lindsayeng206

[lindsayeng206]

Final Exam

1. 

The first thing I learned was to not expect a happy ending. It is not happening. After I accepted the dystopic fate of each story, I learned how important rhetoric is. With everything that I write, I am writing with a purpose and the way in which I write it should show that. This means not just by stating the purpose, either. The diction I use, like word choice, and the rhetorical devices I include must always be done with the purpose and audience in mind. When I do this, my papers end up being so much more effective and well written.

I honestly found the assignments toward the start of the semester the most effective. These included “Understanding Rhetoric” and Bitzer’s “Rhetorical Situation.” In both, I learned about things that I could apply to other classes and beyond the end of this class. When it came down to what I enjoyed reading the most, though, “The Rhetoric of Flu Pandemics” comes in first. It helped explain a lot about what is happening today but also confirmed my belief that this virus has become political.

2.

I am not going to lie, it is kind of challenging. I actually miss printing out my papers and handing them to the professor in person. It gave me more of a sense of accomplishment because my finished work was tangible. I also had difficulties with the website creators. After trying three different formats and struggling to get my page past the loading symbol, I turned to tumblr.

Though, becoming more comfortable with multimodal composition is really important. In the business world, close to no papers are printed and stapled ready to pass into your boss. Especially in digital marketing, which is what I want to go into after college. The whole premise of digital marketing is to utilize multiple social media platforms and digital interfaces to get your message across. This helps build your audience and gain attraction. No doubt, posting to blogs was a good reminder that I need to keep in mind what makes it easier for your audience to find and read your content.

3.

Yes, but not by a lot. I wish I was able to take this class in person because then I feel like I would have seen a great difference in how I articulate my thoughts and arguments. I was also fortunate to take AP English Composition in my junior year of high school. That entire year, we focused on diction and ethos/pathos/logos for the sake of making arguments. This was more of a really good refresher with a dystopia-twist.

4.

I believe that style is the most important, today. Attention spans are so small these days and there are always a plethora of others things to read so the hook matters more than ever. By using style correctly, you can capture at least a couple more people to read your entire piece. Whereas, if your address to the audience is great and your ethos is in line, so many people will continue to scroll if your style is dry.

5. 

Oh, I hate it. I need a separate environment than where I sleep, eat, socialize, and live more than anything. It is so much harder to not only pay attention but to also absorb material when everything is done on a small laptop screen with iffy audio. 

An advantage, though, is logging on to class is a lot easier than showing up. Thanks to online learning, I have been able to pick up more hours at work. That is about it for advantages.

As for disadvantages, the distractions are far more--well--distracting. It takes me twice as long to complete assignments, it is also hard to keep track of how many things are due, I feel bad for the professors because no one turns on their cameras, and the fatigue from staring at a digital screen is insane.

Thankfully, I have been fortunate enough to not have contracted the virus, so far, making remote learning is the worst part of this quarantine.

What have you learned about yourself as a writer?  Were there any assignments that helped shape your own view as a writer and an individual?

6.

I learned that I love to be conversational when I write, which is hard because that contradicts a lot of rules for academic writing. I almost minored in journalism, and my favorite part was writing blog posts because of how straight-forward and personal I can get with the audience. I feel like that is what the majority of people like to read, too.

Absolutely, there were assignments that helped shape my own view as a writer. My favorite was the open letter. You were able to pick your topic, audience, rhetoric, and so on. That much freedom was so fun. 

[lindsayeng206]

[lindsayeng206]

[lindsayeng206]

Logical Fallacy

It has come to my attention that kids these days are using pronouns beyond she/her and he/him to identify themselves. Apparently because more than one gender exists...but since when? No, Mexico does not count. Well no, not the North American natives either. I clearly meant since when in my ethnocentric reality.

I believe that our nation should not normalize this systematically. Standardized tests should only allow checkmarks for either a boy or a girl. Government documents should not have more than two gender options. College applications should not change anything. Documents are already allowing a man to identify as a woman and vice versa. There are even people already want to identify as neither, so people will soon want to identify as everything. Sure, today people may be given a non-binary answer but that will soon lead to people being both a man and a woman which will undoubtedly lead to others wanting to identify as unicorns! We cannot live in a society where people really see themselves as something that does not even exist, so America should not give them an option at all. 

