found her different viewpoint compelling because it actually addressed direct prevention, not just finding a cure. She poses some bold questions regarding a sensitive issue that does in fact affect many, towards the end of the blog. Bain’s credential as a doctor, her use of examples and statistics, and her ability to make a relatable subject even more personal keep the reader interested and makes her story plausible. However, more statistics and exposed research would have enhanced her credibility and maybe attracted comments.
link to blog: http://www.healthykidspediatrics.blogspot.com/

Overall, what makes evidence credible and believable includes credentials of the author, specific examples, visible research and use of statistics, relatability to the story, an easy to follow but sharp writing style, simple but still interesting word choice, and use of compelling questions that make the reader want to find out more about the subject or question their view of the topic.

Drackett Tower was built in 1965 and the architecture here in the dorm reflects that time period. It is named after Harry R. Drackett who was a student here and was originally built to house 870 men. The details of the building and room do not suggest that the building was originally suited for men as it is a prototype for most dorms seen around north. My common room has dented wooden furniture including the hollow doors, white cinderblock walls along with a white, woven thatch wall, a white drop panel ceiling, and hard linoleum floors. The black accessories update the look of the room with black appliances, chairs, tv and a stand. It’s a typical north campus dorm room, and I know it may seem rather stale, outdated, and disappointing for a young college student, but the room offers basic functions allowing the borders to personalize the room to their liking. And that’s just what we did. We have introduced many colorful accessories into the room. A poster above the couch sports vibrant yellows, reds, blues, greens and pinks while the poster opposite displays is a burst of bright pink. Our two lamps are pink and turquoise while a poster to the side of the lamps gives a soothing mix of blues, greens and white. The candy jar, even though low on supplies, is filled with Halloween chocolates and purple, green, orange, and black M &M’s. Our freestanding lamp has mixes of blue, lime, brown, baby blue and white on the shades. More neutral tones in the room include the beige carpet, brown ottoman, and the dark sofa and love seat which serve to ground the room and really unify all the different colors. The sofa and love seat bring a sense of modernism into the nostalgic room.
A common theme playing throughout the area is the city vibe. Pictures of New York City, Paris, Toledo, OH, and Detroit lie hanging by desks or walls. We’re fortunate to have a great view of downtown Columbus, since we’re on the 9th floor. The martini glasses on the poster and the decorative shot glasses all play into the city theme. This specific theme leads into a big picture theme of entertainment in our common room. A poster of the movie “Fight Club” hangs high above the window and pictures of famous music artists are cluttered about the desk space. A Frisbee, two beach balls and a deck of cards lie around, waiting to be used while the tv is a focal point of the room. Our two computers are a portal to another whole world of entertainment via the internet. Even a pair of pointe shoes and pictures of ballet performances are showcased, along with two old cameras, which relate the connection of entertainment to theatre and the arts. Movies, music, games, television and computer all play into the idea of entertainment. In contrast to this busy city theme is a subtle beach theme. Unfortunately, you cannot see in the photo posted to my blog the poster of the beach I have next to my desk. But, that combined with my desktop background, which is that of a beach (properly named “Azul”) provides a quick escape from the prominent entertainment and city themes, and even to our busy schedules as college students. I guess you could say the beach theme I created is a wishful escape when school stresses me out. All of the elements, common strands, and themes taking place here contribute to a relaxed, “chill”, colorful, inviting, and eclectic room. Our common room invites others in with plentiful seating and the appeal of entertainment. There are many oddities to note and conversation starters present. Everything, in some fashion, allows guests to locate similarities in style or personality from observation in the common room-I don’t think you would ever be bored in our room!
While our artistic endeavors as the residents to this space seem great, these exciting themes sometimes inhibit study, which is one of the intentions of this space. The many posters and tempting patterns could distract you from studying. So far, I have found studying rather difficult at times because I feel so relaxed here. When I should be reading about forces in statics class, I find myself sitting in front of the television watching The Office. Or I invite people in when really I should be typing a paper because this feels more like a social and hang out space. Though, we keep most everything very organized here, at least with respect to function and use of space. I suppose that could motivate me to be productive and mindful of my time. The room certainly promotes recreation and play and provides relaxation to some degree. I suppose only time can tell if this space promotes or inhibits my learning abilities!

10/1

In my high-school English classes, poetry was a main topic of discussion and took up a large part of each year. Weeks were devoted to reading poetry aloud in class. Thirty minute intervals of discussion commenced after the reading, which also included personal self-reflection, and the rest of the time was usually devoted to a class analysis. Poetry might not be my favorite subject to discuss, but I did enjoy reading the various forms of poetry in the literary world-that is, up until my sophomore year in high-school. The repetitive, in-depth analysis of the poetry that started that year picked the poem apart, losing the interest of not only myself, but many students. I understand that iambic-pentameter is rather important when characterizing the meter of a specific line, but is it really necessary to draw conclusions from the rhythm of how someone says a line, or for that matter, pronunciates the most mundane word? I have a hard time believing that some authors really went to that much trouble when trying to convey a message or portray a theme. After all, no one truly knows what the author’s intent is anyway because sometimes poetry is too subjective. My most frustrating moment was at the end of a class analysis when the teacher agreed to end the discussion on the fact that a clear message wasn’t available from the work. I was left even more confused about the work and I had felt like I wasted my time. Maybe I’m a little defensive on this topic because I was the one who could never understand the concept of meter or how, for example, shifting the stress on a word regarding intonation would completely change sentence flow. However, I do understand and recognize the fact that analysis is meant to spark the creative juices, get ideas flowing, and maybe make some connection to the your life. I just don’t think beating a poem to death does anyone good-some things are left up to question or best left alone. Poetry should be read at your pleasure. Whatever inferences or connections you make to it are up to you and are for your own benefit. A strict, exhaustive breakdown of a poem isn’t essential in order to get the most out of what the author has created.