Rhetorical strategies for Unit 4 portfolio

Group A: Meghan, and Marian, and myself have chosen to talk about TCU Housing. We did begin our first discussion with doing a video and interviewing 2 sources that know alot of info about the huge lag in living spaces for TCU students. Today we decided to switch from a video presentation to doing a posterboard, key chain and t-shirt design.

Our group has chosen this topic because upperclassmen are definitely dealing with this situation. We are able to talk about this problem because we are TCU students and Meghan, and Marian are currently dealing with TCU ORS in trying to find housing. Because there was no space for them, they had to decide to live off campus. We think that using a posterboard will be good because we will be providing accurate stats and numbers as to how much cheaper it is to live off campus, then on-campus. Our passion behind this comes from TCU students pay an arm and a leg to go to the university and therefore deserve to have a space available for them to live the next year.

Roles in Unit 4 Portfolio

My goals in group work include:

1. I’m the organizer and the one that keeps everyone on task.
2. I also prefer doing the work, but only when necessary presenting it.

I think it would be cool if we did a t-shirt or a YouTube video. Virtually anything interesting that I can be proud of presenting or using in the future. I definitely want to appeal to TCU students on an issue that is worth talking about that does affect us in some way. I don’t think I would be good at doing the website thing, since I have never done one before, but if for some reason we want that route I would want it to look really awesome.

Author's Note for Unit 3 Portfolio

My unit 3 portfolio is finished and I am very proud of what I have written and drawn. For the letter to the editor, I have three drafts including the final draft and the prewriting. For the op-ed, there are two drafts including the final draft. I am really happy to have been able to write about the RA position. In the op-ed piece, it was therapeutic to write about my frustrations and when I finished that final draft this morning, I was able to look at it and add the positives of being an RA. In the humorous argument, I came up with the idea by Googling "office newspaper cartoons" and pulling from what I saw. When I had my meeting with my group at Barnes & Noble last Monday, Megan and Marian did not have any suggestions for me. They really liked what I had and thought that it tied in well with the op-ed and letter to the editor. After the in class workshop, I decided to redo the drawing after someone commented that it was a bit cluttered. I agreed with that and I think that the final draft of my drawing is cleaner, concise, and conveys the argument that RAs are overworked.

The theme that binds my letter to the editor, op-ed, and humorous argument is that the RA position is not understood. In the letter to the editor I point out that the economy is a driving factor in the spike in RA applications, but that people need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into because the position is overwhelming and stressful. In the op-ed, I give a more detailed description of what RAs do and basically, I try to bring awareness to my audience about how and why we need to be respected. Lastly, in the Humorous argument I depict how stressed an RA is and some of the crazy requests and calls that we deal with throughout the semester.

So that is my unit 3 portfolio. :)

Author's Note

This is the 2nd draft of my humorous argument. I really like the newspaper cartoon that I made. I researched some Google images about office cartoons and that really helped me to make my own. I am satisfied with my piece and I would definitely like to avoid having to make another sketch because when it comes to my drawing skills, once I get it right it won't be right again, but if someone wants to add some comments on how to make it funnier or make my argument more clear than that is fine.

First Draft of Humor Argument

My first draft of my humorous argument is a newspaper cartoon. It is set in a residence hall office with the RA on duty lying on the floor with exhaustion and stress. The type of humor I used is exaggeration and I thought that the newspaper theme would be appropriate since we have written a letter to the editor and op-ed. The humor in this piece makes my point that RAs are unappreciated and overworked by showing how much work we have to do in a setting where residents see their RA all the time. Also, some of the the requests that the residents make show how crazy some of the situations we deal with are. Overall, I am really satisfied with it and I can't think of any changes I want to make since I am not a good artist and I like it the way it is.

Humorous Selection blog

Extremely surprising to me, it did not take long at all to find a humorous piece to blog about. At first, I stopped by Colbert Nation because The Colbert Report is one of my favorite shows and I think Stephen Colbert is hilarious and a genius, but that is neither here nor there. I searched his videos for anything relating to college life, but did not get anything that really applied to being an RA which I assumed would happen. Then I started to think about my ULTIMATE FAVORITE TV show, The Office (which is the most brilliant and hilarious tv show on air right now).

