For my English 1101 class last semester, I studied “Presidential Rhetoric” which was particularly interesting because the timing ran parallel with the Presidential Election in the United States. The election outcome showed a victory for Republicans as their candidate, Donald Trump, became the 45th President of the United States. For many, this result was devastating because of the possible negative implications for minorities in terms of race, gender, and sexuality based on many of Trump’s comments. As somebody who is particularly interested in social justice, taking an English class based around race, gender, and sexuality would benefit me by becoming more educated about the implications facing these communities due to the election’s outcome. …show more content…
Throughout the semester, I participated in completing four projects, referred to as artifacts, that helped me discover and better grasp the various communities as well as the oppression that they face in the United States while simultaneously strengthening my communication abilities as described in WOVEN Text (Written, Oral, Verbal, Electronic, and Non-Verbal). The first Artifact that I was presented with was the “Initial Response Project,” also known as “Artifact 0.” The Artifact required me to address my challenges as a communicator and how I will overcome them in a 60-90 second video (King). To start the assignment, I read the syllabus for the class and dissected each Artifact and its requirements. Then, I began to collect my thoughts regarding what would be most challenging. Although I noticed that most Artifacts were visually based, I felt that I would have the most trouble with written communication. Like many, I feel constricted by writing essays. For instance, there are many things that are easy to display visually contrary to writing about them such as instructions and diagrams. After compiling what I thought would be difficulties, I began story boarding. Following the story boarding process, I wrote a general script of bullet points that I would talk about which would later become a final draft. Finally, I started recording various clips and compiling them in to an entire video. Contrary to what I felt initially, I struggled with communicating visually. I discovered that visual communication can come with constrictions. For example, finding the right resources, correct props, or even finding the right words recite can hinder the video making process. Luckily, my predicaments lead to me discover the various resources that Georgia Tech has for communication which would help me later in the semester with the other Artifacts. The issues I was faced with in this Artifact truly foreshadowed the issues I would face later in the semester. Shortly after completing Artifact 0, I was assigned Artifact 1. Artifact 1 required me, as well as a small group of three people, to study and present information about a specific topic that related to a text we had read throughout the course. The mode of presentation was 5-minute PowerPoint Slideshow. My group was assigned to present “Depictions of race, gender, and sexuality in comics/graphic novels,” specifically the graphic novel of Kindred by Octavia Butler (King). Before my group and I started working, we developed a team plan which essentially outlined a thesis statement, meeting times, and meeting locations. Then, we allocated the work three separate ways: race, gender, and sexuality. I was assigned sexuality. Then, I got to work on my individual section. I immediately found that research was the hardest part of this project. I grew up reading comic books solely for the action and breathtaking stories that came with them but never truly took sexuality in comic books in to consideration. Therefore, research was a challenging aspect. This project really made me see comic books from another point of view. I discovered how underrepresented sexuality, gender, and race are in comic books and graphic novels. After completing my research, my group and I compiled our individual slides, wrote scripts and recording them, and finally compiled each facet of the presentation. The process was truly that simple. I was surprised how easy my team was to work with. Following Artifact 1 was Artifact 2 which was very similar to Artifact 1.
Artifact 2 required a small group and I to analyze technical aspects (lighting, framing, costumes, etc.) of a scene from the movie Moonlight through an annotated video, plus an individual short essay (King). The process leading up to Artifact 1 was the same as Artifact 2, we developed a thesis and team plan. Our thesis revolved heavily around how the concept of “black masculinity” is expressed throughout the film. Then, we each chose a specific aspect that we would like to analyze. I chose costuming. Similar to sexuality in comics, I had never paid much attention to costuming in film until learning about the concept of implicit meaning. Implicit meaning describes an abstract meaning that goes beyond what is explicitly stated in the film. I learned about costumes can reflect a character’s growth, status, and emotion. On a technical note, I ran in to difficulties with visual communication during this project. My group and I had no idea how to annotate a video. Thus, we did research and discovered that YouTube had a built-in method for annotating videos which helped my group and I tremendously. However, to make matters worse, we ran in to a copyright issue. The copyright issue taught me about the importance of citing my sources to avoid this from happening in the future. Not only did this Artifact teach me about the importance of implicit meaning in film, but I also learned about how toxic the concept of …show more content…
“black masculinity” is to the African-American communities. The written essay that was required for Artifact 2 was particularly challenging for me because I felt very restricted. Annotating the video itself was very simple for me because the audience would have a video to reference that ran parallel to the annotations. However, this was not the case for the essay. Thus, I had to be very descriptive in order for the reader of my essay to know what I was talking about. Writing this essay really helped improve my descriptive writing and imagery. Artifact 3 was easily the most challenging assignment of the semester.
