Overall I think the process for my final paper was a lot easier than I expected. It all started with the topic. I was really set on doing something about marching band, so what's usually the hardest part was super simple.
This is the first paper that I didn't go to the writing center, but I did have peer evaluations and I found them super helpful. During the writing process I usually go to the writing center to make sure that my idea come across clearly to my audience. Since I did have peer evaluations they let me know when something wasn't as clear as I thought it was, so I didn't really see the writing center doing too much more in that respect.
I really enjoyed this paper though and it was nice to be able to go back and watch some old videos of my band and just remember how great that experience was to me and I'm glad I got to share it with the class.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Course Reflection
At the beginning of this class I wasn't really sure how well I was going to do. I was worried that I would be in over my head and I would be writing huge papers that took weeks to write, but I would soon discover that it was all manageable. I really liked how the class was set up. I liked that we had 3 papers. We knew from the first day of class what they were, when we would be doing them, and what was expected of us. I felt like I actually had enough time to work on each paper and really get a strong understanding of what I was supposed to be covering and conveying in each topic paper. I liked that we were able to choose our own topics. This was probably the hardest part of each paper for me, but in the end I liked being able to write about something that I enjoyed and was passionate about. I feel like I learned a lot about writing. My first drafts now are more about getting everything out on paper before I start picking it apart. I learned a lot about punctuation and even a little bit about myself as a writer. This class has boosted my confidence as a writer and shown me that I am capable of "A" work. I don't think I have really gotten an A on any paper that I've written but I worked really hard in this class and I'm proud to say that it payed off. I think the writing center has helped me so much and I'm glad that I learned about it in this class. I will continue to use it throughout my JMU career because it really is a great resource.
Now that this class is coming to an end I think I might miss it in a strange way. I really liked being able to just rant in my first draft of a paper and then having people direct me in the right direction. I had a good time in this class and getting up at 8am was totally worth it. Professor Henderson was a great teacher and I feel like she understood that we are all students and have others classes then GWRTC. She understood how our schedules worked and she worked around us sometimes. She gave us enough time to get everything completed and I was totally impressed that she commented on everyone's second drafts so we could have her feedback before we submitted our final drafts. I really appreciate that she worked hard for us and I wish her the best of luck in the future beyond JMU.
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take this class and it wasn't nearly as bad and painful as I thought it was going to be.
Now that this class is coming to an end I think I might miss it in a strange way. I really liked being able to just rant in my first draft of a paper and then having people direct me in the right direction. I had a good time in this class and getting up at 8am was totally worth it. Professor Henderson was a great teacher and I feel like she understood that we are all students and have others classes then GWRTC. She understood how our schedules worked and she worked around us sometimes. She gave us enough time to get everything completed and I was totally impressed that she commented on everyone's second drafts so we could have her feedback before we submitted our final drafts. I really appreciate that she worked hard for us and I wish her the best of luck in the future beyond JMU.
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take this class and it wasn't nearly as bad and painful as I thought it was going to be.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Responce to "Take a Good, Hard Look"
I think this article brings up some good points. Yes, JMU does have a reputation for partying. The students know it, faculity, parents, and prospective students are all aware of this reputation. One thing I think that needs more attention though is all of the good JMU does for the community. I think in some cases it outweights the bad. Just this past weekend JMU raised over $144,000 for Relay for Life. That's one of the top Relay for Life events in the nation. We were the ones that went out and picked up after the riot and we are continuing to support those in Fox Hills through fundraisers to fix the damage that was caused by our and others rowdy behavior. Sometimes people just need to look past the fact that yes, there was a riot, but things could be worse. We could just turn our backs on the issue and neglect that it ever happened, but we're not. JMU is taking responsibility for it's actions and we're doing soemthing about it. At the end of the day we are a strong community. There is a lot of good thats going on here and I think that we deserve so much more then just a party school image.
3.2 Reflection
I think my narrative argument is coming along well. I still haven't made any huge changes to it because I'm really waiting on my peer review date. I'm looking forward to that so I can get a lot of feedback and really find out what my audience is looking for in my paper and what they want to get out of it. I am pleased with where it is now though. For this second draft I was able to fix some transitions and work with that a little bit since that was one of the main concerns I got from my group feedback.
Overall I didn't really see a lot that could be done with this paper. With this one, unlike my other papers, I took so much time on the first draft because it was something to special to me and something that I was really passionate about so I wanted it to be perfect. I think I took so much time with it and really tried to be critical the first time around, and now for the second draft a lot of stuff that I normally have to fix isn't there.
Hopefully I'll get some really good info on Monday about how to better my paper and I look forward to coming to class and hearing what everyone has to say! :)
Overall I didn't really see a lot that could be done with this paper. With this one, unlike my other papers, I took so much time on the first draft because it was something to special to me and something that I was really passionate about so I wanted it to be perfect. I think I took so much time with it and really tried to be critical the first time around, and now for the second draft a lot of stuff that I normally have to fix isn't there.
Hopefully I'll get some really good info on Monday about how to better my paper and I look forward to coming to class and hearing what everyone has to say! :)
Monday, April 19, 2010
3.1 Reflection
After recieving feedback I was a little confused on some things about my paper. I got mixed remarks about switching the first and second paragraphs so I wasn't really sure what to do about that. I think for now I'm going to leave them alone and then maybe take another look at them later on in the writing process and make a final decision then.
One thing that really helped me though were my groupmates telling me that my transitions needed a little work. I didn't really even notice so it was good to get that feedback and then better my paper.
I think overall this paper has been a lot easier to write then my last two. I think because it's a topic that I'm so passionate about and talking about it comes easily to me. I also knew I wanted to write at least one of my papers on this topic so the normally hardest part, picking the topic, was the easiest part this time.
I'm hoping with my next draft to get a little bit more feedback about what type of information my audience is looking for. My group said that they wanted me to use my sources a little bit more but I didn't really understand how so I'm hoping to get some more information about how I can better my paper in this aspect.
I'm looking forward to writing the next draft soon though!
One thing that really helped me though were my groupmates telling me that my transitions needed a little work. I didn't really even notice so it was good to get that feedback and then better my paper.
I think overall this paper has been a lot easier to write then my last two. I think because it's a topic that I'm so passionate about and talking about it comes easily to me. I also knew I wanted to write at least one of my papers on this topic so the normally hardest part, picking the topic, was the easiest part this time.