Besides that, identifying as something you are not is not productive. It is part of human nature to categorize everything and label it. This is necessary so that we can understand everything. If we are taking the right labels off of people, our culture could not be productive. In my opinion, the people themselves are not productive in society. Have you ever heard a Xi/Xem dominate a major industry? A furry do well in a work environment? A unicorn be a good parent?

Lastly, it is wrong to allow people to identify as non-binary because being non-binary is wrong. It just is. How could not being either be okay if being a man or woman is correct? You see, all three cannot be right because our society only acknowledges the two that it acknowledges. I am a woman so I must identify as a woman. I was not born non-binary. The reason why I was not born non-binary is because it is wrong. If it were right than I would have been born that way. 

In conclusion, she/her and he/him can be the only appropriate way people identify themselves.

[lindsayeng206]

1984

The harsh slogans used throughout 1984, “WAR IS PEACE” and “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” and “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” perfectly represent the total control Big Brother has over his people. Starting with the fact that each phrase contradicts each other, the blunt oxymorons make it easy for the residents to remember what the government expects of them. Yet, the way it is phrased is different than most rules. “WAR IS PEACE” and “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” start with two negatives that the government wants from the people and ends with two positive behaviors that are prohibited. Second, it is ironic that the government ministries can use these slogans successfully. In reality, a statement publicized by a government so obviously wrong would draw speculation and lead to a lack of action. The world in 1984 works differently, though. These opposing “facts” prime the people to not question what they are told and to be enslaved; be ignorant.  

Winston Smith proves it himself that “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” is the truth in Oceania. Throughout the novel, Winston Smith slowly questions the authority of Big Brother. As he works in the Records Department, his job is to literally rewrite history that continues this cycle of ignorance for the people in 1984. This helps him break this repetition of believing everything that is told to him, and it eventually seeps into other parts of his life. Winston’s way of revolting against the constant lies he is told is by keeping a journal, where he commits “THOUGHTCRIME,” and by visiting Mr. Charrington. As Winston Smith’s personal rebellion continues against Big Brother, he literally puts his life further in danger. The Party monitors Winston’s whereabouts more and more, eventually leading him to being tortured by the Party for attempting to gain knowledge. This confirms that for the people of Oceania, ignorance keeps them safe, and strong in their devotion to Big Brother.

Throughout the history of the United States, the government has used propaganda to influence the beliefs of the American people. The point of this was to gain support for the wars going on overseas, unfortunately though, this support grew from fabrication. An example of this was the, “Destroy This Mad Brute” poster used during World War I. Germany is depicted as a raging gorilla, carrying off a distressed and exposed woman. The poster was made to incite hate against Germany and was done successfully by creating this image in Americans’ lives that the European country was exploiting innocent, beautiful women. Thankfully, obvious propaganda like this does not circulate the country from the United States government, but many speeches made by Donald Trump use xenophobic slurs that prime Americans to fear those who do not look or live like Middle Americans.

[lindsayeng206]

Rhetorical Analysis: The Power of Introverts

In the American school system, the traits that align with extroversion are the ones praised in the classroom: comfortability with public speaking, avid participation in class, leadership in sports, number of friends, and so on. Susan Cain discusses this “struggle” to speak up in her TED Talk, “The Power of Introverts” (Cain). The video has racked up almost twenty-eight million views since 2012. She found that being an introvert was undesirable while growing up and pressured herself to become a lawyer for Wall Street just to prove that she could be assertive and bold. This accomplished woman speaks at the TED Talk event with the purpose of making the argument that introversion should be celebrated. Cain delivers her speech with impressive rhetoric while she addresses introverts, ambiverts, and extroverts.    

Susan Cain fuses her ethos with anecdotes from her childhood. She opens with a story about her mom sending her off to summer camp with a suitcase full of books. Did any of the other kids bring books? Of course not. The camp counselors and children chanted and shouted and encouraged loud energy. The presenter admitted that this is when she realized that she was an introvert—being boisterous made her uncomfortable and she preferred keeping to herself, reading books far more. In her own words, “I had a vision of ten girls sitting in a cabin cozily reading books in their matching nightgowns.” While Cain tells her story about summer chants and extroverted kids being rewarded for their rowdiness, she actually holds onto a suitcase standing in front of everyone. This suitcase becomes a motif throughout the lawyer’s argument for introversion. Toward the end of the speech, Susan Cain reveals what is now in her suitcase as an adult. Not shockingly, it is still filled with books. This transitions to Cain referencing a book she took seven years to write about introversion. It was “bliss” for her to be writing about this because it ironically allowed her to be introspective and withdrawn, something that introverts are good at, naturally. Susan Cain uses her ethos well as she establishes herself as an introvert for her audience, giving them reasons to trust what she has to say.  