The Office is known for its sometime subtle but other times brazen jokes. In this case in season 4, Pam Beasley went to New York Pratt School of Design to pursue her dreams of being an artist. In order for her to afford to go there, she had to become an RA. The episode does not go to great detail to express how she feels about being an RA, but there is a scene, in which her now fiance, Jim Halpert (heart skips a beat)surprises her at her dorm. Later on in the episode, the camera focuses on Jim in the lobby of the dorm watching tv because one of Pam's residents ran into her room crying because her roommate drank her soy milk.

For most people it may not have been funny, but this is an example of an inside joke and subtle humor made for past and current RAs. We constantly have to deal with our time being interrupted by various residents with problems.

This is the best that I could do, but I am pleased that I get to use The Office :)

Author's Note

This is the first draft of my op-ed. I get the feeling that I missed the mark on this one. I did do research before hand and found two other op-eds in college newspapers about RA stuff. Now that I think about it, this is really the 2nd draft of the op-ed. I threw out the first one because I was writing that one when I was angry so my mood is VERY MUCH reflective in that particular piece. The one you are reading I think is too informational and maybe not "op-edy" enough (I hope you understand that). If you can give me comments on what to eliminate, what to keep, what to expand on, I would sincerely appreciate it. As a resident, do you feel I should incorporate some more convincing examples to get the audience to believe that we have a tough job. Can you also say whether or not you believe my argument. This will really help to restructure it if necessary.

I hope I haven't overburdened you.
Merci

Pre-Writing for Op-Ed

For my op-ed, I plan to focus on the hardships of being an RA. Many people don't understand the job until their first day on their own. I hope to enlighten readers and call them to action as far as being more considerate and thoughtful of RAs. I am going to outline the 4 main parts of our job: safety, paperwork, training, and other. In each category I will cite specific examples as to what we do on a daily basis. The pathos appeal I think would be most effective because facts will be good here, but bringing up general experiences that RAs have had with residents and vice versa will keep readers more enthralled, I think. Personal experience is more effective as I said before because not everyone knows what we do, hence the point of this piece therefore quoting info from the ORS website's description is bland. Bringing in real world action will make it more believable.

There is no research to be done on my part because I have had 1 years experience which will more than enough to get my point across.

Author's Note for 1st draft

I totally forgot to post my author's note with my 1st draft, so here it is after the fact.

This is the 1st draft and I really like what I have. It is missing a statistic because I am waiting on that individual to get back to me with that info. I am always open to hearing suggestions on what will sound better as far as phrasing. Please identify anything that sounds confusing or needs more expansion. Please comment on whether there is enough commentary or if you think I should add some more argumentative points. As always, please check for grammar and punctuation.

Gracias

Letter to the Editor draft 1

To the Editor:
I say thank you to Lisa W. Foderaro’s Sunday article, “Free Room and Board Give a Job New Allure,” (March 22) for, one, calling attention to RAs and two, for recognizing that the negative state of the economy is a tremendous force behind the spike in Resident Assistant applications across US universities and colleges.
The article does a very good job of presenting the fact that the economy is causing the resident adviser (or assistant) position to seem far more enticing to students than before because of the high financial benefits attached to the job title. At my own school, Texas Christian University, we have witnessed a dramatic increase as well. Heather Miller, Assistant Director of TCU Residential Life reported [waiting on her to email the statistics…]
What the piece failed to fully mention or discuss are the hardships and immense stress that comes from being an RA. Students, parents, universities, and potential RA candidates need to be wholly aware that the job is NOT “part therapist, part event planner, part enforcer” as Foderaro mistakenly claims. We are FULLY therapists, FULLY event planners, FULLY enforcers, and most importantly FULLY human. I assume that Foderaro has never been a resident assistant and therefore can only rely on other RAs testimony and her observation, but I have been a resident assistant for one year and am about to begin a new semester, but with female freshmen residents. All aspects of the job should have been covered or at least alluded to, for example, the 5 o’clock wakeup call from a resident that is locked outside the building; creating door decorations so the occupants and other people can know who lives in which room, filing a lot of paper work for safety, informational purposes; checking students in and out of the halls for move- in and move-out; trying to build individual relationships and a residential community with a very diverse group of people; while simultaneously being a full-time student and try to have a normal student life .
Foderaro could have also interviewed resident advisors from universities not from the East Coast. If her argument is that the foul state of the economy is the reason for the stark increase in resident assistant applications, then it would make more sense to interview RAs from across the country to exemplify that claim more effectively. The economy is affecting everyone, some are being hit harder than others, but nonetheless, we are all feeling it.
As stated before, the author gives no insight into her own experiences with RAs, but within the article, readers should have been put on alert to the difficulties of the job and emphasized those individuals considering the job need to understand that it is not a part-time job, but instead a twenty-four hour call of duty. Having personally seen people hired that do not deserve the job, more consideration needs to be taken on the part of the applicants assessing their own maturity level, ability to multitask, and responsibility skills for caring for people and tasks, exciting and unwanted.
It is horribly cliché, but every RA can agree, there is more than meets the eye when you are a resident assistant.