I'm hoping with my next draft to get a little bit more feedback about what type of information my audience is looking for. My group said that they wanted me to use my sources a little bit more but I didn't really understand how so I'm hoping to get some more information about how I can better my paper in this aspect.
I'm looking forward to writing the next draft soon though!
Essay 3.2 Finding a Place in this World
November 15, 2007 was a cold but clear Thursday in my hometown of Sykesville MD. It started out like every other day but strong emotions hung in the air of Century High School, at least for the members of the Century Marching Knights. November 15th would be forever remembered as the day we would become National Champions under the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA). We were told to report to school by 7am and meet in the band room for an attendance check. It was still dark outside but the band was all there, wide awake, and huddled together in the band room waiting for morning announcements to begin so we could start the biggest day of our marching band careers. We finished out our days per usual and then headed out behind the school for last minute preparations before we set out for Raven’s Stadium in Baltimore. The whole community lined up for our notorious final run through at the end of our rehearsal. We had our principal, fellow peers, newspaper reporters, family, and even some teachers stay to watch us and wish us well at nationals. As we loaded the bus everyone was silent, going through the show in their heads ready to lay it all down on the field that night at 11:27pm. When we arrived at M&T Bank Stadium it was 31o outside and it was only 8:30. That left us with a 2 ½ hour warm up block in the freezing cold. We took our time and then made our way to the field. With nothing but the performance on our minds we took the field and threw it down. We nailed everything, and we knew it too. After we finished the crowd went crazy, we’d won them over. As we left the field we couldn’t do anything but smile. It was the best show we had ever given and all our long difficult practices paid off. With a total score of 96.75, out of 100, we won 1st place by 2 points. At this moment in my life I felt like I had finally found somewhere that I belonged. I felt like I fit in here and I couldn’t have been more proud of what I accomplished. I can’t even imagine my life without the friends I’ve made along the way and the achievements I’ve accomplished.
Things weren’t always this clear for me. Back in middle school I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I mean what middle school adolescent does? All I knew was that I needed to find my clique in school. I had always been known as the sports star in my small middle school, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to play in high school. It wasn’t until I met my mathematics teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Oppenheimer, that I would find out just where my high school career and beyond would take me. He gave us a simple assignment; find something in your everyday life where mathematics can be applied to solve a problem and write a 1200 word essay explaining why and how math can/is used. Now it’s important to know that my brother had just joined a marching band at his high school, and anything he did I always wanted to do, because I looked up to him so much. With that being said I decided to apply mathematics to marching band and drill design and formation. This small assignment sparked my passion for competitive colorguard. I wanted to know how it worked, what went into it, techniques, styles, individual limitations, how the different sections worked independently and then came together as a whole. I was hooked and there was no looking back. That 1200 word essay turned into a 6 page paper and my teacher told me that if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, get involved with the band, and get the experience I was craving, then I would always regret it. So I did what he said.
I see now that getting involved in marching band truly shaped me into the person I am today. I got involved at such a crucial point in my life and if I hadn’t taken that chance when I did I know I would be a completely different person then I am now. In my psychology class we are learning about the life-span of a human, and individual development processes. We’re learning about the different stages of life and how different influences during these life stages can affect the final outcome of a person’s personality, style, and interests. We’ve learned that childhood is a time of learning. Kids are like sponges and whatever they are surrounded with they will soak up and will ultimately become what they are influenced by. Studies that were published in the Journal of Adolescent Research stated that individual surroundings for the middle and high school years did help foretell what type of lifestyle a young adult would have (Stone 3). Children don’t just wake up one morning and decide to become something totally different then what they have grown up around. Their experiences along the road of adolescents shape them and create their personality. Stone also goes on to describe that social identity or “the sense of one’s place in the social world” really dictates where that adolescent will end up in a few years. One’s social identity controls who you hang out with, the activities you participate in, and the experiences you are exposed to.
I was always involved in sports such as basketball and football, which helped spark my interest in sports as a young adult today, but marching band created something for me that I had never experienced before. It taught me so much and showed me that I can do something well. In middle school I was always told that I was good at basketball or I was a good public speaker, but I never really felt like those came easily to me, and that I could accomplish anything in those fields. However, when I joined marching band and I started colorguard practice I soon found out that I was truly good at guard. Marching band was somewhere I belonged. I was confident there and it came easily to me. I was always self conscious, and still am to this day, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could push the limits to what I could do, try new tricks, show off even. That was something I had never been able to do before and it made me have a new found confidence that helped me really turn into the person I am today. I don’t think I would have had the confidence I do now if I had never been exposed to colorguard; and just think I would have never gotten involved in marching band if it weren’t for my 7th grade math teacher.
Music and the arts gave me opportunities I could never even dream of. The art of performance and expression really helped me throughout my high school years. I am usually pretty shy until I really get to know someone, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could walk onto the field and be completely confident in what I was doing. That’s something I thought I would never have. According to Child Trends Databank online, which is a webpage dedicated to exploring adolescents trends, said that kids who participate in some aspect of the performing arts do better in school, avoid getting into serious trouble, and are more disciplined (Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts, n.pag). I can personally say that marching band has molded me into the individual I am today. My friends along the way have helped me so much and I don’t know where my life would have taken me had I not taken that leap of faith back in middle school. After joining band my grades did seem to improve a bit and I felt like I had more structure in my life. I learned that I needed to stay busy in order to be successful, and that’s still true to this day. Colorguard was such a huge commitment that I had to stay focused and disciplined or I would have lost control of my school work and personal life. However, I did work hard and I did keep up and I think it was those commitments and strict discipline that got me in JMU. My grades were ok, but my extracurricular activities really stood out to the admissions board to ultimately got me accepted into my top choice ‘reach school’.
Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts. Child Trends DataBank. 2010. Child Trends. Web. 12 April 2010.
Stone, Margart R. Barber, Bonnie L. Eccles, Jacquelynne S. “We Knew Them When: Sixth Grade Characteristics That Predict Adolescent High School Social Identities”. The Journal of Early Adolescents. 28. 304(2008): 26. Web.
