Revision

To me the word revision sounds like work. I don't like the revision process because usually once I start revising something I tend to spend too much time revising it because I keep finding things I would like to change. I know revision is one of the most important parts of writing but it is a daunting task. When I do revise things I do it in stages. I go through for the big picture first - to make sure that I have the right ideas and that my paper is basically in the order I want it. Although my main goal isn't to proofread for punctuation and grammatical errors, that ends up happening because I can't skip over a mistake once I've seen it. I usually do these revisions first and highlight or note places that need a complete overhaul, then I go back to those places that really need work and try to fix those. 

After I have revised it once I read through my work again and do the same things but on a more detailed level. I basically keep getting more detailed in my revision until I drive myself crazy or start making my writing worse. I'd say at the beginning of the revision process my techniques are effective, but the end is sort of a toss-up. Sometimes I know when to stop and sometimes I revise so much that my paper begins to deteriorate right in front of me. 

Peer Review

I have only had a few experiences with peer reviews but luckily they have all been good ones. The only criticism I have of them is that sometimes they aren't as accurate as they could be because someone is afraid of hurting someone else's feelings. It is a somewhat delicate situation, but the person giving their document away for peer review must know that they will likely receive some reviews that they don't like. Even though you might hear some things you don't want to hear, honesty is key in peer reviews because honesty equates to a better final product.

I would say that peer reviews are good because it allows you to get someone else's opinion on something. Especially with larger projects I have noticed myself getting caught up in my research so much that my writing does not convey it in a way other people can easily understand. An outsider's opinion is very valuable in that sort of situation. I think it is also important, however, to know that not all of the revisions someone else makes will be appropriate. You have to know that sometimes you do know best, especially if it is about a topic you have put a lot of time and research into. When making a decision like that - to contradict something someone has corrected - you just have to know that you are definitely right. Personally, I need to be more open to criticism about my work and take it less personally when someone says something negative about it

CWC Ideas

Enviro Club

1.       Potential organization contacts:

a.       Brittany Evans – SLCC division contact

b.      Kyle Graser – PR officer

c.       Joe Lohr – Westminster division contact

2.       Potential audiences:

a.       Westminster students, faculty, and staff

b.      SLCC students, faculty, and staff

c.       Sugar House community members

d.      Salt Lake City community members

3.       Desired responses:

a.       After reading/seeing any documents the audience should have an increased awareness of environmental issues and information on how to make positive changes with their habits.

b.      Some of the documents will probably be used to increase audience participation in more Enviro Club activities. I imagine that I will create at least a few documents that would be promotional material for specific events that the Enviro Club is putting on.

c.       Hopefully the documents I create will help the audience to make changes in their daily habits that would decrease the amount of resources they use.

4.       Research:

a.       I attended the Envio Club meeting at Westminster to get a feel for the organization. I’ve spoken with Joe Lohr and he is excited about the idea of working with me for this project.

b.      I’ve looked through the Enviro Club website and brainstormed ideas to present as potential documents and directions the documents could go.

5.       Why this organization?

a.       I agree with the mission statement of the Enviro Club. I would love to be a part of this movement to educate people on how to make small changes that have big effects. I wanted to pick something that I am interested in so that I will be more motivated to make each document and make each document well. It is also very convenient that we are just starting the Westminster branch of this club, and that it is fairly new at SLCC as well. I see the newness of this club being an advantage when it comes to making documents because the organization has a lot of potential and needs to be promoted.

6.       Questions:

a.       What are your short term and long term goals for this club?

b.      Who are your target audiences?

c.       Does the information you want to get out differ depending on the target audience?

d.      How well known is this club already?

e.      What is your first priority right now where you are with this club? Are we looking at getting the name out there or can we jump right into promotional/informational material?

f.        How exactly is this club funded?/Do we need to keep any donor preferences/ideals in mind when creating each document?

g.       Are there any guidelines for layout/format that each document needs to meet?

h.      What is your style? How should we approach these documents? (friendly, humorous, serious, scare tactics, inspirational, etc)

i.         Where would you like to see these documents displayed?

j.        What types of documents are you thinking of so far?

k.       Is there anything you would like to complete that has a specific deadline?