Kanika Nevers
Word Count: 533

Topic for Unit 3

I scoured the internet for hours upon hours looking for local articles about RAs. Initially, I looked through the Skiff and they had nothing even though RA selection was not that long ago. I DID find an article from the New York Times published on March 22 about the rising amount of RA applications about the economy. I have decided to stick with this article even though it focuses on RAs at NYU, Cornell, and Seton Hall University, an RAs job will always be the same, with minor detail changes, regardless of the University. The changes the article was centered around are in fact the same trends that are appearing at TCU.

I really hope this article will get approved because I really need to write about something that doesn't pose as many challenges as the last one did. I also really need to vent- being an RA is insanely stressful, which is one of the points that I will make in my editorial. Finding an article about RAs definitely completes the requirement for being in my local community. As I said before, if you are an RA at one university, you can be an RA at every university because our job is consists of the same things, but every university department that deals with RA has slightly different requirements that RAs must meet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/education/23resident.html?ref=nyregion

New Topic Idea for Unit 3

I haven't found the exact article yet, but I do plan to find some type of advertisement in which I can argue effectively. I plan to write about TCU RA selection. It effects TCU students directly because each year we have at least 100 students apply or at least show interest, but usually only 30-40 upperclassmen get selected. I believe current RAs and people who apply could be perturbed by this because we don't feel that there is an accurate representation of what an RA's job actually consists of- the good and the bad. Often time, the bad part of the job is obscured, which is typical when people apply for any kind of job, but I feel it is important that if the Office of Residential Services continues to select people who cannot stand the demands of being an RA than something is obviously wrong and its coming from the inside.

Development of Case Study

My case study has developed very slowly and for a very long time I was unsure of how I could analyze my sources.

• First, the Paschal AP class didn't meet the day I went to visit. For the first part of the assignment I had my sources, but I didn't understand how I was supposed to analyze them. Before Ibegan the rough draft, it seemed feasible, but as I began to write it became more troublesome.
  
• Second, what I was intending on finding, that the class would be teaching sustainable practices, was not as blatant as I expected. The sources were of course talking about environmental science, but their sustainable ideas were not equal in every source.
• After meeting with Professor Patrick and learning that redirecting the focus to American AP EnvSci classes instead of the one at Paschal H.S. would make analyzing the sources much easier.
• After completing the 2nd draft, it has certainly helped me in broadening the topic a bit and I feel a lot more confident in respect to analyzing the rhetorical strategies.
  

Right now I am just really happy that this assignment is due Wed. and I can put this insane essay behind me. :)

Author's Note for Rhetorical Case Study

This is the first draft that I you will be reading. I wrote it in two intervals, the latter being this morning until 4 o'clock, so please take into consideration that it may not make sense in some areas. I think this draft is okay, but needs a lot more work because I am still having a very hard time trying to have more sources relate back to my thesis. Mark everything that doesn't make sense, mark punctuation, and PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SOURCES RELATING TO THE THESIS, AND WHAT I CAN DO TO MAKE IT STRONGER!