Things weren’t always this clear for me. Back in middle school I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I mean what middle school adolescent does? All I knew was that I needed to find my clique in school. I had always been known as the sports star in my small middle school, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to play in high school. It wasn’t until I met my mathematics teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Oppenheimer, that I would find out just where my high school career and beyond would take me. He gave us a simple assignment; find something in your everyday life where mathematics can be applied to solve a problem and write a 1200 word essay explaining why and how math can/is used. Now it’s important to know that my brother had just joined a marching band at his high school, and anything he did I always wanted to do, because I looked up to him so much. With that being said I decided to apply mathematics to marching band and drill design and formation. This small assignment sparked my passion for competitive colorguard. I wanted to know how it worked, what went into it, techniques, styles, individual limitations, how the different sections worked independently and then came together as a whole. I was hooked and there was no looking back. That 1200 word essay turned into a 6 page paper and my teacher told me that if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, get involved with the band, and get the experience I was craving, then I would always regret it. So I did what he said.
I see now that getting involved in marching band truly shaped me into the person I am today. I got involved at such a crucial point in my life and if I hadn’t taken that chance when I did I know I would be a completely different person then I am now. In my psychology class we are learning about the life-span of a human, and individual development processes. We’re learning about the different stages of life and how different influences during these life stages can affect the final outcome of a person’s personality, style, and interests. We’ve learned that childhood is a time of learning. Kids are like sponges and whatever they are surrounded with they will soak up and will ultimately become what they are influenced by. Studies that were published in the Journal of Adolescent Research stated that individual surroundings for the middle and high school years did help foretell what type of lifestyle a young adult would have (Stone 3). Children don’t just wake up one morning and decide to become something totally different then what they have grown up around. Their experiences along the road of adolescents shape them and create their personality. Stone also goes on to describe that social identity or “the sense of one’s place in the social world” really dictates where that adolescent will end up in a few years. One’s social identity controls who you hang out with, the activities you participate in, and the experiences you are exposed to.
I was always involved in sports such as basketball and football, which helped spark my interest in sports as a young adult today, but marching band created something for me that I had never experienced before. It taught me so much and showed me that I can do something well. In middle school I was always told that I was good at basketball or I was a good public speaker, but I never really felt like those came easily to me, and that I could accomplish anything in those fields. However, when I joined marching band and I started colorguard practice I soon found out that I was truly good at guard. Marching band was somewhere I belonged. I was confident there and it came easily to me. I was always self conscious, and still am to this day, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could push the limits to what I could do, try new tricks, show off even. That was something I had never been able to do before and it made me have a new found confidence that helped me really turn into the person I am today. I don’t think I would have had the confidence I do now if I had never been exposed to colorguard; and just think I would have never gotten involved in marching band if it weren’t for my 7th grade math teacher.
Music and the arts gave me opportunities I could never even dream of. The art of performance and expression really helped me throughout my high school years. I am usually pretty shy until I really get to know someone, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could walk onto the field and be completely confident in what I was doing. That’s something I thought I would never have. According to Child Trends Databank online, which is a webpage dedicated to exploring adolescents trends, said that kids who participate in some aspect of the performing arts do better in school, avoid getting into serious trouble, and are more disciplined (Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts, n.pag). I can personally say that marching band has molded me into the individual I am today. My friends along the way have helped me so much and I don’t know where my life would have taken me had I not taken that leap of faith back in middle school. After joining band my grades did seem to improve a bit and I felt like I had more structure in my life. I learned that I needed to stay busy in order to be successful, and that’s still true to this day. Colorguard was such a huge commitment that I had to stay focused and disciplined or I would have lost control of my school work and personal life. However, I did work hard and I did keep up and I think it was those commitments and strict discipline that got me in JMU. My grades were ok, but my extracurricular activities really stood out to the admissions board to ultimately got me accepted into my top choice ‘reach school’.
Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts. Child Trends DataBank. 2010. Child Trends. Web. 12 April 2010.
Stone, Margart R. Barber, Bonnie L. Eccles, Jacquelynne S. “We Knew Them When: Sixth Grade Characteristics That Predict Adolescent High School Social Identities”. The Journal of Early Adolescents. 28. 304(2008): 26. Web.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Sent. Variety Exercise
Back in middle school I didn’t know who I wanted to be. Simple (11-M) I mean what middle school adolescent does? Simple(7-S) All I knew was that I needed to find my clique in school. Simple (13-M) I had always been known as the sports star in my small middle school, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to play in high school. Compound (26-L) It wasn’t until I met my mathematics teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Oppenheimer, that I would find out just where my high school career and beyond would take me. Complex (28-L) It was a simple assignment: find something in your everyday life where mathematics can be applied to solve a problem and write a 1200 word essay explaining why and how math can/is used. Complex (32-L) Now it’s important to know that my brother had just joined a marching band at his high school, and anything he did I always wanted to do, because I looked up to him so much. Complex (35-L) With that being said I decided to apply mathematics to marching band and drill design. Simple (15-M) This small assignment sparked my passion for competitive colorguard. Simple (9-S) I wanted to know how it worked, what went into it, techniques, styles, individual limitations, how the different sections worked independently and then came together as a whole. Complex (27-L) I was hooked and there was no looking back. Compound (9-S) That 1200 word essay turned into a 6 page paper and my teacher told me that if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, get involved with the band, and get the experience I was craving, then I would always regret it. Complex (44-L) So I did what he said. Simple (6-S)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
3.1 Finding a Place in this World
November 15, 2007 was a cold but clear Thursday in Sykesville MD. It started out like every other day but strong emotions hung in the air of Century High School, at least for the members of the Century Marching Knights. November 15th would be forever remembered as the day we would become National Champions under the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA). We were told to report to school by 7am and meet in the band room for an attendance check. It was still dark outside but the band was all there, wide awake, and huddled together in the band room waiting for morning announcements to begin so we could start the biggest day of our marching band careers. We finished out our days per usual and then headed out behind the school for last minute preparations before we set out for Raven’s Stadium in Baltimore. The whole community lined up for our notorious final run through at the end of our rehearsal. We had our principal, fellow peers, newspaper reporters, family, and even some teachers stay to watch us and wish us well at nationals. As we loaded the bus everyone was silent, going through the show in their heads ready to lay it all down on the field that night at 11:27pm. When we arrived at M&T Bank Stadium it was 31o outside and it was only 8:30. That left us with a 2 ½ hour warm up block in the freezing cold. We took our time and then made our way to the field. With nothing but the performance on our minds we took the field and laid it all out there. We nailed everything and we knew it too. After we finished the crowd went crazy, we’d won them over. As we left the field we couldn’t do anything but smile. It was the best show we had ever given and all our long difficult practices paid off. With a total score of 96.75, out of 100, we won 1st place by 2 points. At this moment in my life I felt like I had finally found somewhere that I belonged. I felt like I fit in here and I couldn’t have been more proud of what I accomplished. I can’t even imagine my life without the friends I’ve made along the way and the achievements I’ve accomplished.
