Briana Corley
To: Traid L
Composition II and Seminar
2/12/2011
Reflective over view
These first five weeks of the semester was an experience full of self-discovery and inquiry. I was also very fortunate to have understanding and talented professors on my team.Thank you for extra time on my portfolio I really appreciated it.
This portfolio was composed of many different elements that all related to each other. The main ones where my John F. Kennedy speech analysis and my political sound track. For the speech I choose, “We choose to go to the moon” because when I read the transcript the message was clear and you could see John F. Kennedys fun personality come out in the words. But it was when I heard the speech that I knew that it was the one I wanted to do.I heard the excitement in his voice and you could hear how the little things like repetition impacted his speech. The powerful way he used language is what sold me on doing that speech.
After completing the working bibliography and getting my research done,I did some additional research on the difference between a scholarly journal and a magazine. Ascholarly journal is usually a report on innovative research and a magazine is not written by experts in any area.I thought I’d be easy from thereuntil l had to write the paper. I went to class and tried to use journaling to write but for some reason the writer’s block wouldn’t pass. So I prepped for the analysis part by copying and pasting the speech on word and labeling whether it was logos, ethos, or pathos. Doing this helped me figure out which quotes I was going to use and how it impacted the audience to construct my first draft.Doing the second draft I had trouble deciphering what to put history and political wise so I made a small diagram to help figure out what was needed.But I still needed more content so I asked to what you recommended to help and you told me to answer some questions that need to be answered in the essay. Which game me an idea on the detail needed when introducing my speaker.In the process I decided to switch from APA to MLA. My final draft came easy after all these steps it also helped when I edited a group member’s paper.
Doing the political sound track sounded easy as well but when I thought about it there was more to it than just picking songs.I would listen to one song and decide not to use it switching with another song and couldn’t quite find the rite song that matched my speech. I finally came up with this soundtrack, these songs are fun with a little political meaning.
India Aria’s “There’s Hope” is about how the most important things aren’t tangible or situation based. But it applies to the government in the way that we perceive it. In our government despite our problems we still have hope. We live in a country by the people for the people. If we keep that in mind that we are very fortunate and that we can voice our views and the government cares and listens. Our perceptions of our government needs to stays positive. Hope and laughers essential to life as well as politics if we think of how we can make things better instead of what’s wrong with our situations we’d change the government for the better. This song makes me feel happy because the message is about inner happiness reminding me that happiness is a state of mind. I am a very optimistic person and am able to find a silver lining in every situation. My ideology test results said liberal the first time which is true but I took it again and found that I am also a upbeat. This song has a very upbeat message.
I chose to present India Aries “There’s Hope” to present becauseit has a positive message and makes you feel good. The message in the song is not all about complaining about how bad our government but how great it could be and we need that with all the negativity in the media and politics now days. I’d rather someone tell me there’s hope than tell me how oppressed we are.
Nicklebacks “If any one cared is talking to politicians and regular people when he says “If everyone cared and nobody cried, If everyone loved and nobody lied, If everyone shared and swallowed their pride, Then we'd see the day when nobody died” telling us that a change in our personal attitudes’ could change the world. The song makes me feel guilty like rite after you just did something considered selfish or can make me feel good when I’m just riding in the car. I love helping people and the video is very inspiring highlighting different people in history who have made a difference. It applies to political culture when you look at our problems with the economy and even the whole difference on policy thing. For example on the health bill if we all just cared for the health of everyone we’d be more than happy to pay taxes for nationwide health care for everyone but most of us are more concerned about our wallets although I’m guilty of both of those.
India Aries “The Ghetto” is talking about how the no matter where you go there is a ghetto. Somebodies starving, poor and etc. Which relates to politics in the way where we do all this stuff for other countries starting programs to feed them, rebuilding homelands, and other stuff. But we don’t stop and think about our own problems like that we want to cut programs to help our people but we’re donating money to do the same thing for other countries such as cutting education funding but providing free schooling for other nations. The song makes you think about what we all have in common as nations.
David Crowders “We Win” is a simplified version of John F Kennedys we choose to go to the moon speech, because in the speech JFK is basically saying its gone be expensive but, were going to send a man to the moon America’s won this space race and the soviets can’t catch up. This song makes me feel confident and ready to kick butt whenever I hear it. This is a great christan song about having faith in Christ but it also reminds us to have faith in our government. It is a very egotistic song that motivates the audience.
Daughtry “Before it is too late” is talking about doing the things we could do that would help another today. Instead of putting ourselves first making a difference the moment you see an opportunity. It relates to our culture in the way that the government operatesinstead of acting immediately to help others how they’ll sacrifice they are chance because of selfish reasons like reelection. I believe everyone should try to make a difference when the opportunity presents itself.This song just speaks to the humanitarian in you.
The songs I mentioned above apply to my ideology test results as well. The results told me that I was liberal according to that I prefer peacekeeping over use of military force. I also am Pro-choice, support gay marriage and favor protecting the environmental. Although I took it an additional time and got the results that I was also an upbeat, I really match better with the liberals.
Looking back on my past work these last five weeks if I was grading myself I’d give myself a seventy five because my work could have been a lot better .I could have been a lot more organized but I put a great amount of work and effort. I have long way to go in academic writing and look forward to improving and learning in these next portfolios.
Thank you,
Briana Corley