Westminster Environmental Center

1.       Potential organization contacts:

a.       Kerry Case – Environmental Center Director

b.      Monica Ferreira – Outreach Coordinator

2.       Potential audiences:

a.       Westminster students, faculty, and staff

b.      Sugar House community members

c.       Greater Salt Lake City community members

3.       Desired responses:

a.       I imagine that most of the documents I would create for this organization would be to promote the organization itself and give information on different activities the club encompasses. Hopefully my documents would increase the audience’s awareness of what the Environmental Center does on and off campus, and that my documents would help to increase activity with Westminster community members in Environmental Center sponsored activities.

4.       Research:

a.       I have been involved in activities with the Environmental Center and I know many people involved in helping the center run smoothly. I know there are a lot of branches within the environmental center so I know the Center could use promotional and informational documents.

5.       Why this organization?

a.       Again, I am very interested in environmental issues and would enjoy working with the Environmental Center helping to inform and motivate the Westminster community in becoming more environmentally aware. I know there would be pleanty of opportunities for making documents that the Center would need. It is also convenient that it is located on campus and I am already involved in some of its activities, so my foot is already in the door.

6.       Questions:

a.       How much promotional material have you already put out?

b.      Are there guidelines in formatting that will need to be followed?

c.       What are some short term and long term goals for the Environmental Center

d.      What are some of the main ideas you would like to get more publicized?

e.      What events would you really like to see have more attendance/get bigger?

f.        Do you think we will focus mainly on the Westminster community? Are you trying to branch out into the surrounding community at all?

g.       Are there any projects you would like to see completed that have specific deadlines?

h.      Would you like to focus on one aspect of the Environmental Center and pursue that or would you rather produce documents for many different parts of the center?

i.         How is the center funded? Do we need to keep donor preferences in mind?

j.        What tone would you like the documents to have?

The Inclusion Center for Community and Justice

1.       Potential organization contacts:

a.       Kilo Zamora – Executive Director

b.      Saundra Stokes – Associate Director

2.       Potential audiences:

a.       Westminster students, faculty, and staff

b.      Salt Lake City community members

3.       Desired responses:

a.       I assume I would probably be making promotional material for the Inclusion Center that would be posted around campus and around the greater community. The goal of most of my documents would probably be to increase involvement with various activities the center sponsors. I think I would also make material that would advertise volunteer opportunities and workshops the center puts on.

4.       Research:

a.       I have looked at the Inclusion Center’s website and also have been a part of a few workshops the center has put on.

5.       Why this organization?

a.       I liked the way the center ran and organized the workshops I have been a part of. Also, I can identify and agree with what the center promotes. To help promote equality and diversity would help keep me motivated to produce good documents. Like the other two this is located on Westminster’s campus, but it is not Westminster’s organization. I like the idea that I could work on something so close to home that has an impact on the whole Salt Lake community. Since I’m not from here it would be nice to make connections in the community outside of Westminster.

6.       Questions:

a.       Would you like to focus more on reaching the Westminster community or the larger community in general? Or would you like equal focus on both?

b.      Do different audiences need different basic information?

c.       What tone would you like the documents to have?

d.      Are there guidelines in formatting that will need to be followed?

e.      Are there any projects you would like to see completed that have specific deadlines?

f.        What are some of your long term and short term goals for the Inclusion Center

g.       Who funds the Inclusion Center?

h.      How much material have you put out lately?

i.         What do you think the best way to reach your audience(s) would be?

j.        How well known is this organization already at Westminster and in the greater community?

Changing the World

I would like to share the idea that it is easy to make small changes in your lifestyle that will positively impact the environment. I want people to know that they can make simple changes in their habits that can make a big difference. I also want to show people how easily one small change can morph into bigger changes that might be more easily seen at a faster rate. There are so many different ways I can communicate this message it is hard to talk specifically about a few, but if I were to do this right now I would approach it as I would marketing a brand. I would want to use multiple different types of writing and incorporate other types of media to grab attention and most effectively communicate my ideas to my audience.

