In Class: Transferring

My life has been chaos the last few weeks because I will be transferring from TCU next semester to the University of Colorado at Boulder. I'm kind of freaking out because changing from one thing to the next has never been an easy task for me...I like consistency, I'm a creature of habit essentially. I do believe everything happens for a reason but I chose to attend an out-of-state school for a reason. I've made some long-lasting friendships here in Fort Worth and I'm a little nervous that keeping in touch with those people is going to prove the phrase, "easier said than done." I wish I could just bring little pieces of the things I have enjoyed about going to school here in Texas with me when I go back home to attend school in Colorado. It will be nice being closer to my family and friends from home but I will miss a lot of things here at TCU. I will miss the seventy degree days in late fall and early spring while I am freezing in the snow up in the Rocky Mountains. I will miss many of the unique professors I have had here. I will very much miss the smaller class sizes and the smaller campus that TCU has compared to CU. I will miss TCU a lot and that's why I am very scared of leaving.

Unit 3 Group Proposal

For our Unit 3 Project, we have chosen to address the issue of the creation of a new Living Learning Center for LGBTQ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students) and their supporters and the impact it would have on our community. We will be discussing whether or not this additional housing is in the best interest of all students and our community as a whole. We will talk about new concerns it has generated such as advocating separatism and segregation as well as the discrimination and prejudice it has created towards the homosexual community. We will do this through visual mediums with minimal captions such as political cartoons and video commercials. We will also use written texts like petitions, conversations, newspaper articles, headlines, and flyers along with explanations of our intended audience and context.
Our main concerns revolved around the possibility of offending others in one way or another based on the arguments we create. We also are concerned about our schedules matching to one another with regards to meeting outside of class to generate arguments.

In Class: Ch.14

Visual Elements of Arguments
Q: What does the creator intend its effect to be?
I feel that this question will be extremely important for our Unit 3 project because my group members and I are the ones who are creating the arguments this time rather than analyzing the argument. We will want to make our message very clear through the arguments we choose to make.
Q: What effect does the choice of medium have on the message of the visual text? How would the message be altered if different media were used?
This will also be a very important question for my group to answer throughout our work on the project because we will want to make the best arguments we can. By choosing wisely which media we will use to convey our message about our topic it will either make our argument stronger or if we choose a media that doesn't fit our topic very well then it will make our argument less effective.

In Class: Ch.12

In Chapter 12 in Everything's an Argument, I learned that there are many styles of argument. The style of an argument is important for the the point being argued. A style can be formal, middle weighted or very casual. These can be shown in the words used in the argument. If an argument is formal it is "dressed up in it's nicest tuxedo." If an argument is in the middle it is "dressed in working clothes." If an argument is casual is it "barefoot with it's feet propped up."

The things that I learned in the chapter can be very beneficial to our group work. In the chapter it said that most essays for a class are written formally. I will relay this onto my group members and make sure as I am revising our Cover Memo that our project uses words that portray a sense of formality. Although since this class is not a usual English class I will have to ask if the subject we decide to do our topic on should be written more mildly than in such a formal tone.

Job Title and Description

For our group project I will be Leader Text 2 Cover Letter Reviser. I will be revising our cover memo like my job title implies. I will also be taking our paper to someone else to look at it and help with revisions using such resources as the Writing Center on campus and possibly my roommate who is an English major. Another job I will have is organizing our group work with e-mails or calls to set meeting times and keeping the text we create in order. I will also apply any finishing touches to our project. My role will help our group function effectively by "keeping all our ducks in a row." I will be making sure we don't make errors within our project. I believe I will be a helpful member in my group because of my perfectionism and willingness to work hard within my group. My group includes: Tassie Munroe, Nick Russo, and Steve Rupp.

