Writing And Rhetoric

Wanted: Portfolio Director-CityView Apartments

CityView Apartments is looking or a portfolio director for its uptown portfolio in Denver. As the premier apartment operator in Denver, our philosophy focuses on providing an excellent tenant experience and reaching strategic growth targets to maximize return. Although this job position has a management role, the ideal director does not lead from behind the desk. Our directors are active with employees at properties to ensure a comfortable environment for our tenants. The ideal applicant should have a passion providing quality service while maintaining and promoting fiscal responsibility. Other requirements include being an excellent communicator, as you will be managing other employees as well, along with a great understanding of financial modeling (mainly excel) and rental management software. Since nearly anything can happen in this industry, strong problem-solving skills and quick and clear thinking are required. All portfolio directors report to the district manager so being able to effectively use the chain of command is important. This is a full-time+ job with experience looked highly upon. If you are interested, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

 Reflection:

Looking back on my first theory of writing, I have realized all that I have learned. Although I still believe what I wrote, I have added new parts to it based on what we have studied this quarter. One of the main things that I have learned that I did not include in my original theory was the importance of choosing the correct genre for the situation. This, to me, is the foundation of any good writing. The main thing that needs to be considered when choosing the genre is who is going to read it, or the audience. If it is an email to a professor, it should be professional and concise. If it is a research paper, it should use academic language and have citations. Building on the importance of genre, writing is also a mode of communication and a way to spur action and create rhetoric. When a writer as able to communicate his or her point through using the correct genre, they are being as efficient as possible in their goal to create rhetoric. My second addition to my theory of writing is the need to establish clear ethos pathos and logos. Starting with ethos, or establishing ethics, allows the reader to feel confident that what they are reading stands up to basic ethical standards –is it true? Is it accurately portrayed? Secondly, the need to establish pathos cannot be understated. If a writer is going to be successful in creating a rhetorical response, the reader must feel passionate about the issue. This is where pathos comes in. When the writer shows passion in the piece, the reader picks up on that passion and hopefully applies it to the cause. Lastly, logos also must be established. Any good writing incorporates a logical element. Usually, this is shown in the evidence used to support the main point and the layout of the piece. When logos is established effectively, the writer has a much better chance of persuading the audience to change their mind.

My second walking map reflects not only some of the components that I believe are important to writing but also where on campus they are represented. The start of my map is JMAC. The first term I mapped was that good writing is human. That is there is an element of personality. Since throughout the quarter we have discussed how writing is unique and changes by each person’s personality, good writing just needs to have an element of humanity so that the reader can relate. To find this on campus, I went to the admissions office. I chose this because these days many colleges try to look at more than just some numbers on an application, but also the human behind the application. My second term was thought-provoking. This ties in to creating rhetoric and the impact and writing can have. To illustrate this, I chose to take a picture of the large sculpture outside of the library. I chose this because, to me, it is not clear exactly what it is. In other words, it made me think about it and what it means or is trying to represent. The third work I mapped on my walk was creative. I chose creative because for something to be remembered and acted upon, it needs to leave a lasting memory. This is what creativity does. To illustrate creativity, I went to the second floor of AAC and took a picture of a sculpture of two birds with their wings spread. I chose this because the artist who made it clearly had a creative mind and knew what would attract an audience. My fourth stop on my walk was the Richie Center. I chose to take a picture of the Richie Center sign to show how being concise in writing is important. Although it may be a bit confusing at first, at DU the Richie center is really the main building that houses nearly all the sports and exercise parts of the university. Relating to writing, good writing should contain all the parts necessary to the genre that you are writing about, but nothing extra. The last stop on my walk was Sturm Hall. Since I have a lot of my classes in Sturm, I think of it as providing information to me. This helps represent my last term of good writing being informative because the need for something to be learned in each writing piece. Similarly, to when I walk out of class I should have learned something, when the reader reaches the last sentence he or she should have learned something.

 Although I didn’t change my terms in between my first and second map, map two is different from map one in what I have learned throughout the quarter and the new knowledge that helps me understand each of my original terms. For example, instead of just saying that good writing is thought-provoking, I also can now apply the concept of rhetoric behind it. Additionally, instead of only knowing that good writing need to be concise, I can now apply my knowledge of genre. Good writing should be concise in whatever style or genre you are writing. Concise in an essay may look different than concise in an email, but both being concise shares the same purpose of making them easier to read.

 I think the main thing I learned from actually walking around and looking at campus was the connection between theory and reality. We can theorize all we want but if we can’t find a way to apply it, in reality, it is worthless. By applying my theory of what makes good writing to my physical surroundings, it helps me relate it to my real life.