The former Wall Street lawyer makes her argument using a euphonious diction. Not only is her voice already soothing and sweet, but her word choice makes it easy for people to listen. About halfway through the speech, Susan Cain verbalizes: “solitude matters and that for some people it is the fresh air that they breathe.” Cain tells the audience in a harmonious way that, for introverts, being quiet is needed. This necessity that they have was explained in a very purposeful way. Susan Cain uses “solitude matters” and the honeyed metaphor of “fresh air” so that introverts feel understood, but non-introverted people can understand how they function. While talking about one of her favorite introverted people, her grandfather, the speaker paints a picture of what his home looked like: “Every table, every chair in this apartment had yielded its original function to now serve as a surface for swaying stacks of books.” Cain gives a short anaphora with “every table, every chair” that emphasizes the detail that her grandfather shared the same love for books as she did. She pairs it with, “He would take the fruits of each week’s reading and he would weave these intricate tapestries of ancient and humanist thought.” These two statements piece together the man that her grandfather was with words that highlight his very intentional, delicate way of living. In this quote, Susan Cain creates synaesthesia. Tapestries are not made by weaving fruits together, but the diction creates a warm and inviting picture. Through wonderful word choice, Cain allows the audience to understand what is so special about being an introvert.

In addition, Susan Cain pulls from history to support her argument that introverted characteristics need to be valued. Her most powerful point is bringing up the fact that many religious leaders from the past were introverted individuals. Cain lists off Gandhi and his ability to extract himself from the world and use the power of silence. The lawyer also drops Jesus’s name and how his reserved demeanor helped persuade everyone to trust that he was the next Messiah. Cain also names Muhammad and Moses, making the point that the two were able to have profound revelations and talk to God by going off into the wilderness alone. In this part of the speech, applies logos by pulling from famous sacred teachings and how each of those came from introverted leaders.

Susan Cain is effective in making her argument that introverts hold a power that should be acknowledged. She does this through her talented rhetoric, but also by ending her speech with three calls to action. Susan begs people to: “stop the madness for constant group work. Stop it.” This is followed by laughter from the audience and then her second call of action, which recommends everyone to go into the wilderness. Not in a way that leads to starvation and loneliness, but even a short escape that allows introspection. Lastly, Susan Cain ends with a very powerful question, giving her motif a full-circle moment: “What is in your suitcase and why did you pack it?”

Works Cited

Cain, Susan, speaker. The Power of Introverts. Uploaded by TED Talk, February 2012, https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en

[lindsayeng206]

Allegory of the Cave

The first time I read Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” it was clear to me that the cave represented this bubble that kept people from the full truth. The cave rock created distorted images of a fabricated world that these prisoners saw. This happened because the prisoners were trying to make sense of their reality from the little knowledge that they had; that part is understandable. That is why ancient religions and belief systems exist—to make sense of this world for those who lived far before any of us.  

The part of Plato’s cave that I struggled with in the story is when the prisoners retreated! Why! They can finally educate themselves, yet are so overwhelmed that they would pick this awful, false perspective again. It took until this English class that I realized I struggled with the same thing happening in real life. That others repeatedly pick naivety and “fake news” over understanding how the world really is, how it really works. I never understood it because I believed that the phrase, “knowledge is power,” held true.  

Since quarantine, I have absorbed double the amount of information about all the horrible things that go on each day. In response, I almost always do further research and look for active ways that I can help. Yet, these horrible things continue to happen. Yes, there is progress, but I also realized that the world is still dealing with prisoners in that cave. There are people who could care less about the violence and exploitation of others because they are not affected directly. Even worse, there are still people who hold distorted beliefs against those experiencing these things, just like the distorted images on the cave wall, and prefer it that way.

[lindsayeng206]

Visual Essay: The Quarantine Crew

The day that everyone spent answering phone calls from parents and packing bags as fast as we could, my community shrank significantly. This rapidly-spreading virus was identified and it felt like it was wartime. All six of my roommates were pulled out of Orange, and sent back home to never leave their homes for four excruciating months.  At first, it was just supposed to last until after spring break. Yet that week came and went, and no one ever moved back in. Memorial Day creeped up on me, and the three other bedrooms were still never touched.

