Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Multimedia Presentations: The Beginning
Our multimedia Argument Presentations bring upon much excitement. I’ve actually been looking forward to this assignment all along. However, although the assignment will prove quite entertaining, there are still some things of concern. For example, the amount of time we (as a group) will have to put into the project concerns me—not because it is a lot of work, but because Thanksgiving break takes away a lot of time and because of the availability of all of our group members being able to meet-up with one another. I am also worried about finding areas to shoot video clips without many distractions. Pointer and tips will be quite helpful at this point. Moreover, if you could give us (the class) a brief run-through of some of the free programs we could use that would be beneficial. What is already helpful are the videos you show at the beginning of class because we can see what other students have done and get ideas and tips about what to do and what not to do. Most of the videos, however, seem to be pretty good as far as grades and what not. As a result, I was kind of wondering if you could show us a video or two on projects that did not do so well, or projects that had an overall all good idea and argument, but the video was of poor quality or didn’t have enough time/effort put into it. Overall, everything seems okay so far. Thank you for all your help!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Research Logs: Preparing to Write--Reflection on "Everyday the Same Dream" Game
How do they structure their argument?
“Everyday the Same Dream” makes an argument about the choices of people and how each choice affects that person’s life. In the game, you have the choice of going through your day as usual or making changes in your daily routine. Either way, in the end, regardless of which path you decided to follow, the same outcome occurs: you jump off the roof of the building. The makers of this game structure this argument effectively in the way that they allow the player to make the choices for him/herself. Additionally, the argument can be seen through its organization and rhetoric that’s employed.
What rhetorical devices do they rely on to portray their point?
Of course, “Everyday the Same Dream” displays lots of visual rhetoric (it’s a game for crying out loud!). The world of the game is entirely gray, dull, and repentant. It’s the same routine slightly skewed each time the person wakes-up until he (the player) decides to change the routine of getting ready and being late into jumping off the roof and then watching himself jump off the roof. There are lots of pathos used because the way the game is set-up makes you feel a certain way. When you see the color gray, you think, “Wow! This is boring,” when you pet the cow you want to laugh; or when you die by jumping off a roof you are suddenly astonished or horrified. Those are just two types of rhetoric the game implies.
What aspects of their argument are effective? What areas are not as effective?
The gamers made their argument effective because despite what any player chooses to do, all the players end-up dying the same way. Maybe their argument was a little ineffective because it’s more of a universal accepted theme the way we do things on a daily basis which differs from person to person.
Finally, how does this inform the organization of your own paper?
The simplicity of the game (only having to use the space bar and the arrow keys) makes the argument, by far, more effective and easily understood for its players. This tells me that I need to write my paper not just in an organized manner, but in a way that my audience understands the general concepts of my argument very easily and clearly.
“Everyday the Same Dream” makes an argument about the choices of people and how each choice affects that person’s life. In the game, you have the choice of going through your day as usual or making changes in your daily routine. Either way, in the end, regardless of which path you decided to follow, the same outcome occurs: you jump off the roof of the building. The makers of this game structure this argument effectively in the way that they allow the player to make the choices for him/herself. Additionally, the argument can be seen through its organization and rhetoric that’s employed.
What rhetorical devices do they rely on to portray their point?
Of course, “Everyday the Same Dream” displays lots of visual rhetoric (it’s a game for crying out loud!). The world of the game is entirely gray, dull, and repentant. It’s the same routine slightly skewed each time the person wakes-up until he (the player) decides to change the routine of getting ready and being late into jumping off the roof and then watching himself jump off the roof. There are lots of pathos used because the way the game is set-up makes you feel a certain way. When you see the color gray, you think, “Wow! This is boring,” when you pet the cow you want to laugh; or when you die by jumping off a roof you are suddenly astonished or horrified. Those are just two types of rhetoric the game implies.
What aspects of their argument are effective? What areas are not as effective?
The gamers made their argument effective because despite what any player chooses to do, all the players end-up dying the same way. Maybe their argument was a little ineffective because it’s more of a universal accepted theme the way we do things on a daily basis which differs from person to person.
Finally, how does this inform the organization of your own paper?