Latest Reaction and Reflection

Now that I have done the analysis, I feel A LOT more confident about this paper. I had to two drafts of the my first analysis of the textbook (I wrote this one first) because I didn't feel that it was analytical enough or even good. Re-reading the sample essay about teen pregnancy was really helpful to redirect my thought process and to organize rhetorical strategies. To prepare for my analysis, I had to write down specific and important aspects of my sources on paper to order my analysis. I just tried to lay out the skeleton of what I needed to say and added some details so that I could trigger my memory when I have to write more.

I wrote each page analysis on separate days and re-read and re-watched what I needed to do the assignment properly. I have noticed that the textbook has quite a few good points of analysis that I want to explore, and I even found another source on amazon that gives buyer feedback on the book itself, but I don't know if this will fit into the paper.

Sources

What connects my sources?

Environmental science and the hope of educating viewers or students about the current fragile state of the planet, animals, and ecosystems.

Blue planet focused on marine life and the animals that live and depend on it. It ended with an explanation of the current danger that our oceans are in.

The Planet Earth documentary focused its attention to every aspect of our planet save water, and hoped to showcase the planet and nonhuman animals in a way we have never seen before. It too ended with commentary about the current state of different natural habitats and endangered animals.

Controlling Idea- Environmental science education is important to understanding the plight of all inhabitants of the planet.

Order:
Textbook, Syllabi, Blue Planet, and Planet Earth

Intro:
1. Syllabi
a. The syllabus traditionally outlines the purpose of the class and what resources will be used to fulfill those goals.
One source equally as important to the structure and effectiveness of the class is the textbook.
2. Textbook
a. Main resource used in classrooms to explain and teach students about the course.
b. The theme of the book, as outlined by the author, is sustainability and how to demonstrate how we interact and use nature.
3. Planet Earth documentary
a. Last episode of the documentary has authoritative figures commenting on the current problems and status of the planet.
b. The other 10 episodes film different aspects of earth: “pole to pole”, “mountains”, “into the wilderness”
4. Blue Planet documentary
a. The most pivotal part of this documentary, like the other one is the last part with commentary explaining the decimation of the oceans and marine life.

Perspective on Topic/Issue

My perspective on my topic is still a bit unclear. I have read the assignment over 5 times and I am still not exactly clear what this paper is about. Are we supposed to examine our sources in light of over topic and see if it supports it or not?

After doing the Toulmin charts, I still do not feel as if I am completely understanding everything and in all honesty, I don't know what the purpose of the charts are for. I just feel that my topic is so unusual that it doesn't fit the mold as easily as other issues might. I also could only do 3 of the 4 charts for my sources because the one that I am missing, the syllabi, I am waiting for the teacher to email me.

I think I will start to feel more comfortable once I see the syllabi and speak with the teacher. Once I meet with Mr. Brinker, I hope he will be able to iron out the questions I have and give me a full understanding of what his class is about. I just need him to respond to email because he is taking a very long time to reply. :(

I can't wait for this assignment to be over and I hope the next paper will be a bit easier or at least not so stressful.

Controlling Idea

I think my controlling idea is to see if this class is trying to implement green education in a way that encourages students to be active or involved in the environment.

Concerns and Pre-Writing

I am concerned that theme or controlling argument for this assignment is not clear enough yet. I am analyzing an AP Environmental Science class at Paschal, but I haven't met the teacher or the students yet and have no idea how I am going to structure this paper.

My second concern is that I have read the description for this assignment over 5 times and I am still unsure of what I am supposed to be doing. Am I supposed to be analyzing the sources or the topic?

Source 1:
Textbook- "Living in the Environment". I chose this because it will be a huge tell to how the class is thematically structured. The book obviously is concentrated on environmental science and I noticed that it covers a lot of information that I learned in my environmental science class here last semester.

Source 2:
Class Syllabi- I haven't had a chance to look at it yet because of other circumstances, but this will also give a good idea as to what is the hope for the class as far as goals, and expectations.

Source 3:
"The Planet Earth" and "The Blue Planet" videos are apparently used in the class as supplemental work and to visually illustrate certain points to the class.

