On arrival to this semester, I have been aware I am far from being the best writer out there. My grammar skills are not up to par, my writing style is not elegant or noteworthy and I am certain that my future career would not fit as an author or a journalist, but I have not let this stop me in meeting the expectations of this course. Writing assignments have always had a way of stressing me out or making me frustrated, but I am able to put that aside and put in my best effort to do as well as I can. Through the Core Values, I will show that I was able to take in and apply the information expected from me in this class.

The best assignment that I can say showed my understanding of the meaning of Core Value 3, which is “understand how texts represent meaning and how the processes of writing and reading create and interpret meaning,” would be my research paper. To avoid confusion and get my point across more clearly, I helped expressed my claims and arguments I made through examples and scenario. To clarify why I believe that people justify downloading music illegally off the internet, I stated that they are just making excuses to themselves for something that they know is wrong. I then related that to the example of lying to a friend and making the excuse that lying to that person would be better than telling the truth even though we know that it is wrong to lie to prove that people make excuses for doing immoral things. By choosing the right thing to say at the right time can clarify points and claims to the reader to help them better understand what you are trying to say. By relating the point you are trying to a more relatable scenario, I am helping to get across exactly what I mean to say, rather than the reader interpreting what I mean to say in the wrong way.

The second core value to be discussed, Core Value 5, states that I should “Understand the role and use of information in writing.” This value is important not just through writing, but in anything you hear or see also. By understanding this core value, I have been able to look past the opinion or emotional aspect of any argument and instead look at the facts given and determine if the information of the argument given is binding. I believe that I showed understanding on this subject best through my writing on research paper because I was able to apply accurate numbers and statistics when needed and information on the subject that helps clarify the points I make through my writing. For example, by giving the statistics given by a source for the loss of revenue in the music industry between 1999 and 2008, I was able to give enough evidence to convince the reader that my claims are backed up by real numbers. By providing well placed statistics or information can help turn a dull claim into a fact that can change the point of view of the reader entirely. Using information when necessary doesn’t only help pursued the reader to agree with an argument or point, but makes the paper credible.

Core Value 7, which is “Understand the power and ethical responsibility that comes with the creation of written discourse,” is the most important core value to me because I feel that this core value is disregarded by many people in the media. When I watch news channels on television, I witness account after account of anchors or news personalities misusing information, and in some cases just making things up. The responsibility that comes with informing others with valid and fact based evidence is under looked in society today, and giving people false information that they believe they can trust is too common. Through discussions and focus on this subject in our Comp 2 class, I have learned the importance of making false claims, and I avoid this by making sure that my claims can be back up by doing research. During my research paper, I made sure to make accurate claims through research on the subject.

As the school year draws to an end, many students are left reflecting on their successes and failures for the spring semester. While this semester at Rowan University has proven to be significantly harder than my prior semester, I feel that I have attempted to work as hard as I possibly could in my classes while also being able to fully enjoy my Freshman year. In regards to my College Composition II class, I have often felt like it was a pure waste of time. I am an efficient writer when it comes to essays: between my Freshman year, I have not received a grade below a B in any of my other classes. So, for a long time writing essays and various short assignments for my Composition class felt unnecessary. However, half way through the semester, I became aware of the fact that I might have been over-confident in my writing abilities. My professor often tore apart my essays, claiming I was often being vague, repetitive or not analytical enough. Throughout the course of this class, I was faced with new challenges: rewriting most of my essays until their was undeniable clarity between my ideas, and often looking deeper into my arguments than I had ever done before and making unambiguous arguments. I fully believe that there has been a significant improvement in my writing since the beginning of semester. The guidance and often hefty critiques of my professor has led me to becoming a better writer by practicing the seven core values of writing.

In order for a college student to become an advanced writer, they must be able to understand the seven core values of writing. These core values serve as a purpose for emerging writers to improve their personal writing skills, understand the audience to whom he or she is writing for and the academic implications of their work. The first core value serves to make sure the writer can identify where he or she understood that writing is a multi-stage, recursive and social process that requires time for information-gathering, development and reflection on their work. Core value two makes sure that the student understands that a higher level of writing involves making conscious choices to effectively communicate their message to the audience with purpose. Core value three requires that the student understands that test represent meaning and deserve complex analytical strategies; the fourth focuses on the college writer understanding the editing process and the fifth core value highlights drawing experience from others. The sixth core value makes sure that the writer acknowledges the work of others as their own intellectual property and always attributes ideas to the sources from which they were taken; the successful writer never plagiarizes. Last but not least, the seventh and final core value addresses writers focusing on serious and complex topics. While all seven values are important to writing, in my composition class, I focused a great deal on improving core values three, five and seven.