The simplicity of the game (only having to use the space bar and the arrow keys) makes the argument, by far, more effective and easily understood for its players. This tells me that I need to write my paper not just in an organized manner, but in a way that my audience understands the general concepts of my argument very easily and clearly.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Research Related Image
link to image:
Assuming that my audience knows the general aspects of my argument—that civil disobedience can be justified—it can be easily determined that the image says just that. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are two prominent figures in history who illustrated how and why civil disobedience could be justified. King advocated obtaining peace and equality among black and whites both. Rosa, on the other hand, by refusing to give-up her seat to a white woman, showed that in-order to change the way society worked, she had to stand-up for what she believed and make a difference. The image does not intentionally display a bias although it has one because not only black people engage in civil disobedience. In my thesis, I am discussing how people have “moral rights” and, therefore, have rights to stand-up for what they believe in. I could use this image, to make a point about how engaging in civil disobedience can change society.
Assuming that my audience knows the general aspects of my argument—that civil disobedience can be justified—it can be easily determined that the image says just that. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are two prominent figures in history who illustrated how and why civil disobedience could be justified. King advocated obtaining peace and equality among black and whites both. Rosa, on the other hand, by refusing to give-up her seat to a white woman, showed that in-order to change the way society worked, she had to stand-up for what she believed and make a difference. The image does not intentionally display a bias although it has one because not only black people engage in civil disobedience. In my thesis, I am discussing how people have “moral rights” and, therefore, have rights to stand-up for what they believe in. I could use this image, to make a point about how engaging in civil disobedience can change society.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Research log: Recording Sources
Source 1:
Gwendolyn, Pough. Check It While I Wreck It. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2004. Print. 4 Oct. 2011.
Information:
This book provides me with information about several aspects of the Hip-Hop culture including:
.where it started
. Gender politics toward women
. Feminism
.Black Power movement
.rap music and the stereotypes that lie within it
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Women’s contribution to Hip-Hop culture has been lost, or rather erased.” (Gwendolyn 8)
2. “The rap lyrics that make constant references to “bitches” and “hos”… work to create hostile environments for some women…” (Gwendolyn 19)
Brief Annotation:
I will use this book to illustrate and further discuss how female rap/hip-hop artists are elusive in the music world and reasons to why this is happening. Also, the book will make my argument stronger when I discuss the gender politics of women and the obstacles they in a world of music where masculinity reigns.
Rabaka, Reiland. Hip Hop's Inheritance: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2011. 1 October 2011
Information:
This electronic source alone incorporates information about the following:
. Rap music
. Criticism towards rap music
. The Harlem Renaissance
. The Feminist Movement
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Hip-Hop culture, especially rap music, is like a large panoramic mirror reflecting contemporary culture, politics, and society. Whatever issues and ills rap music raises are not simply the products of tortured and twisted young black folks’ minds, but more musical responses to current intra-communal and extra-communal pressing problems. Therefore, the search for solutions to hip hop’s problems cannot and will not be found exclusively within the world of hip hop, but also within the wider world of contemporary U.S. culture, politics, and society.” (Rabaka 190)
2. “Although the field of hip hop feminist studies has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade or so, there are as yet very few noteworthy works that critically identify what the black feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s bequeathed to the hip hop feminist movement.” (Rabaka 129)
Brief Annotation:
This electronic source informs me about the ongoing problems with hip-hop and rap and why these problems are taking place. For instance, quote on shows that one of the reasons hip-hop/rap are the way they are is because of today’s modern society and the politics that come along with it. As I write my paper, I will use this source to explain why females are, in a sense, looked-down upon compared to the men. This will also allow me to make a clear argument about the feminist movement, and how, even since then, a lot has not changed.
Source 3:
Keyes, Cheryl. Rap Music and Street Consciousness . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. Print.
Information:
Inside the electronic source is information about the following:
. The sociocultural history and aesthetics of rap music
. The roots of rap
. Criticisms of rap and hip-hop
.Women, race, and conflicts of the rap world
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Internal and external forces stimulated the maturation of rap music as a distinct genre. Rap artists responded to these forces by forging new directions for rap music.” (Keyes 121)
2. “Rap music has been often presented in the media as an urban male phenomenon. This assumption is more apparent when observing the disproportionate representation of female MCs featured…” (Keyes 186)
Brief Annotation:
This book will be used throughout my research paper to strengthen my argument about the lack of female rapper/hip-hop artists. Keyes looks into aspect of the two, including possible reasons to why rap has taken on a whole new perspective. For instance, quote one states how rap has forged into new directions. Well, what new directions exactly are we talking about? And does that mean woman do not respond to these forces in the same way men do? These questions along will others , I plan to answer and discuss.