Source 4:
Interviews with Mr. Brinker and his class will demonstrate first hand knowledge of the goals for the class in and what is actually being done besides what is expressed on paper/

Paschal AP Environmental Science Class

I finally narrowed down my topic to studying the Paschal High School AP Environmental Science class taught by a TCU alumni, Mr. Andrew Brinker. The research website were of no use to me because this topic would not be covered in mainstream media. My primary sources for studying this course is to use the syllabus for the class, their textbook "Living the Environment", some of the videos used in the class, "Planet Blue", "Planet Earth", and "Renewal Energy" and interviews with students and Mr. Brinker. My research experience has been pretty up and down and unexpected. The teacher is in Michigan for his father's surgery so I have to communicate with him via email and the extra textbooks which I was hoping to look at more fully have been taken by the FWISD (thanks alot).

My specific sources will serve to explain and showcase how the school and Mr. Brinker specifically, are choosing to educate students about the environment. The syllabi will give a direct mission statement for what is will be expected for the class. These materials will help explain from which viewpoint the school and teacher support in respect to environmental science.

I will say that I am nervous because this topic and approach is unconventional and I hope this project won't fall out from under me. I do plan to visit this classroom throughout the course of this assignment to get a better understanding of what is going on.

New Topic for Research Analysis Paper

I have chosen to spend the next 5 weeks researching what schools are doing in order to educate students on green issues. I may target elementary schools, but I might change it to TCU in order to make my research more feasible. I chose this topic for several reasons. Since I began at TCU, my first sociology professor really opened my eyes to serious environmental issues like pollution, food scarcity, deforestation, water quality, and the list goes on and on. Being more conscientious of consumption is very important and in my Religion and Environmental Ethics class we discussed ideas that have an impact on these kinds of issues. Education, I feel is fundamental to learning how to change an inappropriate lifestyle.

In all honesty, I want to see how important these issues are to the Fort Worth or universtiy school system. I am very much aware that the intensity of environmental education depends on which region of the world it is being taught. So, my expectations are not that high for either sector I choose to investigate, but I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Latest Author's Note

This is my final draft and I am very happy that I can say that. After visiting the Writing Center and having it checked for mechanical errors and typos, I feel good about the paper I am about to email to you. My satisfaction stems from the fact that I really can't think of anything else to add to the paper, and also that a professional checked my paper, so I feel pretty good. I am a bit worried about the requirement for using the senses to describe. I described my location (Central Market) to the best of my ability, but applying the sensory factor here I don't think works very well here.

I also wanted to remind you that my annotated notes are not on my blog because for some reason the computer in the classroom would not receive anything from my flash drive so Marian and Mason read my notes on the computer and I commented on Mason and Marian's notes (Marian had a hard copy). I will also attach the peer revisions of my paper to you, but either Mark Brown or Matt Palombo did not save his commented version like you had wanted, but I wanted to let you know so that he gets credit and you know who reviewed my paper.

I believe this is everything so... Enjoy!

Kanika Nevers

Workshop Feedback on draft 1

To be honest, I did not believe that my first draft would result in pretty positive comments. As I have said in my first blog, I am not generally confident in my work as a writer, but the feedback has boosted my confidence, for a short while, with this assignment. I was initially worried that my thesis would not be clear, but this did not happen. On the other hand, the flow of my description and my ability to convey the actual flow of Central Market needs work, which I knew. My group members did not make mention of this, but I KNOW I need help with punctuation.
I plan to arrange the layout of Central Market in way that can be easily understood by readers who have never visited CM and allow those who have shopped there to remember certain parts of the store and take notice of things they had not seen before. I was also given the suggestion of elaborating on the history of CM so I will do that as well, along with adding more of my observations that I omitted. I had a great serendipitous experience with these 2 women I met and I want to find a way to incorporate that.