In Class: Bad Experiences with Group Work

In high school I was placed in a group where no body's schedule would match up so I ended up doing the majority of the work. I am a perfectionist so doing the actual layout of the work was fine with me, but the rest of my group barely even researched the topics they were supposed to. When we had to present it in class two out of my three group members said they were sick and couldn't come to the presentation, they really didn't even write out what they were supposed to do. Luckily one of my other group members showed up but for ten minutes of talking they only presented for three minutes of their time. Luckily my teacher made sure that we were only graded on the parts of the project that we ourselves had completed and were responsible for so I was not deducted any points but I was still extremely embarrassed when my one group member and I had to present to the class.

The ideal group work situation would be that everyone can be productive together and stay on task, that we can all meet at the same time, that we are each assigned a certain part of the project, and that we are not deducted any points if one of our group members does not do as good of a job on their section.

I believe that each group member should have a role in a part they will excel at. I usually like to put the finishing touches on a project because I am such a perfectionist. Usually someone with creativity should create the presentation. The research should be done by all group members and the works cited can be done by one group member with help from the rest of the group members. A designated writer of notes is important to have so everyone will have the same idea of knowing exactly what they are expected to do. I think everyone should be able to work together to balance the work out.

In Class: Writing with Feeling

Within every post that I've done up to today it seems like a lot of the posts I tried to put my true feelings into whether those be feelings of frustration, admiration, awe, confusion or enthusiasm. Looking back at all my posts it looks like I've written more than I really felt I had. This semester has flown by and it's amazing that we only have one month left. Coming into this class I was skeptical about having to make a blog and post on our blogs but I have really really enjoyed it because it gives the class more freedom and less formality to the writing. I think my best writing comes from choosing a topic that I am interested in and enjoy. This class has definitely allowed do that. I really like how different this class is. I've told many of my friends and roommates on campus about how unique this class is, that we blog instead of doing writing on paper. I really enjoy looking back at what I have accomplished in this class and I feel like I'm getting more confidence in my writing skills.

In Class: Unit 2 Primary Sources

The three primary sources that I chose all fit together because obviously they are all about the same thing but generally they have the same view in response to the law formed in the city of Denver based on the ruling in favor of marijuana use. The view that they all hold is that it is an effective law because although marijuana is still classified as a drug it is less detrimental to its users and it is much less dangerous to use than other legal drugs (tobacco) and alcohol. They all have the same audience and that is people who view marijuana as a harmful drug and because of this they are trying to persuade their audience that it actually is far less harmful than those people believe. The three primary sources are different because they all have different opinions on the actual law, some believe that since the law is overruled by federal law that it is not even truly legal to possess and use marijuana in the privacy of someone's home.

The unstated assumptions that allow these arugments to succeed is that there is no proof that marijuana is a harmful drug because no one has overdosed by smoking it before. There is also the assumption that the law is unsuccessful because federal law overrules state law so it still makes possession and use a crime. The overall feeling of the law is that it is one that should be adopted by the country as a whole because otherwise people can still be charged unless it is adopted nation wide. People must know the wording and ruling of the law to have an opinion on it.

The state of argument in the U.S. based on these three texts reveal that arguments are very contridictory and that although something may be legitimately argued that it doesn't make the argument absolutely true. These arguments suggest that we live in both a culture of assertion but that we also live in a conflicting society. Why make a law that is just undermined by another more powerful law? What is the point of making such a law? Why doesn't our society do what is most logical and what is best for our citizens? Many people and not just people but our government have conflicting views on policies and laws that must find a common ground because otherwise laws and policies are unsuccessful.

Got Weed?

As some of you may know I am from Denver, CO and I happen to be very proud of the state that I come from just like many of you Texans. When I was trying to think of a topic for our Unit 2 project I really wanted to do something that has interest to me but is also a topic that has surrounded my beloved state and city. A topic I would have easy access to through publications, debates, and cartoons that I receive locally. Now you are probably wondering what in the world a giant marijuana leaf is doing on my blog in association to my topic proposal. Well on November 1st, 2005 Denver was the first city in the U.S. to officially legalize marijuana usage. An adult of age 21 years old and up may legally possess one ounce of marijuana for private use. The vote of legalizing marijuana was justified by many of the voters stating that, "Marijuana is far safer than alcohol and there has never been a report of any single person overdosing on it." There have been many arguments for and against the passed law so I thought that this would be a perfect topic since it fulfilled my want for a local event and that many false statements have been made surrounding the topic which have been asked to be explained and received with hostility ("culture of assertion".) Denver has always been known as the "Mile High City" but some people put an extra emphasis on the HIGH now. I will be researching this epic local event for my Unit 2 project. 