Artifact 3 required a small group and I to compose a movie trailer for novel The Celestial Jukebox by Cynthia Shearer and write an essay describing the components of the trailer (King). Luckily, one of my group members was talented enough with video editing software and took matters in to her hands for the most part with the trailer. However, there were predicaments amongst the group regarding casting. While this was a challenge initially, it was easily overcome and taught me how to become a better group member by solving conflicts. Once issues regarding casting were resolved, we composed a beautiful trailer that captured the novel. Then, we began writing the team essay. The essay portion of this assignment further proved my thesis in Artifact 0 correct. I had lots of trouble writing without being able to use a visual aid. To overcome this challenge, I asked for help from my group they let me see how they were structuring their writing. My group helped me dramatically and I was able to overcome my struggle. This Artifact not only helped me become a better team member, but discover the importance of
collaboration. Famous Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “[the] ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” By taking English 1102, I was able to metaphorically shine a flashlight on issues regarding race, gender, and sexuality that I previously was unaware of. In addition, I can confidently say that I have become a better communicator by overcoming my struggles as a writer. I hope to one day use my knowledge and ability to help those who cannot help themselves.
The first writing project I was assigned in this class was an analysis of the film, Gran Torino. During class, I learned there was so much more to the movie than what we see; there was a meaning behind every little thing from the clothes to the hair to even the cars on the side of the street. It all meant something. The key features of an literary analysis include “an arguable thesis, careful attention to the language, attention to patterns or themes, and a clear interpretation (Norton Field Guide 85-86).” Critical thinking is an important skill, not just behind a desk, but also in the real world. The second writing project was a workplace writi...
Ann Richards’s keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1988 was extremely interesting to watch. I believe her speech was intended to be focused on the American family and also the American farmers. These two areas seemed to be very important to Mrs. Richards and she made a point to discuss both.
Politics is dirty and competitive and has not changed between 1879 and 2018. It is a complex system of jargon, charm, facts, and lies. Mark Twain’s “The Presidential Candidate” satirically expresses the essence of both old-world and modern politics as a presidential candidate who blatantly tells the truth of his wrongdoings. As a politician, one must be an open book. Their life must be truthfully written on the pages for the readers to analyze and evaluate their credibility as leaders. “The Presidential Candidate” resonates both in 1879 and 2018 with his use of humor, use of diction and use of subtlety.
Though Kennedy and Clinton addressed their audiences nearly thirty-two years apart, each rhetor faced a common rhetorical barrier – an American populace too heavily focused on the personalities within each respective presidential election rather than the true issues confronting the United States. To overcome that barrier, both Kennedy and Clinton utilize definitional strategies – in the form of association – as well as language strategies –specifically, historical allusions. Whether or not the speeches directly correlate with both candidates winning their presidential elections does not concern the examination; this paper observes how exactly the rhetorical devices used served to dissolve the barriers between the rhetor and the intended audience.
We Shall Overcome Rhetorical Analyses Throughout the history of the United States, racial discrimination has always been around our society. Many civil rights movements and laws have helped to minimize the amount of discrimination towards every single citizen, but discrimination is something that will not ever disappear. On March 15, 1965, Lyndon Baines Johnson gave a speech that pointed out the racial injustice and human rights problems of America in Washington D.C. He wanted every citizen of the United States to support his ideas to overcome and solve the racial injustice problems as a nation. Throughout the speech, Lyndon Johnson used several rhetorical concepts to persuade the audience.
President Obama’s Inaugural Speech: Rhetorical Analysis. Barrack Obama’s inauguration speech successfully accomplished his goal by using rhetoric to ensure our nation that we will be in safe hands. The speech is similar to ideas obtained from the founding documents and Martin Luther King’s speech to establish ‘our’ goal to get together and take some action on the problems our country is now facing. As President Barack Obama starts his speech, he keeps himself from using ‘me’, ‘myself’, and ‘I’ and replacing it with ‘we’, ‘us’, and ‘together’ to achieve his ethos.