I went from having Chapman classrooms, my multiple overlapping friend groups, the twenty hours a week I spent at my job, our favorite restaurant, sports arenas and concerts, and even the community I still had up in the Bay Area to nothing but my house in Orange and a couple hours a week spent at work. 

I was living the same day over and over again. The movie “Ground Hog Day” became far too relatable.

Now this may seem like a depressing, “woah is me” story but do not worry, it is not because thankfully, July came around. The weather became warmer and the house became fuller. A couple of my roommates finally moved back in and there was life, once again. 

The end of summer is when my real community and where I find myself started. The house started to create weekly Zoom Happy Hour calls for the others who could not move back in yet. As you can see in the bottom photo in the collage, we would go around and ask everyone their “rose, bud, thorn” of the week. Each person would tell us the best part, the worst part, and end on what they are excited for. A cocktail or two in, we would play virtual drinking games for hours on end. Through this, Zoom became one of the outlets that I could still experience a community--my community. 

By the end of August, the house was packed once again with seven girls and there were now seven cars in the driveway every night. Another way we were able to get a piece of our community back, specifically our favorite restaurant called Taco Mesa, was to plan Taco Tuesdays on the front lawn. One person would go pick up the hefty order of $1.99 tacos and margaritas, and come back to our yard set up with quilts and good music. The photo in the middle right is one of our Taco Tuesdays: Quarantine Edition.

Another piece of life that I always identified with before quarantine was being outdoors. I love nature, I love the sun, and I loved being able to move. The beach and the mountains were always a part of my community growing up, and I was able to carry that on in college. When everyone came back and the cabin fever hit us, our solution was hiking. We went everywhere, literally. La Jolla, Big Bear, Laguna Beach, even Santiago Canyon. These times, face masks and hand sanitizer came with us. Our Big Bear pandemic hike is found in the bottom left of the collage. It gave us a change of scenery and it gave us part of our community back.

All in all, quarantine was extremely lonely and it the reality was that I did not have any community left for awhile. This visual essay, although it is with the same people in the same places, shows how I have adapted during all this to still carry out that community feeling that is so needed for our health and happiness. 

[lindsayeng206]

Timeless in Trinity: Literacy Narrative

In this place, time stands still. Think Northern California but then keep going—past Lake Tahoe and even past Shasta. The buildings are never taller than the evergreen trees and there is not a single traffic light in town. Everyone drives either cherry Ford F-150s or tethered Chevy Silverados. But beyond that town, there is a winding road that dips through the old gold mines and then hugs a North-flowing river.

This place is home to me. The lives here are slower and simpler. Not because the people here are uneducated or the place is neglected by the rest of California, but because it has become a time capsule and I love it for that reason. Going on four generations now, my family makes the trek up from the Bay Area. It started with my grandparents taking their four sons up to fish for rainbow trout.  

Whenever we bring friends who have never visited before, my dad loves to pull up to the riverbank at night. We park the car and unload everything and everyone into a sun-bleached red canoe. As he rows each of us across the river, the sky opens to where all you can see are the dark silhouettes of trees and the stars are so visible that you can see the Milky Way belt. Once the front of the canoe slides onto the soft sand, our friends blindly follow us through trees and blackberry bushes. Up from the river, there is a wide-open space fenced in by pines and fir. Two cabins sit facing each other separated by a small apple orchard. My dad always opens one cabin for our guests and the other for us. We all say goodnight and I slowly make my way to the bedroom with the window facing our orchard. In the morning, it is guaranteed that our friends wake up in awe of our little heaven.

While everyone usually plays target practice with my dad’s .22 caliber rifle or spends the day floating down the river in old tires, I dive into the many books that decorate my aunt’s cabin. Since we are completely secluded from the rest of the world, I become so absorbed with the novels.  

In one trip I finished the Divergent trilogy, leaving eighth grade me absolutely in love with Tobias Eaton. I could never occupy myself with completing The Hunger Games collection or the Twilight books back home. Constantly distracted with TV and everything else that could offer me instant gratification. Yet here I was, laying in a hammock for hours while my eyes barely lifted from the Veronica Roth novel in front of me. The next trip introduced me to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night and the stunning depictions of his characters. Although the scenes jumped around a lot between years and the plot left holes, his words were like honey and kept me turning the pages. The opening scene where Rosemary Hoyt people-watches on a beach in France instantly had me committed to finishing it. The book was printed back in the 1960s and the pages were annotated with my aunt’s great wit.  