Author's Note for Public Analysis

This is my first draft of my public analysis of Central Market. As of now, I know this draft is certainly ROUGH. Each paragraph needs significant work, but I need help on the flow and organization of my work. I really have 2 main arguments, but I am not sure if that is apparent. I have a lot more examples to add in, but I just wanted to get the main outline out and get that out of the way for now. What I am asking everyone who reads this analysis is PLEASE HELP ME WITH PUNCTUATION. This has forever been my Achilles' heal and I need help, BAD! Please add any comments, but of course be kind. ;)

Central Market's Meaning to Fort Worth

I think Central Market adds a unique flavor to Fort Worth, first by its architectural structure with the large, chocolate, barn doors that frame the entrances. On my last visit, I noticed that they sold homemade TCU Horned Frog purple soap. Although Texas is most known for "Everything is bigger and better in Texas" attitude, and Fort Worth as "Cow Town", environmentalism, eco-friendliness, eating healthy and 'normal' sized portions, I believe Central Market provides people who care for these issues with a place to find them. CM's original intention was not this when it began in Austin in '92, but rather to give food lovers a limitless choice of quality grocery items and make grocery shopping a joy rather than a chore.

Arguments in Fact and Definition in My Public Space

My space of interest in Central Market and the price argument can go a long way in this situation, but one that I found is an overarching theme in Central Market is the products sold there. From the flowers they sell, to the soap you can buy everything there is in some way related to health consciousness or a more "upity" type of product that you definitely wouldn't find in Wal-Mart. They are arguing that these products are worth so much that H-E-B can make a store completely focused on health food and consciousness and expect people to come, buy, and embrace this type of lifestyle. It's a great argument they make and God knows many people including myself fall for it.

Central Market is the Coolest Place on Earth- I am making it official!

So I did it........ I went to Central Market TWICE and didn't buy anything. Besides completing the observation portion of the paper, that was a huge feat that I accomplished. People that shop there know what I am talking about :)
As I suspected, the crowds on Friday night (I decided to switch Thursday to Friday because I wanted to ensure I would get a parking spot when I came back to campus) were so much smaller and relaxing than today's (Sunday) crowd. The parking lot on Friday was nearly empty at 7pm. I was initially wrong in my assumption that I would find a lot of young singles there looking for food to cook for a date. Instead, what I found were many families and older married couples shopping. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the Central Market employees were so much more apparent and helpful (because you could actually find them). On one occasion, an employee asked me if I needed help picking out some wine. I find this hilarious because in no way, shape or form do I look old enough to buy wine- I've actually been mistaken for a 10yr old one time. On both visits, and future ones I expect too, that from the workers to the customers will continue to be genuinely friendly and polite. Which certainly adds to the greatness of this store.

This is what I will say for now because I don't want to give too much away, but strongly encourage everyone, even if you have been before, to go to Central Market and just people watch or better yet introduce yourself to strangers and you will be presently surprised. I did and it was one of the best serendipitous moments I've ever had.

Thanks for reading :)

Choice for Public Space Analysis

My choice for our essay is to study Central Market. I think my decision comes from the fact that I was just there Sunday evening buying groceries for a program I had Monday morning so it was the first thing that popped into my head during class. Besides that I really enjoy the atmosphere there, I just think it is a really cool place to shop for food, especially healthy food that you will definitely not find at Wal-Mart, which is where I am used to shopping . My hope is to go there Thursday night around 8:30 (after The Office and because my night class is canceled) and again on Sunday afternoon. I already expect to see very different crowds on Thursday and Sunday. I think I will find a more adult/ family crowd on Sunday, while on Thursday I will still find adults, but younger, probably coming from work to pick up a few items for dinner or a date.

I know when I do go, I can't bring any money and I need to eat before because I will be really tempted to buy something :)

Favorite Locales

A new favorite spot of mine this semester is Red Cactus. Ever since the advent of Frog Bucks (which have unfortunately and untimely run out of ) has brought to this AWESOME Mexican restaurant. I ADORE the Spanish language, culture, and especially the food and since I discovered what Red Cactus was last semester I have spent quite a bit of time there. The manager, who's name I do not know yet is extremely friendly and he always smiles at me. Each cook is extremely amiable and every time I eat there I try desperately to listen in on their conversations in order to practice my Spanish. One day, I am hoping to gain enough courage to order in Spanish. What attracts to Red Cactus besides the great food is the atmosphere. The music is always different, sometimes Latin, other times techno (which is always pleasant) or 80's and 90's pop songs. It's never too busy when I go there to eat which makes it a fun place to study and people watch.