Back in middle school I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I mean what middle school adolescent does? All I knew was that I needed to find my clique in school. I had always been known as the sports star in my small middle school, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to play in high school. It wasn’t until I met my mathematics teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Oppenheimer, that I would find out just where my high school career and beyond would take me. It was a simple assignment; find something in your everyday life where mathematics can be applied to solve a problem and write a 1200 word essay explaining why and how math can/is used. Now it’s important to know that my brother had just joined a marching band at his high school, and anything he did I always wanted to do, because I looked up to him so much. With that being said I decided to apply mathematics to marching band and drill design. This small assignment sparked my passion for competitive colorguard. I wanted to know how it worked, what went into it, techniques, styles, individual limitations, how the different sections worked independently and then came together as a whole. I was hooked and there was no looking back. That 1200 word essay turned into a 6 page paper and my teacher told me that if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, get involved with the band, and get the experience I was craving, then I would always regret it. So I did what he said.
In my psychology class we are learning about the life-span of a human and development processes. We’re learning about the different stages of life and how different influences during these life stages can affect the final outcome of a person’s personality, style, and interests. We’ve learned that childhood is a time of learning. Kids are like sponges and whatever they are surrounded with they will soak up and will ultimately become what they are influenced by. Studies that were published in the Journal of Adolescent Research stated that individual surroundings for the middle and high school years did help foretell what type of lifestyle a young adult would have (Stone 3). Children don’t just wake up one morning and decide to become something totally different then what they have grown up around. Their experiences along the road of adolescents shape them into what they will become.
Marching Band created something for me that I had never experienced before. It taught me so much and showed me that I can do something well. In middle school I was always told that I was good at basketball or I was a good public speaker, but I never really felt like those came easily to me, and that I could accomplish anything in those fields. However, when I joined marching band and I started colorguard practice I soon found out that I was truly good at guard. Marching band was somewhere I belonged. I was confident there and it came easily to me. I could push the limits to what I could do, try new tricks, show off even. That was something I had never been able to do before and it made me have a new found confidence that helped me really turn into the person I am today. I don’t think I would have had the confidence I do now if I had never been exposed to colorguard; and just think I would have never gotten involved in marching band if it weren’t for my 7th grade math teacher.
Music and the arts gave me opportunities I could never even dream of. The art of performance and expression really helped me throughout my high school years. I am usually pretty shy until I really get to know someone, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could walk onto the field and be completely confident in what I was doing. That’s something I thought I would never have. According to Child Trends Databank online, which is a webpage dedicated to exploring adolescents trends, said that kids who participate in some aspect of the performing arts do better in school, avoid getting into serious trouble, and are more disciplined (Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts). I can personally say that marching band has molded me into the individual I am today. My friends along the way have helped me so much and I don’t know where my life would have taken me had I not taken that leap of faith back in middle school. After joining band my grades did seem to improve a bit and I felt like I had more structure in my life. I learned that I needed to stay busy in order to be successful, and that’s still true to this day. Colorguard was such a huge commitment that I had to stay focused and disciplined or I would have lost control of my school work and personal life. However, I did work hard and I did keep up and I think it was those commitments and strict discipline that got me in JMU. My grades were ok, but my extracurricular activities really stood out to the admissions board to ultimately got me accepted into my top choice ‘reach school’.
Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts. Child Trends DataBank. 2010. Child Trends. Web. 12 April 2010.
Stone, Margart R. Barber, Bonnie L. Eccles, Jacquelynne S. “We Knew Them When: Sixth Grade Characteristics That Predict Adolescent High School Social Identities”. The Journal of Early Adolescents. 28. 304(2008): 26. Web.
Back in middle school I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I mean what middle school adolescent does? All I knew was that I needed to find my clique in school. I had always been known as the sports star in my small middle school, but I knew I wasn’t good enough to play in high school. It wasn’t until I met my mathematics teacher in 7th grade, Mr. Oppenheimer, that I would find out just where my high school career and beyond would take me. It was a simple assignment; find something in your everyday life where mathematics can be applied to solve a problem and write a 1200 word essay explaining why and how math can/is used. Now it’s important to know that my brother had just joined a marching band at his high school, and anything he did I always wanted to do, because I looked up to him so much. With that being said I decided to apply mathematics to marching band and drill design. This small assignment sparked my passion for competitive colorguard. I wanted to know how it worked, what went into it, techniques, styles, individual limitations, how the different sections worked independently and then came together as a whole. I was hooked and there was no looking back. That 1200 word essay turned into a 6 page paper and my teacher told me that if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, get involved with the band, and get the experience I was craving, then I would always regret it. So I did what he said.
In my psychology class we are learning about the life-span of a human and development processes. We’re learning about the different stages of life and how different influences during these life stages can affect the final outcome of a person’s personality, style, and interests. We’ve learned that childhood is a time of learning. Kids are like sponges and whatever they are surrounded with they will soak up and will ultimately become what they are influenced by. Studies that were published in the Journal of Adolescent Research stated that individual surroundings for the middle and high school years did help foretell what type of lifestyle a young adult would have (Stone 3). Children don’t just wake up one morning and decide to become something totally different then what they have grown up around. Their experiences along the road of adolescents shape them into what they will become.
Marching Band created something for me that I had never experienced before. It taught me so much and showed me that I can do something well. In middle school I was always told that I was good at basketball or I was a good public speaker, but I never really felt like those came easily to me, and that I could accomplish anything in those fields. However, when I joined marching band and I started colorguard practice I soon found out that I was truly good at guard. Marching band was somewhere I belonged. I was confident there and it came easily to me. I could push the limits to what I could do, try new tricks, show off even. That was something I had never been able to do before and it made me have a new found confidence that helped me really turn into the person I am today. I don’t think I would have had the confidence I do now if I had never been exposed to colorguard; and just think I would have never gotten involved in marching band if it weren’t for my 7th grade math teacher.