As I stated before, the third core value stresses the importance of understanding how texts represent meaning and how the process of writing and reading can create meaning. I efficiently tackled this core value through my Visual Argument Analysis piece. The assignment required me to watch a television advertisement about unplanned pregnancies. First watching the advertisement without sound, I created what I felt to be an accurate analysis of the commercial based on what I saw, interrupted and how it made me feel. After doing this, I re-watched the advertisement, this time with sound. One last time, I analyzed the commercial. I described that the entirety of the commercial made me feel uncomfortable due to the awkwardness of the couples portrayed in the commercial. When I first played the advertisement without sound, I was able to infer that the commercial attempted at promoting some form of contraception when the words “Bedsider.org” flashed across the screen, quickly changing into pictures of condoms, shots and pill packages. Then, when played with sound, it became very clear that the producers of the advertisement intended for it to come across as awkward due to the upbeat song playing in the background. I further concluded that the commercial was intended to be awkward when I was able to hear a voice over say “You didn’t give up on sex. Don’t give up on birth control either.” This then lead me to hypothesize that it was produced by a more liberal organization who supported safe sex and contraception. After checking out Bedsider.org, I was able to research all the various forms of contraception, and confirm my hypothesis. Writing the Visual Argument Analysis demonstrated that I was able to successfully understand the meaning represented through the text, or advertisement, and how the process of viewing the advertisement both with and without sound helped me interpret it. Through this assignment, I was able to clearly demonstrate my understanding of the third core value and strengthen my skills at evaluating texts.

After evaluating all my work, I have come to the conclusion that this was the hardest core value for me to conquer was the fifth. It is also the most important out of the three core values that were focused on in class this semester. This value focuses on understanding the role and usage of information in writing. I discovered the true difficulty of this value to be the hardest to accomplish when I was writing my Research Position Paper on American obesity. Attention to detail is very important: if a writer makes a statement that can be proven false their entire argument is flawed. For this reason, a writer must be very precise when making an argument. Although I at first felt that my Research Position Paper was written with clarity and made clear arguments, several revisions later proved otherwise. With the help of my professor I was eventually able to make my arguments unambiguous. The evolution of core value five can be clearly seen in my revision process through my argument of measuring waist circumference versus the continued usage of the BMI system . For a decent period of time (consisting of several revisions) I struggled to make my argument as accurate as possible and unquestionable. Now, at the end of the semester, I firmly believe that I made the argument about waist circumference being the best possible alternative measure to the BMI system as convincing error-free as i could. Not only did my personal writing skills improve, but my Research Position Paper was greatly benefited by the fifth core value.

The last core value that was emphasized in my composition class was the seventh. Core value seven states that students must understand the power and ethical responsibility that comes with the creation of written disclosure. This means that writers must be creditable and respectful when presenting their views through their work. Writing can have long-lasting effects on people, communities and even the world. Small scale examples of this could include the popular diet book Eat Clean by Tosca Reno who had originally published her work as an expression of her personal life choices and ended up influencing hundreds of people to attempt her dietary methods. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.‘s speech “I have a dream” is a much larger example of the power of written or spoken word. While his speech was timed perfectly with the mass movement of US citizens to end segregation, King touched the hearts of many, helped change legislation and much more. Although none of my writing pieces this semester will have as great as an impact as either Reno’s or King’s works, I believe that I demonstrated the seventh core value through my 15 source annotated bibliography and siting my sources throughout my Research Position paper. This demonstrates ethical responsibility by allowing readers to know that the information I used was not made up and extracted from reliable sources. Therefore, if a reader disagrees with a statement made by my paper, they can visit the sources and decide whether or not I evaluated the information correctly. From there, he or she can formulate his or her own opinion about the information rather than holding me responsible. Overall, I think that I did a good job at picking out sources that fit my research topic but also countered the arguments made, showing both sides of the issue. My 15 source annotated bibliography successfully demonstrates the seventh core value.

College Composition II serves as a gate way to creating better, well-informed writers who will be able to successfully utilize all seven core values in their writing pieces. Before entering this course, I over compensated my writing abilities. However, as I have demonstrated throughout this piece, I have learned a lot about improving my writing skills through the usage of the seven core values. These seven core values provide structure and guidance to developing college writers. Although they are all important in their own ways, the three that were closely worked with in my composition class were the third, fifth and seventh core values. In the future, I anticipate that I will refer back to the core values and be able to incorporate them in my writing. I hope to become better at the fifth core vale, which places emphasis on making clear and concise arguments. All in all, my College Composition II class was beneficial to my writing career.