In Class: Concerns of Unit 2

So as I began thinking about the possible topics I could choose for our Unit 2 Project I started to feel really overwhelmed because especially in English classes I am used to being pigeon holed to one specific topic. I'm not exactly sure what constitutes "too broad of a topic" and that's the thing I need most help with. I was wrestling with the idea of doing the legalization of medical marijuana but I have a feeling that it is too broad. I also am kind of confused about the whole primary source thing because when I started thinking of my topic I realized that I didn't really know if there were any primary sources that I could use to analyze my topic. I would like to get a further understanding maybe with some examples of good primary sources for a topic. I just need help deciding whether this would be a worthy topic.

Girl Power

"Rosie the Riveter" has become an iconic image showing a woman curling her arm up in strength in a working uniform shouting, "We Can Do It!" I have no doubt that just about everyone has seen this picture before. This image has many different appeals and audiences. It appeals towards both women and men because it shows the power women have and subliminally states that women are not the "inferior sex." At the time the image was created women took over for men in factories during World War II so more men could be sent over-seas to fight. The factories would have been shut down had it not been for the women who stepped up and took the mens' places at work. Logically it is an appeal stating the capability that women have to do "men's work" and that they are able to run a household as well as a factory. Ethically it is an appeal because it shows the importance of a woman in society not just in the home but in the work force and not just across America but also world-wide. Emotionally it is an appeal to both the senses with the bright colors which shine excitement but it also gives every woman a sense of pride towards the things that we have accomplished. This iconic image has been posted everywhere from schools to bedrooms and I believe that it is an image filled with POWER if nothing else. 

In Class: What is Rhetorical Analysis?

When reading Chapter 5 in Everything's An Argument I got a better feel for what rhetorical analysis really is rather than just hearing the phrase and recognizing that I had heard it before. I think of rhetorical analysis as analyzing all the arguments a subject is trying to make whether it be a tv advertisement, a bumper sticker, a t-shirt, a moral or ethical debate, etc. Whatever the case may be the rhetorical analysis of it is everything you see in the argument, ethos, pathos, logos and then some. The thing that struck me about the chapter was the spectrum of analyzes that can be made from the subject being observed. It can be as unimportant as appealing to an audience of a lingerie add or a plea to save lives and pain of victims of drunk driving accidents. Rhetorical analysis to me is a broad term defining the points everyday objects or things we view every second of our day that could actually be making a point and our observation of what point it is trying to make through its existence. I'm not sure if I still completely understand the phrase to a "T" but I feel like I have a better idea of what rhetorical analysis is.

V-DAY

I was not expecting the Vagina Monologues to be quite so vivid, humorous, or moving. I was presently surprised that the performance included not only serious topics but amidst those monologues there were also comedic ones and very honest monologues. As I sat down at the performance I took a quick glance around me and saw that the auditorium was filled with mainly females and what it looked to be very few boyfriends who had been undoubtedly dragged along with their girlfriends for a "fun" Valentine's Day performance. As the women entered the stage they sat in a very comfortable arrangement on two couches surrounding coffee tables which made me feel as though this was more of a discussion with my long time gal pals. The beginning shocked me because the hosts went over all the names a vagina could be called and many of them were extremely funny sounding and unfamiliar to me. Being a nursing student I am used to hearing the word vagina but I am still very apprehensive to say the word myself because I feel like it is such a personal subject to be talking about and a topic that should be kept within closed doors. The ladies on stage however were not at all shy using any variation of the word...not at all. My favorite monologue was the one about the different types of moans women make because it made me laugh out loud in my seat. I loved the show and I will definitely be seeing another performance when the time comes around again.