Music and the arts gave me opportunities I could never even dream of. The art of performance and expression really helped me throughout my high school years. I am usually pretty shy until I really get to know someone, but in colorguard I didn’t have to be. I could walk onto the field and be completely confident in what I was doing. That’s something I thought I would never have. According to Child Trends Databank online, which is a webpage dedicated to exploring adolescents trends, said that kids who participate in some aspect of the performing arts do better in school, avoid getting into serious trouble, and are more disciplined (Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts). I can personally say that marching band has molded me into the individual I am today. My friends along the way have helped me so much and I don’t know where my life would have taken me had I not taken that leap of faith back in middle school. After joining band my grades did seem to improve a bit and I felt like I had more structure in my life. I learned that I needed to stay busy in order to be successful, and that’s still true to this day. Colorguard was such a huge commitment that I had to stay focused and disciplined or I would have lost control of my school work and personal life. However, I did work hard and I did keep up and I think it was those commitments and strict discipline that got me in JMU. My grades were ok, but my extracurricular activities really stood out to the admissions board to ultimately got me accepted into my top choice ‘reach school’.
Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts. Child Trends DataBank. 2010. Child Trends. Web. 12 April 2010.
Stone, Margart R. Barber, Bonnie L. Eccles, Jacquelynne S. “We Knew Them When: Sixth Grade Characteristics That Predict Adolescent High School Social Identities”. The Journal of Early Adolescents. 28. 304(2008): 26. Web.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Reflection 2.3
Overall i think this paper was a lot harder to write then the last one. I felt like it took a lot longer, there wasn't a lot of public information on the topic, and I had to do a lot more primary research during the writing process. I'm happy with the way the paper turned out. On my last paper I really felt like there was a strong sense of right or wrong and it was easy to find that, but in this paper we had to kind of put our biases behind us and move on in a more mature voice and see both sides. So I think that was a little bit harder for me. I liked my topic a lot and I had personally invested a lot of time and effort into finding out all I cuold about the Snooki event so I feel like this paper was very thought through and well planned. Finding the credible sources was probably the most challenging part of this paper. I mean Snooki isn't really credible so it was hard but I think I was able to tie it into the paper pretty well. I just hope it turned out as well and clear as I think it did!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Essay 2.3 Snooki's First College Visit
Pop culture strongly drives the teenage and adult population and has the ability to influence every aspect of our lifestyles. Many celebrities come and go depending when it’s their time to shine, but the problem they face everyday are the lovers and the haters constantly on their case. I dare you to find one celebrity that every person in the world likes and agrees that they are a positive attribute to society. Many young girls would agree that Miley Cyrus is their favorite singer and they love having her to look up to, but their parents may disagree saying that she’s trying to grow away from her Disney Channel character in all the wrong ways. There are a lot of people who think Brad Pitt is a wonderful actor and a great family figure, but others view him as a horrible man living in sin for having a huge family without getting married. Even Betty White has some lovers and haters on her case, but it’s not Miley, Brad or Betty that I’m talking about. Right now all eyes are on Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi as she grows more and more popular thanks to her reality show, Jersey Shore, which debuted on MTV this past fall. This show was a huge hit across the college student population. Many see Snooki as nothing more than a party addicted fame seeker who is taking advantage of all the perks that come with being a celebrity. However, others just find her, and her Jersey Shore cast mates, entertaining and they don’t take her too seriously.
This issue has recently divided our JMU community in regards to Snooki coming to campus. Some students and faculty think that her coming has no educational value, wastes students money, and only fuels her unwanted fame. One student, Joshua Kalaher, said "Snooki is a cast member of the Jersey Shore - a show that depicts a deplorable image for impressionable youth, and essentially provides no redeeming qualities whatsoever." (Uproar Over Snooki's College Visit Reignites, par. 4). In contrast, many supporters wanted her to come and applaud the University Program Board (UPB) for bringing her to campus to allow students to see their favorite reality show star in person, something others could only wish for. In a recent article published in the JMU newspaper, The Breeze, one JMU sophomore Stacey Sulko said “Snooki is a stamp on our culture, it’s entertaining to watch” (Foster, par. 9). Students are not afraid to speak their mind regarding this issue but it leaves the question, why is this an issue on campus and why is it that college students love reality show stars?
A study conducted in 2009 by Kristin M. Barton, a communications teacher at Dalton State College, showed that reality shows are watched all across the nation and by every age group. However, the main concentration of reality show viewers range for 18-24 years of age whom are primarily college students. When 689 students from southwestern universities were polled it was proven that the reason college students love these shows so much are because they can picture themselves as a contestant. So, they are more driven to watch, in essence, their peers perform challenges, or live out a “glamorous” lifestyle. Another study, also conducted in 2009, by Alice Hall the director of communications at the University of Missouri attributes student’s fascination with reality TV to their desire to have that celebrity status. It was concluded that students watch these shows because they see people just like them hitting it big in the reality show business and they wish that could be them. They even go as far as comparing themselves to these celebrities and acting out their personal lives as if they were one of these celebrities.
Even though there are many people on campus that desire to be like these reality show stars, there are still those that believe it’s shows like the Jersey Shore that are ruining public television. Even with all the differences in individual liking styles I think that people on either side of this argument can agree that Snooki doesn’t carry any intellectual value. She’s good at partying and could maybe teach you some cheerleading moves from when she was a cheerleader in high school, but she doesn’t carry any academic worth. We all can also distinguish the main reason UPB brought her to campus which was purely for entertainment purposes. A press release given by UPB said “this is a purely entertaining event which reminds us all not to take our time here [at JMU] too seriously and have some fun” (Sutter, par. 4). She was a good choice for “safe” entertainment and drew a huge excited crowd for the event. She’s almost like a guilty pleasure, you want to hear about and watch the crazy things she does but you don’t want anyone to know you’re watching. I mean who doesn’t love a good laugh?
A misconception that students have been talking about is employers are not going to take JMU graduates seriously because we brought Snooki to campus, but I believe this won’t have an impact on their hiring strategies in regard to JMU grads. In the past employers have used Facebook and Myspace to check up on prospective recruits but the talk of a supposed bias towards JMU students because of Snooki is outrageous. Recently I have gone to talk to some employers of local businesses, such as spas and fine dining restaurants in my hometown who often hire college students. I wanted to see if they would discriminate against JMU students because we brought Snooki on our campus and many of them thought I was joking. Many of their responses were along the lines of “there is a proper time in life for everything and if college students don’t go to these types of events and enjoy themselves when it’s appropriate to, then they run into a huge crisis later in their life”. This really helped me see that bringing to Snooki to campus was absolutely the right decision. College students are given these opportunities because you are only young once and you’re expected to go out, be safe, but also enjoy themselves.