Now that everyone is using the phrase “going green” it seems to be losing its meaning. Also, it is beginning to imply that it takes a complete 180-degree change in habits to “go green” and be “eco-friendly”. I want to tell people that every little effort helps and I want to get the message out that small steps can make a big difference. I also want to tell people about changes that are really easy to make, so that more people will begin thinking about their choices a little more.  

To communicate easy ways to become more environmentally friendly I could do research and write a scholarly document. It would detail the facts behind some of the environmental issues and how reducing the use of resources could help with environmental efforts. This could be followed up by posters and flyers and more advertising-type documents that would have much more concise information. For example, I could make flyers with a bulleted list of the easiest ways to conserve energy, like turning off lights and unplugging unused electronics. These types of documents would definitely have a design element incorporated so that it would catch people’s attention.

Hopefully sharing my ideas would prompt people to take time to consider their decisions and the impact they have on the environment. For example, I’d love for someone who read one of my documents to go out and buy reusable grocery bags and use those when they shop. Even if it is just one person making one small change, I feel it is making a difference.

There are so many different types of writing that it can be used to share almost any type of idea. Plus, once you incorporate design elements or multi-media the coverage expands exponentially. Writing is a form of mass communication and should be utilized as such. To actually change the world the writing has to be outstanding and persuasive. Writing to change the world sounds a little less daunting when you consider that to change the world you have to start somewhere; probably small-scale, and then grow. The type of writing I have outlined would focus on starting small and hopefully be able to snowball into a larger movement. 

Proposal Analysis

As a persuasive speech to get the American Jobs Act passed was effective. Obama used a lot of persuasive techniques that seemed to make his audience feel good about what he was saying. The two strongest elements of his speech were his rhetoric and his relationship with the audience, and these two elements had a give and take relationship. Obama obviously knows his audience well. He knows what they are concerned with and would address those concerns, he knows a lot about their political backgrounds and used that knowledge to be more persuasive.
One example of the combination of Obama's effective rhetoric and knowledge of the audience is his phrase "pass this jobs bill and...". Obama strategically put a positive statement after that lead repeatedly. With this strategy Obama was getting the information out effectively while also persuading his audience to have a favorable opinion of the bill. These statements were directed at congress basically saying "if you pass this bill really good things will happen and you'll get credit for them". He also avoided saying the word "if" so that it was not only persuasive but also more commanding. By phrasing the benefits of the bill in this way Obama made Congress feel good; he stroked their ego. What this phrase was also implying is that if Congress does not pass the bill bad things will happen and it will be their fault. This phrase that Obama used repeatedly really stuck with me as the most persuasive part of his speech.

Research Methods

One method that will be helpful in our Client Report is a questionnaire. We will design a questionnaire that will gather as much information as possible in a format that is easy to for our participants to comprehend and easy for our team to organize. The basic information we hope to gather with each questionnaire includes: age, gender, major, grade level in college, hours per week spent studying, and if they see a benefit to an after-hours study area. Our questionnaire will also include questions that will help us gather information about why people would like to see an after-hours study area, how often they would use it, any frustrations they have with the library hours, and if they think this would be a valuable addition to Westminster's campus. We predict that other students have similar experiences and feelings regarding this as we do, and this questionnaire will help us see if our predictions are on track. It will also help to show us if we would have support from the student population with this movement.

Business letter - final draft

xxx South xxx East

Salt Lake City, UT xxxxx

9/9/11

John Doe

xxx South xxx East

Salt Lake City, UT xxxxx

Dear Joe:

I really enjoyed being a Student Ambassador this year. Many of the wrinkles we had during First Year Student Orientation last year were ironed out and that is great. The extra freedom the SA’s had to interact with the new students was valuable and fun. However, I would like to bring your attention to the amount of bottled water given out on campus.

I understand the need to provide water to students and their families during orientation and the issues this task can create, but I think there are solutions that can also help Westminster fulfill their pledge to work toward carbon neutrality. The bottled water around campus during orientation seemed like a step backward in that regard. I know that there are recycling bins around campus, but realistically not everyone will recycle theirs. 

As you know, all of the new students are given a reusable water bottle. If water filling stations were placed around campus, students could refill their bottles when necessary, and we wouldn’t have to have bottled water available for them. 