Appeals of a Cowtown Tradition

After my first few observations at the Fort Worth Stockyards I realized that there is a much wider variety of appeals than I once thought.

The first appeal that really stood out to me was an emotional appeal. As anyone in the country even dare I say it, the world, can see Texans are a very proud group of people. Anything to appeal towards the history of Texas is of course a go in whatever part of the state that can be made historic. I think the Stockyards are a perfect example of this emotional appeal because they appeal to the pride each Texan has for the many people who came before them in their state.

Another appeal I saw within the Stockyards was a logical appeal. The largest honky-tonk in the world is of course right here in Fort Worth. Billy Bob's is just the place where you will find it. This is a logical appeal because it appeals to the many tourists of our vast country. Who wouldn't want to come check out the largest honky-tonk in the world? This is a major logical appeal for the city of Fort Worth because tourism is one of the largest forms of revenue in the city and if there were no tourists much of that revenue would be lost to other cities in the nation.

The ethical appeal I observed in the Stockyards was the abundance of Texas hospitality. Being from another state this is one of the things that appealed to me right off the bat when I came to tour TCU. Whether you are in a store, a hotel, or a bar (the Stockyards has plenty of each) people greet you with that wide smile and southern charm. Even on the streets people are friendly and mingling over a pitcher of beer (yes, you can carry your drink right along as you are site seeing and it is completely legal which astonished me). This image of friendliness appeals to people of every walk of life because the hospitality of everyone shows a genuine goodness and a positive morality of the Fort Worth community.

There are many more examples of each appeal that I saw in the Stockyards but I think everyone should experience the Stockyards for themselves at least once.

In Class: Analyzing Visuals

Candy Cigarette
Q:What about this image initially draws your attention and why?
A: What initially drew my attention to the image was that such a young girl was holding a cigarette. If I had not known the title of this image I would have thought that this young girl was actually smoking a real cigarette. It is an appeal to my ethics because I do not believe that a girl of her age should be smoking.
Q:How does this initial point of vision connect to the rest of the image?
A: She looks very stern and that was the first thing that I realized after the initial part of the image that drew my attention. I noticed that the girl next to her looks far younger with her hair in a very high pony tail and innocent compared to her friend holding the cigarette. She looks old beyond her years because of the way she is standing with her arm crossed over her body and the way in which she holds the cigarette in her hand.
Q: What is this image about? What emotions and ideas are portrayed in the image?
A: I believe this image is about the young girl holding the cigarette and the stigma surrounding the image of her doing this. Most people would not expect such a young girl to be smoking and you feel sorry for her because even at such a young age she looks like she has had a hard life.
Q: What is the purpose of this image?
A: The purpose of this image, I believe, is to show the audience this girl's loss of innocence. The world around children these days induces premature growing up and this image is a perfect example of the loss of a child's youth.

In Class: Confusing Concepts from Logos

One of the things that confused me in Chapter 4 of Everything's an Argument is the use of surveys and polls as a logical appeal. When I think of surveys and polls I think of a very inaccurate measure of the public's feelings. There are many biases surrounding the use of surveys and I feel that they are not a good representative of a logical appeal. My question is, why did they include this as an example in the chapter if the readings and data obtained from the source are inaccurate? I realize polls are used to persuade people towards a certain view on the topic that is presented but would the inaccuracy deter people from using this form to appeal to people?