Composition 2 has not been a “walk in the park” for me! This course may have been easy for others, however, it was slight difficult for me. It wasn’t that the work load was to much or the papers were difficult to do, my grammar skills just were not strong. As funny as it sounds, after a while the “”fail for grammar” comments that Professor Hodges were no longer frustrating. His comments pushed me to keep trying and do my papers carefully. Most importantly, I was taught how to use three core values which made writing papers and doing research much easier.

Core value 3 says, “Understand how texts represent meaning and how the processes of writing and reading create and interpret meaning.” Professor Hodges required us to complete a visual argument, this assignment allowed us to demonstrate our understanding of core value 3. We had to analyze a commercial about preventing and reducing domestic violence. We each wrote down what we saw, step by step. By looking at the commercial I would have not guessed it had anything to do with unplanned pregnancy, until the very end when the words appear on the screen. However, because we analyzed the commercial I understood and was able to interpret what I was watching. This proved that we all have used the core value 3 in this course.

According to core value 4, we should be able to “Understand the role and use of information in writing.” Each of our essays involved research and information from other sources. This core value was demonstrated in my final Research Paper, I would not be able to complete my paper without sources. However, during the course I learned that every website is not worthy to be used as a source. In the words of Professor Hodges, “If certain information isn’t there for you to create a citation, the anonymous author is not confident in his information and is not willing to be challenged by another source.” Even though it sounds like common sense, it made more sense to me after hearing from Professor Hodges. I cited all of my sources and quoted what needed to be quoted the correct way in my paper. I used my sources in my writing without plagiarizing which proved I’m able to complete core value 4.

“Understand the power and ethical responsibility that comes with the creation of written discourse,” is core value 5. In other words, we had to arrange insight from a range of outside sources. The topic for my research paper required a lot of research in order for me to become knowledgeable about every aspect of my paper. I researched the history of blacks in the NFL, slavery, the NFL lockout, the NFL labor practices and much more! All of this information together helped me to form a great research paper that is very detailed and informative. Other football players opinions mattered in my paper as well, simply to make sure Adrian Peterson was not the only one to feel the way that he did. I feel that core value 5 has been demonstrated and completely understood during my composition 2 experience.

This course have taught me to focus on using valid reasoning, evidence, and persuasion. Professor Hodges was very helpful this semester and patient with me as a student. I am more careful about what I write and how I write. Overall, composition 2 was a great experience and I was able to take a lot away from it! It has been a pleasure to have David Hodges as my professor.

Allowing One’s Writing to Evolve

The end of this semesters College Composition II course is approaching quickly. I will now look at how I have gained an understanding of what is most important when it comes to writing. This class has helped me to understand the meaning of the Core Values. But, most importantly the main Core Values III, V, and VII. Throughout this semester I demonstrated all three of these Core Values in my writing.

The main goal of Core Value III is to understand how texts represent meaning and how the processes of writing and reading create and interpret meaning. The work that demonstrated this the most was my Visual Argument. My Visual Argument involved me watching a commercial on unplanned pregnancy prevention over and over and analysing this article without any sound. I described each scene of the commercial and interpreted the meaning behind them. My descriptions demonstrated how I understood the meaning behind the commercial. In one particular scene a women takes off her scarf with an intimate look on her face then a man stumbles into a table while attempting to take his clothes off. I described how this scene makes the message clear that they man is not very smooth and therefore doesn’t do it often. I wrote that the fact that he stumbles with taking his clothes means the man is not experienced and not prepared. This allowed me to describe how the director was trying to get across the message that the sexual activity they were about to indulge in was unplanned. By describing this scene it demonstrated my understanding of Core Value III.

The next Core Value, Core Value V, focuses on understanding the role and use of information in writing. Looking back at the course I notice I have demonstrated this value repeatedly. But, the assignment that allowed me to demonstrate this value with the most meaning must be my Research Position Paper. I showed my understanding on how information should be used all through out my paper. I used an article on how exactly taking anabolic steroids will increase the home run production in baseball instead of just assuming the reader knows. I provide the exact information and cite it appropriately. This shows that I know how to use information in the correct role to improve my paper. I used many sources to provide specific information that would help make my paper stronger and refute many critic’s views. This aspect of my writing allowed me to show how I understood and used Core Value V.

The last of the main three Core Value’s, Core Value VII, is about understanding the power and ethical responsibility that come with the creation of written discourse. I again demonstrate this value in my Research Position Paper. The fact that I took the time to look at many different angles and effects of steroids show that I tried to appropriately understand the topic. I looked at many points from critics to get a full understanding of my topic and to help decide which angle to write my paper from. I also demonstrated my understanding of the Core Value by using credible sources and citing them in the right situations. I used the sources and direct quotes from the sources to be more convincing of my point of view. Another way I showed my understanding through out this course was the numerous times I took feedback from the professor and other students and used it to improve my rewrites or next assignments. All of these are just some of the ways I demonstrated my understanding of Core Value VII.

