Mediation

Mediation serves an important role in life. It is a way that many people embrace to solve conflicts. Even professional athletes use mediation to determine their contracts. To write a mediatory essay it is important for me to adapt the writing style. In order to mediate I have to consider both sides fully and make sure I have fully researched both sides. I also have to keep a non-bias which is something I know I have trouble with sometimes. This is much different from a straight forward argument essay because you must present both sides evenly and consider both and then come upon a compromise. In an argument essay you are simply arguing to convince or persuade.

Visual Rhetoric

Visual rhetoric is the ability to get a message across with pictures, not words. This type of rhetoric is crucial to companies who are trying to advertise. Many people make a living off of being able to use visual rhetoric to their advantage. It is important that I know how to analyze visuals because it is something that I am immersed in all the time. Being able to interpret commercials can help me to form an opinion on the product in the ad. Also, understand visual rhetoric helps me to be a better writer because it involves a similar process of analytical thinking that goes into essay writing. I am very comfortable with this type of rhetoric and I believe that I have learned the necessary skills.

Obama Speech

This is a great speech from senator Obama. He uses many rhetorical strategies in the speech. Obama opens by telling a story, which really grabs our attention. He uses the tone of his voice to show what is important to him and should be important to Americans. He goes on to talk about race, and how diverse his is. He then uses that to show how great a nation we are because of how everyone is treated with equality. This allows for unity, something Obama is preaching for. He even specifically mentions south carolina, "where the confederate flag still flies", which is an interesting connection. Obama is a great speaker and because of it, I believe, and hope he will win the presidency.

Joseph Dubrowski

English 103

3/6/2008

Photo Essay

Thesis: By providing quiet, relaxing and well kept grounds, Clemson

University’s many outdoor fields and points of interest promote a positive venue for academic studies.

While most people would recognize Clemson’s wide array of fields as good places to hang out and get in their sports fix, most would fail to recognize the potential that these outdoor areas hold for academic studies. These pictures are arranged in such a way that someone could recognize just how many people utilize the outdoors for doing work and studying. These pictures were all taken on campus, and they focus on several different locations where students can find a peaceful place to study. Each picture is meant to convey the serenity of our campus. They lead up to the final pictures of the amphitheater where it is evident that this particular outdoor venue is a good place to not only study individually, but to discuss different topics as an entire class.

Moderation Readings

Just like peer review, the moderation readings went very well in my opinion. It was nice to get a chance to read other peoples LR's so I could not only give feedback and help them out but also get a sense of where mine stood in comparison to everyone else's. I put a lot of time and thought into my B1 and C1 so I was happy to see good feedback from my classmates. I now know that if I just do my best on my English work I can succeed in this class. I would consider my writing skills to be at right about the same level as my peers. For my final LR I will just have to remember to focus on what I have done over the entire semester to become a better writer. I hope we continue to do moderation readings.

Community Based Essay

The community based essay was a good way for me to get a feel for what I need to improve in my writing and also what my strengths are. I figured out that I am good at writing in a persuasive, convincing style. With this said, I need to improve upon my sentence structure especially my begining and concluding sentences. I also need to make sure I have my MLA format down because I didn't quite get that perfect for my final draft. Overall, I liked writing this essay and put a lot of work into it, now it's just a matter of me fine tuning my skills.