In Class: Ethical Appeal Artifact

For my ethical appeal I brought in an Ozarka water bottle. I looked at it as an ethical appeal because on the back of the bottle in big letters it says, "Please Recycle." By stating this on the label, the Ozarka company is making an argument that it is an ethical company because it is making an effort to save our planet by asking all of its consumers to recycle the water bottle after the bottle is no longer of use to them. Under the "Please Recycle" it also makes an argument to inform by saying, "Did you know this bottle can be recycled? But fewer than 25% of all plastic bottles actually are recycled. We need your help. Be Green. We can all make a difference. Please recycle." The Ozarka company is asking for all of its consumers' help and politely I may add by saying, "Please Recycle." Even by saying the word "please" I get the feeling that the company has ethics because they aren't simply saying "Recycle" they are pleading for us to recycle and with their politeness I notice that it does in fact make me want to recycle even more so than I did before because fewer than 25% of plastic bottles are recycled. As a consumer as Ozarka water I feel that I can make a difference if I recycle.

Unit 1 Proposal: How 'bout them cowboys?

The Historic Stockyards of Fort Worth, Texas! I chose this public space as my Unit 1 topic. There are an endless number of reasons why I chose the Stockyards, but the bottom line was I've been in many public spaces of Fort Worth and many of which I've people watched while I was there except I haven't spent much time at the Stockyards. I find historic places particularly interesting because I always wonder to myself, "what made this place historic?" Some places earn the title of being "historic" while others arguably may have not. Because I have not spent hardly any time in the Stockyards I will ask myself this question when I get there. In my observation I expect to find a lot of stereotypical "Texans" but I also believe I'm going to find many other groups of people. I expect to find "real" ranchers and cowboys but I also expect to find the people who simply bought a pair of boots for the sole reason of "being in Texas." I've heard that the Stockyards are a tourist trap but I don't quite believe that. If they really are then why do I hear so many Fort Worth natives talking about them with such high regard? I believe myself to be neutral when it comes to a target audience of the Stockyards. I am not a cowgirl but I am also not a girl who sits by and let's a chance at riding a bronco or bull slip through my fingers. My plan of action is to go into the Stockyards as a neutral observer as well. I want to keep my eyes open to every detail and possibility so I have no biased opinions towards the things I may be observing. As for now I will sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride that the Stockyards is going to take me on. 

YES WE CAN make an argument for CHANGE

On Tuesday morning January 20th, 2009 a chill filled the air of our great country. It may have been caused just by the winter wind but I believe a chill of expectation ran down many of the spines in our nation while awaiting our 44th president's inauguration address. I have no doubt that President Barack Obama met many of those expectations that morning. 

The very first line of his mesmerizing address was composed of an argument that he had been making throughout his campaign for president of the Unites States. He made an argument of fact that although he is our new president he is first our fellow citizen. This argument portrays how he wants to walk along side the people and not in front of them. He wants many of the same things as the average citizen of American wants. This phrase is also making an argument of emotional appeal because he is speaking directly to the people of his country and making the appeal towards every citizen whether they are "Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus or non-believers."

Throughout his address he makes arguments of the past, present, and future countless times. His reference to his father possibly not being served in Washington, D.C. sixty years ago makes the argument that times have changed but the past was not long ago. He acknowledges that our present is riddled by challenges large and small but his argument of the tasks we face in the future: economic rebuilding, global preservation, peaceful relations with numbers of foreign nations, and an effort towards countless state-wide, country-wide, and world-wide improvements.

The numerous arguments seen in the address were extremely effective I believe and they were also universally applicable and easily understood. Arguments of every kind were vividly expressed in President Obama's address and our nation can expect countless more arguments to be made, possibly of far greater magnitude, on behalf of our ever CHANGING world.

In Class: Public Space

I've been thinking about the types of places I could possibly do my Unit 1 project on and I have a lot of ideas. I could do the Stockyards, a coffee shop, a used book store, a Goodwill store, a YMCA, an old records store, Hulen mall, a park, a restaurant, etc. I think I'm leaning most towards the Stockyards because I haven't been there very much since I've been down here at school and I think I could observe some very unique people in that area. I could see if the stereotype of Texan cowboys and cowgirls is fulfillled. I could also see what different types of people visit the Stockyards, are there just cowboys and ranchers, are there mostly tourists, is everyone dressed in rodeo attire? If I did one of the other places I think I would do an old used records store, although I would have to find one first. It would be interesting to see what type of person listens to each type of music. To see if the stereotype of that music genre fits the person. These are just ideas in the works for right now so we'll see what I end up deciding to do.