Another popular fallacy is that tuition money was used to bring Snooki to campus, when in fact this isn’t completely true. The University Program Board is funded half by the SGA and half by student fees. UPB doesn’t release the amount they paid for specific entertainment acts brought to campus for security and liability reasons, but the revenue made through ticket sales went well over $5,000 and was able to pay off most, if not all, of Snooki’s asking price. Now the money still owed came from either the SGA or student fees meaning that if any, a very small amount of money from student fees would go to Snooki.
I asked students who didn’t approve of Snooki coming what they propose UPB should do, and they responded “have different celebrities come to campus”. This is a completely reasonable response to the question and it shows that students do value entertainment on campus, just maybe not Snooki. There are many celebrities students wish UPB would bring but are too expensive such as Dane Cook, The Black Eyed Peas, Metro Station, etc. but with Snooki they were actually able to afford her. They were able to book an up-and-coming celebrity before her rates were totally out of UPB’s price range.
Another proposal from the student body was to still have Snooki on campus but to have her privately funded. Anti-Snooki students said that if there were people on campus that wanted her to come so badly then those students should have funded her to come, instead of a “student funded” organization. The only problem with this is that many celebrities’ agents won’t even talk to you until you have an event coordinator or professional in charge. Therefore, it would have been nearly impossible and much more expensive for individual students to fund Snooki to come and then no one would have been able to enjoy the event that was made possible because of UPB.
When UPB announced that Snooki would be coming to the university they created a Facebook page to invite all students who were fans to attend. This page soon turned sour after students flooded the wall with racist remarks and negative comments forcing the Program Board to disable the wall. Students comments were still welcomed, they just had to be sent to a private UPB e-mail so they didn’t offend anyone or ignite anymore harmful remarks. Some students created a Facebook page called “Stay off My Campus Snooki” and even got over 700 followers. Now this anti Snooki movement may seem easily refuted but I think it’s important to point out the perks of having a large campus like we do. JMU has the ability to be a very diverse but successful school because we are large enough to express and support our individual point of views, but small enough to hear everyone else’s concerns.
Multiple JMU students have spoken out in many forms saying that they don’t approve of Snooki coming to our campus and yet the university still had enough students to fill a 1,045 seat auditorium. They were even able to gain 3000+ followers on Facebook saying they would attend the event had the venue allowed it. In an article published by WHSV, a local Harrisonburg news station, one resident said “Obviously if the students didn’t want to see this [event] the show wouldn’t have sold out in 3 days!” (Sager, par. 9). It’s amazing and unique that a college is able to have this outpour of strong emotions yet still be able to come together and hold an awesome event without hurting the opposing sides’ views.
With every conflict across campus there are always choices, but the question for this event was how to please everyone. Now obviously it’s impractical to please everyone in this situation, but when my GWRTC class was asked to use compromise to make everyone happy they did have some very useful suggestions. They suggested that maybe the event could have still happened, but simply be moved off campus so that students could still go, but it wouldn’t be directly associated with JMU. I thought this was a great idea and it would have solved a lot of problems that students had with the event. Many were worried about the university’s image and reputation, but if it were off campus they wouldn’t have to worry about this.
Even though a lot of students are able to agree on some aspects of this event there are still many problems with their arguments as I see it. In regards to this particular Snooki event I am a lover. I do not condone her behavior when she is on the Jersey Shore but I do understand that the show was put on the MTV network for entertainment purposes and it’s been very successful with this endeavor. Bringing Snooki to campus was purely for entertainment purposes. UPB has submitted multiple press releases saying that this is not meant to offend or anger anyone but was geared towards the humorous entertainment genre. UPB’s mission statement is to “strive to enhance the overall JMU experience by providing a variety of creative, educational and entertaining programs that appeal to diverse audiences” (UPB Mission Statement, par. 1). This really shows that UPB makes every effort to bring a mixture of events to campus and Snooki just happened to fall into the entertainment category.
Foster, Torie. Snooki Brings Fist Pumps, Poofs to JMU. The Breeze. 4 Mar. 2010. James Madison University. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
Sager, Sarah. Snooki Visits JMU. WHSV3. 3 Mar. 2010. WHSV. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Sutter, John. UPB Has One Hand In the Snooki Jar. The Breeze. 18 Feb. 2010. James Madison University. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
UPB Mission Statement. University Program Board. 15 Sept. 2009. UPB. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Uproar Over Snooki's College Visit Reignites. RadarOnline. 26 Feb. 2010. RadarOnline. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
This issue has recently divided our JMU community in regards to Snooki coming to campus. Some students and faculty think that her coming has no educational value, wastes students money, and only fuels her unwanted fame. One student, Joshua Kalaher, said "Snooki is a cast member of the Jersey Shore - a show that depicts a deplorable image for impressionable youth, and essentially provides no redeeming qualities whatsoever." (Uproar Over Snooki's College Visit Reignites, par. 4). In contrast, many supporters wanted her to come and applaud the University Program Board (UPB) for bringing her to campus to allow students to see their favorite reality show star in person, something others could only wish for. In a recent article published in the JMU newspaper, The Breeze, one JMU sophomore Stacey Sulko said “Snooki is a stamp on our culture, it’s entertaining to watch” (Foster, par. 9). Students are not afraid to speak their mind regarding this issue but it leaves the question, why is this an issue on campus and why is it that college students love reality show stars?
A study conducted in 2009 by Kristin M. Barton, a communications teacher at Dalton State College, showed that reality shows are watched all across the nation and by every age group. However, the main concentration of reality show viewers range for 18-24 years of age whom are primarily college students. When 689 students from southwestern universities were polled it was proven that the reason college students love these shows so much are because they can picture themselves as a contestant. So, they are more driven to watch, in essence, their peers perform challenges, or live out a “glamorous” lifestyle. Another study, also conducted in 2009, by Alice Hall the director of communications at the University of Missouri attributes student’s fascination with reality TV to their desire to have that celebrity status. It was concluded that students watch these shows because they see people just like them hitting it big in the reality show business and they wish that could be them. They even go as far as comparing themselves to these celebrities and acting out their personal lives as if they were one of these celebrities.