Within three trips, I tackled the thick biography of Howard Hughes and became ironically engrossed with how his OCD affected his life. His ingenuity made him millions and helped him become the playboy of the silver screen. The book seamlessly pieced together many of the tightly-guarded details of Howard’s life.

In between pieces, I will pick up one of the many multimodal booklets on the history of our county. Old mining towns offer their fair-share of ghost stories, highway robberies, and striking it rich. Each recount is accompanied by photographs dating as far back as the 1890s.

I never realized how consistent the theme of time is whenever my family and I visit the cabin until writing this narrative. My dad loves to boast to others about how spending time at the cabin could feel like 1959, 1989, or 2019—literally nothing has changed. While I am there, I jump between centuries through the books that I pick up. F. Scott Fitzgerald took me to Europe during the “expat” era of the 20th century. Veronica Roth showed me a society existing far beyond the fall of the United States. The biography on Howard Hughes revealed Los Angeles’s culture during Hollywood’s Golden Age and even a little into the “Fall of the Studio System”. The booklets visualized the lives of some of California’s first pioneers in Trinity County, which I now call home. And in this place, time stands still.

[lindsayeng206]

I love the facetious tone! The gifs paired nicely and I think you did a great job matching the ethos with each letter.

DISCLAIMER: None of the events in these letters are true. Any character or person mentioned is fictional. I do not own any gifs posted. This was written as a purpose for an English assignment.

Dear Mama and Pops,

I am writing this to let you know that I have left home for the summer to pursue an amazing opportunity. The group that recruited me is called the Illuminati. I know you have probably heard so many lies about the organization via social media and the news, but I can guarantee you that I will be so safe here. Please think of it as more of an internship, if anything. I will be learning precious life skills and will have many opportunities to network in the greater Los Angeles area. It will only be for a few months and then I can probably start working from home. Also, I don't know much about the scientology religion but apparently I will be needing to convert, but don't worry, I won't let them actually make me believe in that stuff. Dad, I will always live for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Mom, will you please make sure that my fish Dory is fed at least twice a day? I would really appreciate it. I love you both so much. I will send another letter very soon.

Miss you more than anything,

Your Lilybird

Alyssa,

If you have tried to contact me in the last 72 hours, my phone was taken from me so dont worry, I am not ignoring you. You are not going to fucking believe where the fuck I am right now dude. So basically, I was at the grocery store and I started chatting away with this really rich old guy and he basically handed me $100,000 (ok not really, it was venmo’d to me) to join the illuminati lmao. Idk dude, I’ve been trying to say yes to more things and I feel like this could really help me out in the future lol. I guess we’ll see haha. Anyways, so far I’ve met so many celebrities. I’m bunk mates with some girl from Twilight, apparently she's been a bitch to everyone here because her ex boyfriend is in the cult too and the people in charge force them to sit together at lunch. Hahaha get fuuuuuucked. I'll update you with details the next time I can send a letter but yeah. Fucking wild right? How's your summer going? Catch me up on everything. I miss you dude, promise this will go by sooooo fast, okay? Try not to think about me too much ;)

Your bff ALWAYS,

Lily

Dear Professor Mason,

Unfortunately, I will be unable to show my face via zoom for Finance 317 this summer. I have an amazing opportunity interning with a secret society and am banned from showing my current location. I also am only allowed to send physical letters when contacting others outside of the organization. I hope you find this as a valid excuse. I will be working directly under Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and Kim Kardashian. If you need any proof of documentation, I can have their people fax over my W-9. Please know that I wouldn't have agreed to this unless COVID-19 wasn't so prevalent. Like you said last week, the job market is so scarce lately. I’m afraid this will be my only chance to have any type of interning experience before I graduate. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may bring you. Let me know if there is anything you need from me. My bosses pay quite a bit more than Chapman and they are currently looking for a financial analyst.

Sincerely,

Liliana T.

[lindsayeng206]

3 Audiences

Over the weekend, my roommates decided to celebrate one of our 21st birthdays in our backyard. Our house has a history of getting the police called on from our neighbors exaggerating how much of a nuisance we are, since the start of last school year. The police have told us in the past that we are not even that loud and we are doing nothing wrong, but this time they showed up expecting a serious emergency because one of our neighbors called 9-1-1. Here is the story told by me to 3 different audiences: my parents, the neighbor, and my roommates.