The real issue is how to keep the families of the new students hydrated. There are solutions that could greatly reduce or completely eliminate the need for bottled water. Westminster could have reusable water bottles (like the students get) available for a reasonable price on campus for purchase. This way families could buy a memento that would also reduce the amount of bottled water needed. Another idea is to include a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) message in the orientation information packets sent to the families of students that explains that Westminster is environmentally aware and that there will be water stations around campus.

I think new students and their family members would be receptive to this idea. Reusable water bottle use has been heavily advertised lately as an easy way to “go green” and it seems like the people who are attracted to Westminster would like to be a part of our movement.

I hope that this issue can be discussed. I would love to find a way to completely eliminate the presence of bottled water distributed by Westminster at FYSO, but even reducing the amount would be a great accomplishment. Please feel free to contact me with questions or if I can be of any help with this project.

Thanks for your time,

Sammi Branch

Working In Teams

The benefit I have experienced most often while working on a team is that more points of view are represented in whatever the product the team is working on. For a past class I worked in a team of four to create a brewery and design advertising and marketing for that brewery. We all benefited from the pool of knowledge we had (many minds are better than one). Instead of just my experience with advertising I got to hear totally different points of view from my group members. Because of this our advertising was much more effective; when we ran into problems we had four minds working together to solve them (team members play devil's advocate for each other). This also ensured that our information made sense to more people. Sometimes when you work alone you can get narrow minded even when you are trying to be open. Team projects help to minimize that. With this same group project I experienced the pressure that comes with collaborating with different people. A lot of times it seems easier and more convenient to work by yourself because you don't have to set up meetings or compromise with other people. Those issues are annoying, but for a lot of projects the benefits outweigh the challenges and the project comes out well rounded and effective.

7893 South 9302 East

Salt Lake City, UT 73620

8/31/11

Joe Shmo

1100 South 7322East

Salt Lake City, UT 83201

Dear Joe:

I would first like to say that I really enjoyed being a Student Ambassador this year. Many of the wrinkles we had in the organization and production of First Year Student Orientation last year were ironed out and that is great. The extra freedom the SA’s had to interact with the new students was valuable and fun. However, there is one thing I would like to bring your attention to: the amount of bottled water given out on campus.

I understand the importance of providing water to students and their families during orientation and some of the issues this task can create, but I think there are better solutions to keeping people hydrated that will also help Westminster move forward in their pledge to work toward carbon neutrality.

According to Westminster’s website, in 2007 Westminster College pledged to work toward carbon neutrality in its operations. The excess of bottled water around campus during seemed like a step backward in that regard. According to Food and Water Watch bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste each year and that plastic requires about 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce.

I know that we have recycling bins around campus that the water bottles could be recycled in, but the Food and Water Watch also states that over 80 percent of plastic bottles are thrown away. Hopefully that percentage is lower here at Westminster, but we could avoid this situation almost entirely – at least during orientation. As you know, all of the new students are given “welcome bags” that include a reusable plastic and metal water bottle. If water filling stations were placed around campus, students could refill their water bottles when necessary, and we wouldn’t have to have bottled water available for them.

The real issue is how to keep the families of the new students hydrated and comfortable. There are many possible solutions to this that could either greatly reduce or completely eliminate the need for bottled water. One idea is that Westminster could have reusable water bottles (like the students get) available for a reasonable price on campus for the families of students. This way parents could by a memento that would also reduce the amount of bottled water needed. Another idea is to include a BYOB (Bring your own bottle) message in the orientation information packets for the families of students that explained that Westminster is environmentally aware and that there will be water stations around campus. These two ideas could be used in conjunction with each other as well.

I think the new students and their family members would be receptive to this idea for a few reasons. One being that reusable water bottle use has been heavily advertised lately as an easy way to “go green”. Another being that it seems like the people who are attracted to Westminster are also environmentally aware and would actually like to hear that this was our policy.

I hope that this issue can be addressed and discussed. I would love to find a way to completely eliminate the presence of bottled water distributed by Westminster at FYSO, but even reducing the amount we provide would be a great accomplishment.

Thanks for your time,

Sammi