Even though there are many people on campus that desire to be like these reality show stars, there are still those that believe it’s shows like the Jersey Shore that are ruining public television. Even with all the differences in individual liking styles I think that people on either side of this argument can agree that Snooki doesn’t carry any intellectual value. She’s good at partying and could maybe teach you some cheerleading moves from when she was a cheerleader in high school, but she doesn’t carry any academic worth. We all can also distinguish the main reason UPB brought her to campus which was purely for entertainment purposes. A press release given by UPB said “this is a purely entertaining event which reminds us all not to take our time here [at JMU] too seriously and have some fun” (Sutter, par. 4). She was a good choice for “safe” entertainment and drew a huge excited crowd for the event. She’s almost like a guilty pleasure, you want to hear about and watch the crazy things she does but you don’t want anyone to know you’re watching. I mean who doesn’t love a good laugh?
A misconception that students have been talking about is employers are not going to take JMU graduates seriously because we brought Snooki to campus, but I believe this won’t have an impact on their hiring strategies in regard to JMU grads. In the past employers have used Facebook and Myspace to check up on prospective recruits but the talk of a supposed bias towards JMU students because of Snooki is outrageous. Recently I have gone to talk to some employers of local businesses, such as spas and fine dining restaurants in my hometown who often hire college students. I wanted to see if they would discriminate against JMU students because we brought Snooki on our campus and many of them thought I was joking. Many of their responses were along the lines of “there is a proper time in life for everything and if college students don’t go to these types of events and enjoy themselves when it’s appropriate to, then they run into a huge crisis later in their life”. This really helped me see that bringing to Snooki to campus was absolutely the right decision. College students are given these opportunities because you are only young once and you’re expected to go out, be safe, but also enjoy themselves.
Another popular fallacy is that tuition money was used to bring Snooki to campus, when in fact this isn’t completely true. The University Program Board is funded half by the SGA and half by student fees. UPB doesn’t release the amount they paid for specific entertainment acts brought to campus for security and liability reasons, but the revenue made through ticket sales went well over $5,000 and was able to pay off most, if not all, of Snooki’s asking price. Now the money still owed came from either the SGA or student fees meaning that if any, a very small amount of money from student fees would go to Snooki.
I asked students who didn’t approve of Snooki coming what they propose UPB should do, and they responded “have different celebrities come to campus”. This is a completely reasonable response to the question and it shows that students do value entertainment on campus, just maybe not Snooki. There are many celebrities students wish UPB would bring but are too expensive such as Dane Cook, The Black Eyed Peas, Metro Station, etc. but with Snooki they were actually able to afford her. They were able to book an up-and-coming celebrity before her rates were totally out of UPB’s price range.
Another proposal from the student body was to still have Snooki on campus but to have her privately funded. Anti-Snooki students said that if there were people on campus that wanted her to come so badly then those students should have funded her to come, instead of a “student funded” organization. The only problem with this is that many celebrities’ agents won’t even talk to you until you have an event coordinator or professional in charge. Therefore, it would have been nearly impossible and much more expensive for individual students to fund Snooki to come and then no one would have been able to enjoy the event that was made possible because of UPB.
When UPB announced that Snooki would be coming to the university they created a Facebook page to invite all students who were fans to attend. This page soon turned sour after students flooded the wall with racist remarks and negative comments forcing the Program Board to disable the wall. Students comments were still welcomed, they just had to be sent to a private UPB e-mail so they didn’t offend anyone or ignite anymore harmful remarks. Some students created a Facebook page called “Stay off My Campus Snooki” and even got over 700 followers. Now this anti Snooki movement may seem easily refuted but I think it’s important to point out the perks of having a large campus like we do. JMU has the ability to be a very diverse but successful school because we are large enough to express and support our individual point of views, but small enough to hear everyone else’s concerns.
Multiple JMU students have spoken out in many forms saying that they don’t approve of Snooki coming to our campus and yet the university still had enough students to fill a 1,045 seat auditorium. They were even able to gain 3000+ followers on Facebook saying they would attend the event had the venue allowed it. In an article published by WHSV, a local Harrisonburg news station, one resident said “Obviously if the students didn’t want to see this [event] the show wouldn’t have sold out in 3 days!” (Sager, par. 9). It’s amazing and unique that a college is able to have this outpour of strong emotions yet still be able to come together and hold an awesome event without hurting the opposing sides’ views.
With every conflict across campus there are always choices, but the question for this event was how to please everyone. Now obviously it’s impractical to please everyone in this situation, but when my GWRTC class was asked to use compromise to make everyone happy they did have some very useful suggestions. They suggested that maybe the event could have still happened, but simply be moved off campus so that students could still go, but it wouldn’t be directly associated with JMU. I thought this was a great idea and it would have solved a lot of problems that students had with the event. Many were worried about the university’s image and reputation, but if it were off campus they wouldn’t have to worry about this.
Even though a lot of students are able to agree on some aspects of this event there are still many problems with their arguments as I see it. In regards to this particular Snooki event I am a lover. I do not condone her behavior when she is on the Jersey Shore but I do understand that the show was put on the MTV network for entertainment purposes and it’s been very successful with this endeavor. Bringing Snooki to campus was purely for entertainment purposes. UPB has submitted multiple press releases saying that this is not meant to offend or anger anyone but was geared towards the humorous entertainment genre. UPB’s mission statement is to “strive to enhance the overall JMU experience by providing a variety of creative, educational and entertaining programs that appeal to diverse audiences” (UPB Mission Statement, par. 1). This really shows that UPB makes every effort to bring a mixture of events to campus and Snooki just happened to fall into the entertainment category.
Foster, Torie. Snooki Brings Fist Pumps, Poofs to JMU. The Breeze. 4 Mar. 2010. James Madison University. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
Sager, Sarah. Snooki Visits JMU. WHSV3. 3 Mar. 2010. WHSV. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Sutter, John. UPB Has One Hand In the Snooki Jar. The Breeze. 18 Feb. 2010. James Madison University. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
UPB Mission Statement. University Program Board. 15 Sept. 2009. UPB. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Uproar Over Snooki's College Visit Reignites. RadarOnline. 26 Feb. 2010. RadarOnline. Web. 9 Mar. 2010.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Setting Exercise
Every December when it was time to sign up for softball season I would be the first one in line. I loved playing sports and was a total tomboy. I didn't wear pink, I loved blue and green and I never tried to look like a princess, but my room told a different story. If you walked into my house and looked into all of the rooms you would think my parents had 3 children and my bedroom was just in a different part of the house. But no, that bright pink and green spounge painted room was mine. It was completed with kitten wall paper and even have a pink crown molding that framed the top of the walls where they met the celing. My room was always cold because I loved to just suggle under the blankets on my bed which sat dead center in my room. Everything in that room was girly. The sheets on my bed were bright pink a super soft, there was always a hint of "sweet pea" lingering in the air, and to top it off there were posters of puppies and kittens covering the wall. Since then I have changed it drastically into a more age approprate room but I always love looking back a pictures and remembering that little girly room that was so special to me.