Gwendolyn, Pough. Check It While I Wreck It. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2004. Print. 4 Oct. 2011.
Information:
This book provides me with information about several aspects of the Hip-Hop culture including:
.where it started
. Gender politics toward women
. Feminism
.Black Power movement
.rap music and the stereotypes that lie within it
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Women’s contribution to Hip-Hop culture has been lost, or rather erased.” (Gwendolyn 8)
2. “The rap lyrics that make constant references to “bitches” and “hos”… work to create hostile environments for some women…” (Gwendolyn 19)
Brief Annotation:
I will use this book to illustrate and further discuss how female rap/hip-hop artists are elusive in the music world and reasons to why this is happening. Also, the book will make my argument stronger when I discuss the gender politics of women and the obstacles they in a world of music where masculinity reigns.
Rabaka, Reiland. Hip Hop's Inheritance: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2011. 1 October 2011
Information:
This electronic source alone incorporates information about the following:
. Rap music
. Criticism towards rap music
. The Harlem Renaissance
. The Feminist Movement
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Hip-Hop culture, especially rap music, is like a large panoramic mirror reflecting contemporary culture, politics, and society. Whatever issues and ills rap music raises are not simply the products of tortured and twisted young black folks’ minds, but more musical responses to current intra-communal and extra-communal pressing problems. Therefore, the search for solutions to hip hop’s problems cannot and will not be found exclusively within the world of hip hop, but also within the wider world of contemporary U.S. culture, politics, and society.” (Rabaka 190)
2. “Although the field of hip hop feminist studies has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade or so, there are as yet very few noteworthy works that critically identify what the black feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s bequeathed to the hip hop feminist movement.” (Rabaka 129)
Brief Annotation:
This electronic source informs me about the ongoing problems with hip-hop and rap and why these problems are taking place. For instance, quote on shows that one of the reasons hip-hop/rap are the way they are is because of today’s modern society and the politics that come along with it. As I write my paper, I will use this source to explain why females are, in a sense, looked-down upon compared to the men. This will also allow me to make a clear argument about the feminist movement, and how, even since then, a lot has not changed.
Source 3:
Keyes, Cheryl. Rap Music and Street Consciousness . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. Print.
Information:
Inside the electronic source is information about the following:
. The sociocultural history and aesthetics of rap music
. The roots of rap
. Criticisms of rap and hip-hop
.Women, race, and conflicts of the rap world
Two Important Quotations:
1. “Internal and external forces stimulated the maturation of rap music as a distinct genre. Rap artists responded to these forces by forging new directions for rap music.” (Keyes 121)
2. “Rap music has been often presented in the media as an urban male phenomenon. This assumption is more apparent when observing the disproportionate representation of female MCs featured…” (Keyes 186)
Brief Annotation:
This book will be used throughout my research paper to strengthen my argument about the lack of female rapper/hip-hop artists. Keyes looks into aspect of the two, including possible reasons to why rap has taken on a whole new perspective. For instance, quote one states how rap has forged into new directions. Well, what new directions exactly are we talking about? And does that mean woman do not respond to these forces in the same way men do? These questions along will others , I plan to answer and discuss.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Research Logs: The Beginning
This week I would like to learn more in-depth about databases at Clemson as well as in-text citations. I feel insecure in these two areas, especially. Besides, I never really understood how in-text citations worked anyway. Also, I was hoping to get a review of MLA Format and what “notes” we should have in our annotated bibliography because, as you know, different teachers have different requirements. Moreover, after reading EID, I am also confused about creating a dialogue with the sources I find and use. I have never heard of this before. Additionally, it would be great if we could have a day of class in which you could take the time to show us different websites we could use to find information or sources about our topics because I find it difficult locating different kinds of sources. Lastly, I think if we focused more on organizational methods, then I would have an easier time developing a draft of my research paper because, right now, I am not anywhere close to having a well-developed thesis for my research topic.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
research activity
. John Hendrix created the "Friday Flyers"
.there are 6 of the aluminum planes
.diversity and chance are two things symbolized by the "flyers"
.if the planes could journey, the journey would resemble that of a freshman's journey through college
.one of them hangs in the Hendrix Center
.there are 6 of the aluminum planes
.diversity and chance are two things symbolized by the "flyers"
.if the planes could journey, the journey would resemble that of a freshman's journey through college
.one of them hangs in the Hendrix Center
Friday, September 2, 2011
Prompt 2: Thesis Practice
1) Write down your observations about the image than you are looking at.