This semester was very helpful in the progression of my writing. I began as a writer who was not confident at all in my work. With the help of feedback and lectures I began to understand the Core Values of writing. With a growing understanding of  these Core Values I became a better writer and more confident in my work. This College Composition II class and caused me to evolve as a writer. It did this mostly by giving me an understanding of all the Core Values but most Core Value’s III, V, and VII

Surviving Comp II and Moving Forward

To build, often times it’s necessary to inspect a foundation and discover the essence of its strength. Comp II has proven that the best way to ensure that the foundation is solid is to completely destroy it and rebuild a new foundation. After going through cursive boot camp, I emerged from my previous writing level and significantly altered my entire writing process. I have come to the understanding of the importance of presenting my arguments in a structured, well-supported manner with the goal of contributing beneficial knowledge to the public and academic sphere.  The guidance and critique of my professor has steered me along a path of self improvement which has lead me to naturally practicing core values, especially values III, V, and VII, in everyday reading and writing.

My analytical response to writing, of all sources, has dramatically improved since the beginning of the Spring semester thanks to the proficiency displayed by my professor.  After debating and fabricating an argument of what the essence of money is, I received extensive feedback not only targeting various grammatical errors, weak sentence structures, etc., but also pointing out weaknesses in trusting poorly supported ideas. Core Value III is a about analyzing textual and visual arguments for effectiveness, persuasiveness, and structure. This ability to focus on the slightest of details was nearly nonexistent prior to my development in Comp II. I utilized the skill to break down the message of an argument with no words at all. For this semester’s Ad Council assignment, I chose a video advertising the necessity of being prepared for disasters. The ad was so effective because of the slightest attentions to detail planned by the directors. I spotted out the multiple symbols lurking in the background of the action and understood the logic behind the choices. In the disaster scene, certain objects were affected before others, supporting the total message that in a disaster, all that we hold to be most familiar, loses all recognizable characteristics and becomes the unknown. Elements of the effective use of symbolism would have passed the screen unnoticed without proper understanding of Core Value III.

As the semester comes to a close, I am confident I will continue to analyze arguments based on the use of evidence and structure. While unable to effectively decipher what sources could be trusted in the beginning of the semester, I vastly improved on my analysis skills and truly honed in on critiquing all evidence given in any form of argument. To understand Core Value V is to acknowledge the different interpretations of factual evidence and to distinguish the bias from the fact. The best way to understand claims and the true meaning behind the evidence supporting them is to visit the sources cited. As advised, I explored into subjects being open to all information, rather than just seeking what I had already thought. When choosing a topic for my research paper, I wanted to argue about how simple it is to lose weight and convince people how little drug companies care about the success of their clients’ weight loss. Researching obesity and the history of drugs made to combat the serious medical condition, I learned that losing weight at that state is not at all what I thought it was. Arguments supporting my original stance had no scientific evidence and stigmatized the failure of a few drugs on all drugs. I also researched the complexity of obesity and the toll that such weight has on the body. Using reliable scientific studies, I supported my research paper and the claims within it to reveal the role of chemical imbalances in shaping a person’s body. The abilities needed for Core Value V are all necessary to find reliable information on topics, which is crucial to creating effectively supported arguments.

Above all, writing must be done while understanding the nature of written discourse; it is open for the public to view and should be worthy enough to enter and contribute to the pool of academic knowledge. When forming arguments for my papers this semester, I made sure I researched as much information on the topic as possible to ensure that not only was I knowledgeable in the source, but also that I would be able to effectively rebut arguments opposing my own. In my causal essay, I understood how people could form the idea that eating too much causes obesity based on rudimentary understanding of nutrition. However, I learned that contrary to popular belief, malnutrition was a major cause of obesity. Without diving past all of the shallow understandings of human nutritional needs, I would have never discovered the study linking malnutrition and obesity. My full intention in writing my research paper and its supporting papers this semester was to contribute to the general understanding of health and nutrition. With that in mind, I prioritized scientific research as evidential backup rather than using emotional appeals because of the scientific nature of my topic.

Comp II has been a long journey that has yielded much self-improvement as a writer in regards to effective structuration, proper utilization of scientific information, and most importantly, the development of the proper skills to sort out bias and derive conclusions based on factual evidence in order to positively contribute to the pool of academic knowledge. I am confident these useful traits acquired by adherence to the Core Values will render me a much more capable writer than I ever would have been. Looking back on my writing prior to the semester, it is clearly evident that I have reached a new level of consciousness and confidence in my writing.