Moment 1

My first moment occurred during the first few weeks of the quarter. When I got to class on the first day, I had no idea that it would be the way that it is such as assignments not being given absolute grades. Even though this was certainly a major learning experience, I believe the bigger one was learning how to effectively use Tumblr. As someone who had never blogged or written a blog post, I was clueless. The unique structure of part formal/part informal was challenging to adapt to. Even in week 8, I’m still getting used to it. Since the rhetoric used in my posts has a big impact on how my audience interprets what I’m saying, I’ve tried to focus on this when posting to Tumblr. This relates back to Bitzer’s point that the situation dictates the discourse because the situation, in this case, the use of Tumblr, changes the discourse, or way that I write.

This pic was my reaction when we started posting on Tumblr

Moment 2

My second moment certainly has to do with the importance of reflection in the writing process. I learned this through the reading by Pianko. I believe the quote that best summarizes reflection is, “[Reflection] is indicated by a writer’s pauses and rescanning’s and distinguishes the able writers from the not so able” (p.4). Not did this teach me what true reflection looks like, but also the impact being able to reflect can have. Since no good writing has ever been done only in the first draft, it requires the ability to step back and reflect if you want to make improvements.

Moment 3

My third moment has to do with learning how to write in different genres. I learned this through the activity of the car crash and from the murder activity. In school for the past 5 years, I have written countless 5 paragraph essays and I could count on one hand that I wrote something that wasn’t an essay in an academic tone. The activities that we did in class were certainly a learning activity. It was especially helpful that we wrote them in the same document because it allowed for a direct comparison between the genres. When I was writing them, I often found myself looking back the previous one to make sure my tone and language was different. By learning more about the genre, I have been able to better communicate in unique situations.

Detective:

Early this morning as I was coming in to work I was called to a scene of a crime. There had been a report of a suspicious person the evening before at the City-Center Parking Garage, on 11th and University and early this morning a security guard discovered a body on the 4th level. Although the crime scene is active and not yet cleared, we are investigating this death as a murder. The victim, Mr. Mark Smith, sustained many stab wounds to the chest and stomach. As of now, we do not know the exact time of death, but we estimate it was around 10:20 pm or so on June the 6th, 2010. The medical examiner will have a more exact timetable shortly. With the report of the suspicious person coming just hours before, we are now trying to determine if that subject had any connection to this crime. That will be a central part of the investigation. That is all I can share right now. We will release more information when appropriate.

 Coroner:

Following this statement from the coroner’s office, I will take a few questions. This morning, June 7th, at about 9:30 am the office of the medical examiner received a body from the sheriff’s office crime lab unit. The victim, Mr. Mark Smith of Salt Lake City, Utah, sustained fatal injuries from many stab wounds with a long knife. The impacted areas were his upper left chest and mid-stomach. Based on lab testing, Mr. Smith had a blood-alcohol level of .05% and no drugs were found in his system. The depth and width of the knife entry suggest that the knife used was a 6-inch kitchen-like knife. The deceased also had multiple bruises and cuts—believed to be from the initial attack of the perpetrator along with the fall on to the concrete. As of now, no usable DNA evidence has been found to help find the suspect but that process has not been completed. As the detective mentioned earlier, it is now clear that the victim died at 10:37 on June 6th and the attack happen just minutes before, probably around 10:32. That is all the information available for the press right now. We will release more information during tomorrow’s briefing. Questions?

 Eulogy:

Our Mark Smith is in a better place looking over us this morning. Always a smart and hardworking man, a faithful husband to his beloved wife Mary, and a wonderful father to his 3 children, Anna, James, and Noah. The day Mark could speak, it was clear that his good attitude and go-get-'em attitude was infectious with everyone he met. Even though he passed too soon, he certainly left the world a better place. An avid outdoorsman, Mark spent many summers volunteering to help clean up the mountains and preserve the wildlife. Grounded in his faith, he lived God’s word every day and was a regular at the Sunday church. Mark’s light will always shine bright and he will be forever missed by those who were fortunate to know him. Rest in peace, Mark.

 Lawyer:

Your Honor, members of the jury, justice is needed for the mother and three children who are living without a loved one after their husband and father was slaughtered in a cold-blooded, ambush-style attack on June 6th, 2010 in the City-Center Parking Garage. Walking back to his vehicle after a long day of work, the defendant brutally attacked him. He punched and then stabbed the victim, Mr. Mark Smith, multiple times and then left him to bleed out alone on the concrete slab in the dark garage. Even with the horrible crime committed, the family is not calling for revenge, they are calling for justice. Justice that is well deserved. In this trial, we will present evidence that the defendant is responsible for this savage attack and deserves a punishment in accordance with the full weight of the law. A repeat offender, as he is, should not have been on the street is the first place and now there is no other reason for him to walk free again. Mark will forever be gone, but swift and true justice from this court will ensure that his death was not for nothing.