On September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama held a speach at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, which was broadcast all over America to the millions of students, from kindergarden up to twelfth grade, he was hoping to reach with an important message. In the speech he stresses the importance of getting an education, and he reaches out to the students to tell them why they have a responsibility not only to themselves but also to the country; ”-if you quit on school- you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country”1. With this sentence he suddenly makes every single student listen, he makes the whole genration feel important, and hopefully this will motivate all of them to work harder in school, get an education
“The beauty of me is that I am very rich” according to Donald Trump. His ignorance has lead him to do things that he shouldn’t being doing or has done. In the past few months he has been racist man that would insult people that are from a different race. When Trump started running for president he would insult and bully everybody in general not knowing the people’s stories. He made people seem like they are poor and have nothing to live for, Trump’s inability to see past his greed. He wants to separate the United States and wants people to think he is the best of the best; Trump should not be President.
Three years after “Speech before Congress” was delivered by Carrie Chapman Catt, a well-known leader of the women's suffragist movement, were women granted the right to vote and receive all rights as citizens. Catt’s speech was a major stepping stone for Congress to pass the 19th amendment. Her passion and dedication to the movement helped further her cause because it gave the men in congress a call to action. She was able to deliver her speech in a manner which was persuasive to congress because it encompassed all the rhetorical appeals. Catt crafted her argument by presenting herself with authority and knowledge, using undeniable logic by referring to historical precedence, and evoking sympathy and patriotism in her audience by describing
President Obama’s Address to the nation was presented on January 5, 2016. His speech was shown on all of the major network stations. The main goal of his speech was to get the point across to the nation about the increasing problem of gun use. His speech really focused on the issue of gun control and if it would benefit the country. Overall, the biggest idea of his Address was that gun control is a large issue in the United States. The way to prevent deaths caused by firearms can be prevented in other ways than taking peoples guns away. The examples brought up in this Address really stood out to me. The use of personal, national, and global examples really made his speech stronger on the topic of effectiveness.
In the article, “The New Greatest Generation—Why Millennials Will Save Us,” author Joel Stein argues the greatness of the millennial generation. Stein uses ample sources and multiple statistics to describe the positive and negative outlooks on the millennial generation. He explains that many people perceive millennials as being ignorant and entitled, yet he counters this opinion with an explanation of why millennials do not take action in their world. Stein uses pathos and clearly states both sides of his argument in order to create an effective analysis of millennials.
Change: such a simple concept can inspire millions to take action to become involved in the creation of a better future. Politicians see how powerful this word is and use it to their advantage. People become more discontented with the past as it applies to the present less and less; and politicians have been taking advantage of the overall dissatisfaction. As more and more people become unhappy with the current political system, the idea of politicians who don’t perfectly adhere to the established guidelines of the two-party system becomes more appealing. It is these anti-establishment types of political mavericks who have become more successful in modern times as society shifts further
I believe this is a very relevant topic today since prejudice and discrimination has become the leading issue of violence. The goal of this type of education is to teach the students that they have worth and can learn. It is a very positive subject matter when considering the benefits of implementing this type of education into a school system. This type of education encourages students of a diverse background to have a positive self-identity, pride in their heritage, accept others with diverse backgrounds, and promote social justice against prejudice and discrimination. Teachers can change the conversation in their classrooms by adding spontaneous and relevant content to their curriculum that both promotes multiculturalism and connects with the students. I believe a big part of making a change in our society today is by ‘changing the conversation’ whether that is about discrimination or another important issue. Teachers can step in at a very early age and promote feelings of self-worth and encourage the students to accept each other aside from cultural
Over the last couple of weeks, all of the readings, lectures, discussions and videos have been very informative. A lot of the information in the readings are what people experience daily or witness with their own eyes. The issues going on with class, gender, and race can be upsetting and hard to grasp because the reality of the matter is we live in a very segregated and divided society. Topics in the lecture that stood out were racial inequality and social movement. When it comes to racial inequality, I witnessed a similar situation while in undergraduate school. A professor at my school displayed hidden racial misconduct towards a black female student in a course.
The racism had a big historical significance if we go back to the history. Also, I learned what is capitalism is how capitalism effected with other society. Things that I have a deeper understanding of your core values in the context of social justice theory. I learned to identify various forms of power, privilege, and oppression that have existed in the USA throughout history and into present time. I learned to skillfully engage in reflective learning to explore and understand your service experiences. This course focuses on issues of diversity, oppression and social justice. It is designed to prepare social work students to be knowledgeable of people’s biases based on race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, social and economic status, political ideology, disability and how these contribute to discrimination and oppression. The challenge of my preconception I personally thought the class will being kind other social classes but when I in the class I learned so many different thing that I was thought I will learned and my teacher classified in many ways. Before in this class I thought the racism it is something you can make your own but I learned it is something that from in our genetics. Also, I thought racism it is