Immediately upon looking at the image, I observe several things. First-off, the hands holding the gun are not attached to a body. They are also in the process of loading a gun with cigarettes instead of bullets. Moreover, the lists of words displayed on the left side of the page are the smallest and they contradict the black background. The largest words shown are "Smoking Kills", also the title of the image, followed by the question "so why bother starting?"
2) Work with your observations to construct a preliminary thesis statement – that is, an argument or claim about the image. What claim do you want to make about that image or images? Remember, your thesis statement does not necessarily have to take into account ALL of your observations.
The artist of "Smoking Kills" fruitfully grasps readers' attention through the use of visual rhetoric. By manipulating the use of rhetoric devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos, the illustrator conveys the idea that the "real" dangers of smoking are overlooked, in the same way that the dangers of handling a gun go unnoticed. (to be continued)
3) Refine your argument by asking the following questions that make your statement less general, and record your answers in the blog:
How?
The pathos the artist uses include how the hands are holding the gun and loading cigarettes into the gun. Because there is no face or body attached to the hands, readers feel as if they are the individual loading the gun. The author uses logos to show readers what can happen when they smoke. Lastly, the author utilizes ethos to present his idea of smoking in a inventive way. For example, the hazards on the left side of the page are smaller than the picture. (I will explain why in my paper, did not want to give away all the good details.)
What are the contradictions?
The contradictions are the black background and the white words "Smoking Kills," as well as the gun and the cigarettes because bullets are supposed to go in a gun and not cigarettes.
To what effect?
The author makes these contradictions to grab the audiences attention, to make an argument about the dangers of smoking, and to convey his idea about smoking in a creative way.
How do I know this?
The narrator creates a contradicting image to persuade readers that the hazards of smoking are overlooked by people. (FYI, I just previously explained this.)
4) Further polish your thesis by refining your language and asking questions about the implication of your working thesis statement. Write the answers in your blog:
What do you find interesting about this observation?
One of the most interesting things about the image has to do with the gun--the fact that the author compares smoking cigarettes to a gun.
How does it tap into larger social or cultural issues?
The artist wants onlookers to "see the big picture". Cigarettes and guns are both widely used and abused by societies today. In reality, people tend to disregard the possible outcomes of misusing these items.
5) Write your working thesis to include a sense of the implications of your claims, sometimes referred to as the “So What?” of your claim. Another way of approaching the “So What” of your thesis is to ask yourself why your thesis is important.
The artist of "Smoking Kills" fruitfully grasps readers' attention through the use of visual rhetoric. By manipulating the use of rhetoric devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos, the illustrator conveys the idea that the "real" dangers of smoking are overlooked, in the same way that the dangers of handling a gun go unnoticed. For instance, the words displayed on the left side of the image are smaller compared to the surrounding items because individuals fail to realize the risks of smoking and because the author uses the size as a way to further stress the idea that the risks associated with smoking are unnoticed. (When you first look at the picture you do not see the hazards. Instead, you are drawn to the picture of someone loading a gun with cigarettes.--proof that the dangers are unforeseen)
Link to image (b/c I cannot get it to show up on here, as a picture)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2193695.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mylot.com/w/photokeywords/smoking%2Bkills.aspx&h=400&w=320&sz=22&tbnid=MEGcCcZToILLmM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=69&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsmoking%2Bkills%2Bphotos%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=smoking+kills+photos&docid=hqaCM2CMVJ8xhM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pZlhTpDzMMKftgeU9bX7Dw&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAw&dur=283
Immediately upon looking at the image, I observe several things. First-off, the hands holding the gun are not attached to a body. They are also in the process of loading a gun with cigarettes instead of bullets. Moreover, the lists of words displayed on the left side of the page are the smallest and they contradict the black background. The largest words shown are "Smoking Kills", also the title of the image, followed by the question "so why bother starting?"
2) Work with your observations to construct a preliminary thesis statement – that is, an argument or claim about the image. What claim do you want to make about that image or images? Remember, your thesis statement does not necessarily have to take into account ALL of your observations.
