Why we do anything at all.

       Hello fellow classmates I hope the past week has treated you well! 

Alright, I enjoyed the first article "backpacks vs briefcases" It was a nice review of what we had talked about in class until I got to the part where the writer mentioned that part of rhetoric analysis is looking at constraints.  Don't only ask the question "who is this add talking to" but also ask "who is this add not talking to" or "who is not included in their target audience".  

Looking back on the majority of my writing and english classes my professors encouraged us to annotate or use rhetoric analysis but it stopped there.  It didn't seem to have a purpose other than really breaking down the article but now I am starting to understand how rhetorical analysis is all about understanding the motives behind media.  This way we can avoid being blindsided or tricked into something because an article or add did an incredible job at manipulating our emotions.  It goes the opposite way also, now that I am learning how to understand peoples true motives I don't have to be as skeptical after making a choice to believe or support something.  It's really exciting to me that this is something that I can apply to my life all the time every day, not just in a writing class once a week.  

I also specifically liked reading about holding an interview in chapter 17.  I didn't think about taking the time to brainstorm why I'm interviewing someone, because Zack told me to isn't the best reason.  I took some time to brainstorm for myself on why I want to interview the person who I have emailed for our project.  It made it so much more clear and I was reminded of what I love to do.  I want to see if this type of career matches up with my gifts and I want to ask my the person who I'm interviewing why they love their job and what makes them great at it.  I don't want to just settle for what they do day to day but I want to learn about their motivation behind what they do.  Taking the time to really understand my motivation behind the research I will be doing completely changed my perspective on what I am looking for in the first place! 

Rhetoric, yep I'm a fan

Wow rhetoric! 

Who would have thought that one day I would sit here and type away how excited I am about rhetoric to you lovely people. 

But seriously... 

     The more we talk and read about about rhetoric the more excited I get because the writing world is beginning to make more sense to me!  Things I thought I always knew or at least had an idea about are so crystal clear and are bringing the picture together. 

     

I specifically loved the understanding rhetoric reading.  First, the cartoon style writing that "understanding rhetoric" is packaged in is a perfect example of what rhetoric is! Rhetoric is the way that you package a message, If you have information that you want to share with people but have a variety of different audiences, you need to present it differently depending on the crowd you are going for. 

  

  I loved the example that was used in the cartoon where the superhero had to present the message of asking for different benefits to different groups.  First to those above him where he had to make his plea sound urgent but not overwhelming, then he beefed it up for his fellow part time super-heros to call them to action and get them on board to help.  Finally he rallied the youth by getting them on his side and encouraging them to make a difference.  It was such a seamless example of what rhetoric actually looks like instead of just explaining what it is.  I learn by doing and having actual real life examples so reading this cartoon helped make the pieces of this very complex puzzle come together!   

Thanks for reading! 

Genres!

    

     I found the reading to be very helpful in my understanding of why we write differently throughout all the contacts one may write in.  It took the conversation that we had in class about understanding a genre one step further.  Each year I have grown older and pursued my education in a new way I have found myself asking the questions that the writer brings up on page 250.  In writing term papers, resumes, formal letters, speeches, ext I have had to understand each genre before I begin and keep it in mind as I write.  This has been something that I do naturally but now that I understand how important understanding of audience and genre are I want to put more effort into this part of the writing process.  

     

     I found page 252 particularly interesting, Dirk points out that the first person to create a new genre paves the way for those who will follow.  He used the example of George Washington's state of the union address.  Now when I first read this I didn't like the idea that we are stuck in a pattern made by those before us, I thought to myself that George Washington's state of the union address could have been horrible and that presidents may get a better point across with a powerpoint, a speech with visual images and examples, maybe even a dance number?  But as I kept reading I understood the point Dirk is making, that genres help us decode information and without them we wouldn't have to read in the first place.  They give order and structure in our lives but this does not mean that we should set our creativity aside.  By taking the time to understand our audience and genre we can then make our writing even better because we can cater specifically to that group.  

Hello everyone!
     My full name is Caroline Grace Smith (I like to ask people their full names) but most people just call me Caroline and if you've  known me for a long time you probably call me Care.  I was born and raised in Ojai California which is just forty five minutes down the road from Santa Barbara.  If you haven't had the chance to stop by Ojai you defenitly should, it's a small town that has a very earthy and artistic feel.  I think that growing up in such a small town contributed to my love for building community with people.

     I love people a lot, every time I take a personality test I end up on the high end of the extravert spectrum.  I not only love to understand and know different types of people but I really need that interaction to keep me going and energized.  My friends and family are a huge part of my life and I love to organize events and gatherings to bring them together.
I am a communications major here at Antioch and I am very excited to use what I learn here to move towards my goal of becoming a camp program director.  I would love to use my gift for thinking big and bringing people together to plan and produce summer and year round programs at camp.

     In finishing this about me blurb I will share with you all some of my favorite things.  Blueberries and cherries are my favorite fruit.  I paint all kinds of things and can make just about anything with supplies from an art store.  I have been a camp counselor for the past three summers working on a houseboats camp and this pass summer I moved back to land.  I really love working with high school and junior high students.  Pugs are my favorite animal because they have scrunched up faces and make noises when they breath.
Well I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the things that have shaped me and that I am passionate about as well as some fun facts.  I look forward to getting to know you all personally!