 Discussion:

1.       The easiest scenario to write was the lawyer. I believe it was easiest because I could still use a relatively formal tone but was also able to incorporate raw emotion and vivid details of the attack.

2.       For me, the hardest to write was the eulogy. I think this is because of the non-traditional language that is used in eulogies. I had trouble not incorporating a description of what really happened. Yes, it was easy to show pathos (emotion), but the pathos, I think, would be more meaningful if a full description of what happened was given. Then the audience could better understand why the emotions are so strong.

Allie’s Argument 1

1. The argument is that much of reality tv is fiction. Gave good examples and wasn’t too wordy.

2. Ethos: Uses real examples and shows actual screenshots or memes of the characters. Pathos: Envokes emotion because after laying out the facts, it is clear that the scene was just a big act and their fake “emotions” aren’t sincere. Logos: Logos was shown through the layout of putting the meme or example before the explanation of why it is fake. 

3. Yes, I believe the writer because clear examples are given. Although I know next to nothing about reality tv, I recognized enough to get the point.

4. The audience is reached through funny and bright memes that draw attention. For this video/slideshow, the audience is youth who will recognize the characters but would get dragged down in a written and dense argument. I know because it is written in a youthful voice.

5. Two things to work on: 1. adding the reference to exactly what show you are referencing. 2. Maybe breaking up some of the heavy text slides, although the bolding helps make them less cluttered and easy to understand. Two things that work well: 1. color is good and draws in the audience. 2. Plenty of examples that strengthen the point.

Allie’s Argument 2:

1. The argument was that not only is it fake, but also can be dangerous. Gave examples of people actually being harmed. 

2. Ethos: Like in the first argument, gave more examples and detailed explanation with some comedy. Pathos: Makes the reader laugh and isn’t too dense so the reader can keep engaged. Logos: logos was shown through giving a walk-through of each decision made and why it was a bad one.

3. The writer is believable, and the comedy is a big part of it. 

4. The audience is reached through an entertainment column and it makes sense.

I believe that transferring knowledge is critical to developing as a student. The transfer of knowledge is the act of acquiring a better understanding of a subject and then connecting that new knowledge to something in real life. It is most effective if that knowledge is transferred to something outside of the academic bubble and instead to a tangible application. I found Bergmann and Zepernick’s (B&Z’s) realization that students were not fully applying knowledge from their first-year composition (FYC) in a way that helps them develop. Instead, they were studying and working for a grade. They have become entrenched in focusing on their transcript and GPA instead of the broader, and more meaningful, goal of becoming smarter. After reflecting on how I transfer knowledge, I must admit that I certainly have fallen into this tunnel like student vision. It hard to realize that you’re in it, and even harder to break it.

Revising vs Editing

During the quarter we have discussed multiple elements of the writing process. As Nancy Sommers stated in her piece, editing and revising are key elements of that process. While revision and editing combine to reach the final goal of better writing, they are very different. I believe that revision is a much larger, and broader, way to make changes to a writing piece. Revision deals with the how the audience will interpret it, the common themes that are present, and the argument presented at the beginning. On the other hand, editing, to me, is smaller-scale changes that occur. Due to the differences in the two, it seems logical that revision comes before editing since revising should, technically, happen during the stage where the general outline is being formed.

Take 1

My theory of writing is that it is the main and most long-lasting way to document something. Whether writing a math theory or an analysis of Shakespeare, writing is the mode of long-term-storage and short-term communication. Further, writing is personal. It “documents” the writer’s personality, their beliefs, flaws, frustrations, and ambitions. Relating to what Crowley and Hawhee believed, writing and rhetoric are the cornerstone of life, both personal and professional life. Crowley and Hawhee’s argument backs up my theory because the human brain has its limits. Over a long period of time, such as someone’s life, it isn’t possible to remember everything. Additionally, when the person who held that information in his or her brain is no longer living, the information is lost unless it had been written down. Bitzer’s analysis of discourse also ties into this theory. Bitzer believed that the situation dictates the discourse. This is applicable because discourse would not be possible if the situation, or sharing of information, never occurred. This could be applied to a short time such as a few years, or generations, where writing something down would be the only way to document something for the future.

 Take 2

Write it down now

Write it down fast

Write it down so it will last

 Pay attention to history

Or else it’s a mystery

It’s how we gain knowledge

So study it hard in college

 Writing comes in all shapes and sizes

Don’t mistake its disguises

Follow the truth

Because it’s long in the tooth