The artist of "Smoking Kills" fruitfully grasps readers' attention through the use of visual rhetoric. By manipulating the use of rhetoric devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos, the illustrator conveys the idea that the "real" dangers of smoking are overlooked, in the same way that the dangers of handling a gun go unnoticed. (to be continued)
3) Refine your argument by asking the following questions that make your statement less general, and record your answers in the blog:
How?
The pathos the artist uses include how the hands are holding the gun and loading cigarettes into the gun. Because there is no face or body attached to the hands, readers feel as if they are the individual loading the gun. The author uses logos to show readers what can happen when they smoke. Lastly, the author utilizes ethos to present his idea of smoking in a inventive way. For example, the hazards on the left side of the page are smaller than the picture. (I will explain why in my paper, did not want to give away all the good details.)
What are the contradictions?
The contradictions are the black background and the white words "Smoking Kills," as well as the gun and the cigarettes because bullets are supposed to go in a gun and not cigarettes.
To what effect?
The author makes these contradictions to grab the audiences attention, to make an argument about the dangers of smoking, and to convey his idea about smoking in a creative way.
How do I know this?
The narrator creates a contradicting image to persuade readers that the hazards of smoking are overlooked by people. (FYI, I just previously explained this.)
4) Further polish your thesis by refining your language and asking questions about the implication of your working thesis statement. Write the answers in your blog:
What do you find interesting about this observation?
One of the most interesting things about the image has to do with the gun--the fact that the author compares smoking cigarettes to a gun.
How does it tap into larger social or cultural issues?
The artist wants onlookers to "see the big picture". Cigarettes and guns are both widely used and abused by societies today. In reality, people tend to disregard the possible outcomes of misusing these items.
5) Write your working thesis to include a sense of the implications of your claims, sometimes referred to as the “So What?” of your claim. Another way of approaching the “So What” of your thesis is to ask yourself why your thesis is important.
The artist of "Smoking Kills" fruitfully grasps readers' attention through the use of visual rhetoric. By manipulating the use of rhetoric devices such as pathos, logos, and ethos, the illustrator conveys the idea that the "real" dangers of smoking are overlooked, in the same way that the dangers of handling a gun go unnoticed. For instance, the words displayed on the left side of the image are smaller compared to the surrounding items because individuals fail to realize the risks of smoking and because the author uses the size as a way to further stress the idea that the risks associated with smoking are unnoticed. (When you first look at the picture you do not see the hazards. Instead, you are drawn to the picture of someone loading a gun with cigarettes.--proof that the dangers are unforeseen)
Link to image (b/c I cannot get it to show up on here, as a picture)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2193695.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mylot.com/w/photokeywords/smoking%2Bkills.aspx&h=400&w=320&sz=22&tbnid=MEGcCcZToILLmM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=69&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsmoking%2Bkills%2Bphotos%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=smoking+kills+photos&docid=hqaCM2CMVJ8xhM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pZlhTpDzMMKftgeU9bX7Dw&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAw&dur=283
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lbhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/dettolchild.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lbhat.com/advertising/30-great-print-ads-that-tell-a-visual-story/&h=811&w=560&sz=90&tbnid=JfKEg6I3fXZ_MM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=62&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvisual%2Bads%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=visual+ads&docid=ekJS-5lnRF70gM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PHpZTsLrEMjOgAeMkcWcDA&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAQ&dur=1858
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
GETTING TO KNOW ME, ALISHA
Hey everyone, my name is Alisha Ackerman and I am from Charleston, South Carolina. I am here at Clemson University because I know that the education I will obtain over the next four years will be inimitable. Also, the people here at Clemson are absolutely wonderful. I have only been her since the twentieth and already I feel "at home". Currently, I am a communications major. I have not yet decided what I will do with my BA in Communications, but I do know the professors here at Clemson will help me decide my future ambitions. During my spare time, I enjoy playing sports or "hitting" the gym. Furthermore, I enjoy drawing, listening to music, writing poetry and eating. As a writer, I have strengths in providing ideas and using transitions. From this class, I hope to learn how to properly conduct research in a "college" manner, how to provide a more in-depth analysis of a piece of writing, how to write better thesis as well as how to organize my papers more efficiently. One thing that surprises me about myself is although I consider myself to be a "good" writer and although I have been told that I am a "good" writer, I do not consider myself a "good" reader. I tend to find problems in understanding what I am reading as I read it. Besides developing into a better reader, I would also like improve my vocabulary skills. Together these things will make me a better writer and reader as well as help advance my skills as I enter the world of communications.
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