My Central Idea
Narrative Argument
I want to start off by introducing my experiences in colorguard. I want to tell the story of when I was in Calvert Hall's marching band, which was competitive but not extreamly good. I want to take a look at that and how this experience was more of the cookie cutter image dipicted of marching band. Yes we were competitive and good, but we didn't practice as much as my high schools marching band.
I then want to move into my high school's marching band and how we were more competitive, better, and a stronger unit then I ever though was possible. We were a sterotypical marching band and we practiced more then a full time employee would go to work.
I'm thinking that between my personal stories and some field studies done with marching band I'll be able to argue the idea that a marching band is nothing more then a bunch of kids that get together, sit around and so aweful things.
Another idea I was playing with is how jobs are so difficult to get. My brother who I have always looked up to and seen as an amazing student and someone who can do anything is having a lot of trouble getting a job after college and I want to talk about how if he can't get a job then who can. Just an idea though...
I want to start off by introducing my experiences in colorguard. I want to tell the story of when I was in Calvert Hall's marching band, which was competitive but not extreamly good. I want to take a look at that and how this experience was more of the cookie cutter image dipicted of marching band. Yes we were competitive and good, but we didn't practice as much as my high schools marching band.
I then want to move into my high school's marching band and how we were more competitive, better, and a stronger unit then I ever though was possible. We were a sterotypical marching band and we practiced more then a full time employee would go to work.
I'm thinking that between my personal stories and some field studies done with marching band I'll be able to argue the idea that a marching band is nothing more then a bunch of kids that get together, sit around and so aweful things.
Another idea I was playing with is how jobs are so difficult to get. My brother who I have always looked up to and seen as an amazing student and someone who can do anything is having a lot of trouble getting a job after college and I want to talk about how if he can't get a job then who can. Just an idea though...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
DCI
Drum Corps International or DCI is described as "mrchings major league". They are continuously reinventing theirselves to show to the world how amazing, dedicated, unique, and talented they are. Participants spend 3 months on a nation-wide tour. They visit a new city almost everyday and perform their show all across the nation. Sometimes they even perform in two different venues on the same day. They rarely ever spend the night in one place and are constantly on the move. To be this dedicated to an activity is truely amazing.
When people think marching band they think either that "American Pie: Band Camp" image or they remember their crappy marching band from back at their high school, but I'm here to say that those sterotypes arn't true with all marching bands and people need to realize that. Now I'm not asking for a major movement or for people do drop everything and join me in supporting marching band. I'm just asking for people to see my view. I want to show everyone that there is so much that goes on behind a competitive marching band and we work just as hard, if not harder then some sports teams. I hope that I can put things into perspecitive and that I can show people that what they see in the media isn't always true.
When people think marching band they think either that "American Pie: Band Camp" image or they remember their crappy marching band from back at their high school, but I'm here to say that those sterotypes arn't true with all marching bands and people need to realize that. Now I'm not asking for a major movement or for people do drop everything and join me in supporting marching band. I'm just asking for people to see my view. I want to show everyone that there is so much that goes on behind a competitive marching band and we work just as hard, if not harder then some sports teams. I hope that I can put things into perspecitive and that I can show people that what they see in the media isn't always true.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Narrative Argument Ideas
For a long time now I have had to work very hard at a sport that I love. I've been involved in this sport since 8th grade and never looked back. I took some natural talent and a lot of hard work to get to where I am today, but now I can stand and say that I am a part of a National Champion marching band. I want to write to inform people that now all marching bands fall into that "American Pie:Band Camp" cookie cutter image. Some of us work hard to achieve great things and I want others to recognize this and appreciate the art that I am so passionate about. I worked hard to get to where I am today. In 8th grade I didn't know anything about the sport of colorguard and now I can spin with the best. I started at my brothers all boy high school that brought in girl from all around the area to be in the colorguard. Slowly I learned about the basics and progressed into learning an entire 8 1/2 minute show but it wasn't until 3 years later that I would learn all that I know now.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Non Emotional Argument
Dear Professor,
Your class is hard, I've learned that first hand, but don't you feel like sometimes you make things more difficult than they have to be? Sometimes are you just out to "get us" in some way? Because it seems like that. You make assignments impossible and you just sit back and watch the class struggle. Is it some kind of game to you? Personally my grade isn't a game to me. I work hard but it's never enough. Each of your assignments is harder then the last and there is not enough time in the semester to do all of the crazy stuff you have assigned for us. As we near then end of the semester I believe a curve is appropriate for our class. We all think that you owe us that much.
Thank you,
Kara Widerman
Your class is hard, I've learned that first hand, but don't you feel like sometimes you make things more difficult than they have to be? Sometimes are you just out to "get us" in some way? Because it seems like that. You make assignments impossible and you just sit back and watch the class struggle. Is it some kind of game to you? Personally my grade isn't a game to me. I work hard but it's never enough. Each of your assignments is harder then the last and there is not enough time in the semester to do all of the crazy stuff you have assigned for us. As we near then end of the semester I believe a curve is appropriate for our class. We all think that you owe us that much.
Thank you,
Kara Widerman
Emotional Argument
Dear Professor,
Over the course of this semester I have learned a lot from your class. I have been trying my very best to get by but I feel like my grades still arn't where they should be. You always said "if you come to me when you're having trouble, we'll work it out" and I've been following your advice, but it seems like that it's good enough. I hope that you can see this from my point of view. I'm putting everything that I have into this class but still no results and that's so frustrating to me. I work so hard and do all of the right things, what more do you want me to do? I guess what I'm saying is please take into account all of my hard work and visits to your office hours outside of class and consider making my grade an A. I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Kar Widerman
Over the course of this semester I have learned a lot from your class. I have been trying my very best to get by but I feel like my grades still arn't where they should be. You always said "if you come to me when you're having trouble, we'll work it out" and I've been following your advice, but it seems like that it's good enough. I hope that you can see this from my point of view. I'm putting everything that I have into this class but still no results and that's so frustrating to me. I work so hard and do all of the right things, what more do you want me to do? I guess what I'm saying is please take into account all of my hard work and visits to your office hours outside of class and consider making my grade an A. I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Kar Widerman
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