Internet Addiction . . . reality or no

Originally, I found another editorial piece by David Hall in the Skiff and I was planning on using that because of his great use of humor and sarcasm to convince his audience that Hulk Hogan should be the next president, but unfortunately I lost that article so I must resort to a different, but not lesser (I don't want to offend the writer although she will most likely NEVER see this blog) choice from TCU's paper.

So my article "Internet addiction a real problem" by Katie B. Martinez in Thursday's paper argues, specifically using logos, that internet addiction is real and the least recognized. So in layman's terms she makes a claim (what I just stated above) and supports it by using facts from a study done by practicing psychiatrist and researcher from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Dr. Jerald Block. Her logic based argument is also evident when she documented that China, in late 2008 had declared internet addiction a disorder.

Martinez seemed to know her audience since she referenced World of Warcraft (an extremely popular online video game) as an example of keeping individuals from important and normal tasks like going to work. The last major element present in the article was her use of testimonies. She did not actually interview anyone firsthand, but quoted a global message board that spoke of personal experiences with family members with the addiction and others who believed that China's declaration was "another brainwashing tool of the communists".

Overall, her editorial was a textbook case of a fact based argument.

Capitulo 1

What is most surprising and I think many will agree is the idea that everything is an argument. One would not initially think that telling a friend about your day is arguing any kind of point, but rather just informing your friend, but what I find interesting is that the authors say that you are arguing for your audience's attention. On page 4, it says that all visual and verbal messages contain arguments, but my natural tendency is to view these signs as declarations that the wearer or speaker is saying about themselves or issue they care about.

2. What in the book do I not agree with?
For the most part, I did not really disagree with anything, but I do have a hard time believing that everything is an argument. I believe some parts of our speech simply inform while other parts do intend to argue a point. I think there is mixture of the two, but nothing concrete.

Howdy to all,

First things first, my name is Kanika. I am from Grand Prairie, TX, but my family is from Jamaica. I am a sophomore and an RA in TBPW. I just changed my major again so now I am a Spanish and Sociology double major with a Religion minor. I enjoy long walks on the beach (just kidding, I haven't been to the beach in years), but I spend an obscene amount of time watching The Office, Arrested Development, Scrubs, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I am a HUGE TV addict and my life long goal is to fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and maybe French.

I did initially sign up for this class because it is required, but I figured that since I am spending money on coming to this university I might as well improve my writing skills and my ability to articulate certain issues that I feel strongly about while I am in this class. Honestly, I have never been a fan of English, but I certainly hope to finish this semester with a stronger ability to write better and more confidently. As I stated above, I disdain writing, therefore I shy away from it as much as possible, but in turn I have 3 close friends that are English majors who constantly talk about how they must write at least once a week in order to relieve stress (I don't get it). Most of my writing consists of occasionally texting and replying to facebook comments and writing notes and reminders for myself because I am extremely forgetful. My writing inside the classroom mostly concentrates on the analysis of sociological themes and concepts, which for the most part is not that bad. I never enjoy writing assignments, but oddly enough I do pretty well on them. When it comes down to it, I don't enjoy writing because it is so time consuming and I don't feel confident about the way I express myself in my papers. Hopefully this will change by May.

In response to which community I belong to most obviously, I am apart of the TCU community, but more specifically the RA and TBPW community as well. Outside of Fort Worth and from a state-wide perspective, I am apart of the Jamaican community living in Texas and in the U.S. These aspects of my life that I identify with show my interests, my heritage, and they reflect my personality. Because I look favorably upon being a TCU student, a Jamaican, and an RA among several other things, that in turn effects how I portray these parts of my life to the people I meet. For instance, if I was ashamed that I am a TCU student, for one, I would not continue to study here or give them my money. Since I am proud of these things that I identify myself as people know that these things are important to me.

Finally, I feel that my blog is not entirely an argument. In the introduction, I neither try to argue or persuade my audience of anything. According to the author's criteria for an argument to inform, I informed my audience that although writing is difficult and tedious, it is far better to overcome those obstacles because of the monetary price tag TCU attaches to it and English's overall utility in the "real world".

In closing, I Kanika promise to collaborate on all projects be punctual, diligent, and respectful of the learning environment, and everyone in it.