In Class: College Life

I've been realizing recently that it is almost impossible to graduate from a four year college if you do not go in knowing your major within the set four years. I've been frustrated because I came into TCU knowing that I wanted to go through medical school and be an opthomologist (an eye doctor). I wanted to do surgeries for the rest of my life and then I realized that although I loved the medical field very much that I did not want to be in school for the rest of my twenties. I changed to nursing and because I changed late they are now saying I will graduate in a frightful six years rather than four or even five years because I decided my major late. I now have to transfer home to the University of Colorado Nursing School in order to have even the slightest glimmer of hope in graduating within my four year time period. My question is, why do they call them four year universities or four year colleges when if you have no idea what you want to do for the rest of your life there is no possible shot for graduating in the said "four years." I think the universities and colleges nation wide have formed an alliance against people wanting to graduate in four years and I am convinced that some of the schools may even may for advisor's to say, "change your major as many times as you want" without telling the students that there will be many more years of payments, papers, exams, etc.

In Class: How I Define an Argument

When I first began this class I believed an argument was only something someone was trying to argue their view point or position on. Whether it be who you thought was the most qualified candidate in the 2008 election or why your parents should let you have a later curfew. Now after reading the first chapter of Everything's an Argument I believe an argument is not only a cause to state your position or some belief you have but it also encompasses almost every text either written, spoken, or visual in our society. For example, I now believe that a person's choice of outfit in the morning can be an argument. Also another example that I thought was interesting from class was that a stop sign may be viewed as an argument which I had never thought of before it was mentioned. I can see how almost everything around me can now be argued that it is making an argument from reading the types and examples of arguments defined in the text.

Hi :) my name is Claire

Hi, my name is Claire Mueller. I'm from Greenwood Village, CO which is just fifteen minutes south of the Mile High City also known as Denver. I'm a sophomore here at TCU and my major is nursing. I chose to come to TCU because I looked at a ton of other out of state schools in Texas and across the country and I found myself always comparing the other schools to how much I liked TCU. There was no comparison. Long story short I became a horned frog and here I am. More about me: I'm twenty years old and I have just one brother, Dane. I feel pretty lucky because he isn't just my brother he is my twin. I'm only one minute older than he is. We are very different though, most people do no believe we are twins because he is six foot three inches tall and I'm only five feet tall. I live with him, my parents, and my two huskies back home. My parents names are Allison and Ferdinand Mueller. My dad's name is very unique I know, we are German and that's where the name comes from. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts back in St. Louis, MO where they both grew up. My mom is a nurse and my dad is a doctor. My dogs are named Skyy and Kizzy. Skyy was named after the beautiful blue skies we have in Colorado and Kizzy (Kismet is her real name) was named after a fourteener (a fourteen thousand foot mountain) we climbed just before we got her. I'm very close to my family and I miss them a lot while I'm here at school. I'm Colorado born and bred and we have lived in the same house ever since my brother and I were born. I'll tell you more about myself later. 

As for why I chose to take this class. First of all it was required that I take it but I chose to do so this year because I'd very much like to improve upon my writing. I believe being able to write and speak well is a very important thing to learn because it gives you the foundation level of being able to express and present your ideas. I would really like to improve upon my speaking skills because I get very shy when I have to speak in public in front of large groups. I'd like to set that fear aside. I'd also like to be able to present an argument because I've never learned how to do that either. 

The type of writing I do now is mostly free writing. I text my life away basically and I e-mail occasionally. I also write in a journal at night when I need to get things off of my mind. That's the extent of my writing at this point. 

I am excited about this course and I read, agree, and understand the terms of the syllabus. I think this is going to be a very challenging class but I'm always up for a challenge.

That's all for now :)