E -portfolio

http://www.wix.com/lnb3420/eportfolio

WELCOME


Welcome to my e-portfolio. Through this portfolio I hope to share with you a little about me, my academic growth, and future plans.  By providing you with some examples of my essays, speeches, and blogs, I  invite you to come along for the ride as I briefly outline my academic year.  Communication , in any form, is vital in attaining academic success, so  I look forward to reading your comments and  suggestions.  

Enjoy!

    

 INTRODUCTION

     Life is full of twists and turns. We never know what challenges each day will bring or what joys the day will hold. Life’s journeys present new adventures that allow us to explore, grow, and prosper.
     As a Penn State student, I have been able to fully appreciate the opportunities life presents as I continue to grow and mature. This past academic year has been very enriching. Given the opportunity to explore, I was able to enhance my knowledge in different subject areas and begin to develop my other areas of interest. With each changing season and each year that passes, I learn new things about myself and use these valuable lessons to achieve an even brighter future.
     As I reflect upon this past academic year, I am able to see just how much I have learned. With a rigorous course schedule each semester, coupled with the demands of varsity swimming and being a member of the Schreyer Honors College, there was no shortage of demands placed upon me academically. Although this led to many improvements and life lessons, there are two specific lessons that I will take away from my successful school year. They are: always accept the challenge and understand the importance of communication.
       When I began the school year, I was fearful that I would not be able to balance the amount of credits I had with the demands of my other activities. But by taking on this rigorous course load and the requirements of the other activities, I chose to accept the challenge. By accepting the challenge, I was able to develop new skills such as better time management and organization. This allowed my academic year to be successful and rewarding.
       In order to be successful, however, I also needed to learn the importance of communication. Communication, indeed, is a general term. Yet, in every sense it is an integral part of every student’s life. When we interact with each other, we are able to share information and gain a better understanding of other perspectives. Communicating, for me, was a vital part of my academic growth this year. It occurred on not only a personal and social level, but also a global level. By speaking with advisors, I was able to plan out my academic future and choose my career path. By giving speeches and embracing the value of rhetoric, I was able to share my views and offer insight into various topics of discussion. By taking Spanish classes and interacting with others from around the world, I was able to learn about other cultures and share experiences.
       These lessons have provided me with a foundation for future success. Accepting a challenge is the first step in the process. This has allowed me to push myself academically and harness even more personal achievements. Communicating with others is also essential because it has allowed me see how we are all connected. Through further study, I hope to ultimately contribute to international progress.

A New Age

       This week in class we presented our video projects. These projects were unique because they were unlike any other assignment we have done. I found it to be a great way to present an argument and communicate with the audience in a different way. When giving presentations, we are often confined to a podium, trying our best to engage the audience with hand motions, voice inflection, and word choice. If we are given the chance to use a visual aid, it is often merely a dry PowerPoint presentation with a few slides that show graphs and charts to support the statistics we have just rambled off. And although this method may be very effective given the context of the situation, there are also ways to break from the mold and use new technology to your advantage. The video presentations perfectly exemplified this.
       Visual modes of communication are interesting because there is so much more to consider. The placement of the words, the pictures used, the background colors, and font choice all contribute to how the message is received. In the videos it was also important to consider music choice and the rate of speech. Each of these characteristics was vital in how the messages of the argument were to be received by the audience. The video presentations were also unique because communication took both a central and peripheral route. The arguments presented were able to reach the audience in a different way that a standard speech could not. I found this form of communication to be both effective in conveying messages, as well as entertaining and insightful. Even though these videos were really nothing more than PowerPoint presentations, the extra additions made them seem like a completely new form of communication. As we become more and more dependent of technology in our everyday lives it is interesting to think about how formal speaking presentations will evolve and change in time.

A Question of Ethics

    This week in class we discussed advocacy and how it relates to argument.  Advocacy is allows us to decide what is worth caring about and how we can find a means by which to alter our future to one we desire. Many topics were discussed such as styles of advocacy, how to become an advocate, the true meaning of advocacy in general. However, what really caught my attention the most was a topic that fell under research for advocacy and argument. This particular issue that caught my attention was the ethics of being a researcher. With so many new technological advancements there are increasingly more and more questions about what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to the way we obtain more knowledge. An important aspect of ethical research has to do with being open to new interpretations and changing your current beliefs based on the new information you receive.
     When researching or writing about another work, it is important to give credit where credit is due. By doing this it can be ensured that the work is not misrepresented, falsified, or fabricated. This is becoming increasingly more of an issue as we develop new, easy ways to share information. This has lead to the development of new guidelines and caused people to question what information can be exchanged without violating the rights of the original author. Ethics also calls into question how far is too far? In some cases people feel their personal rights are violated for the sake of scientific advancement. This is an argument that has been going on for decades, yet it is still a hot topic today. This is mainly due to the fact that all kinds of research is readily accessible and that many are not sure where to draw the line. But where should we draw the line? How far really is too far?

Visual Modes of Communication

     This week in class we discussed visual modes of communication. We spent much time on the logos and pathos of images and how great of an impact this has on an audience. I never really thought about how the arrangement of each element has an effect on the viewer. The way words, pictures, and colors are put together provide the audience with different ideas about the message and affect how the message is viewed. Although the presentation and position of words is important, and contribute to how visual arguments are made, the impact of color can not be overlooked. Although it is just one of many elements that make a visual useful, it is an element that carries great importance.
      As we look around us, we are bombarded with advertisements. They are on television, on billboards, and in newspapers. However, as we look at these advertisements we are not always aware of how much of an impact they are making, or what necessarily drew our attention to us in the first place. There are many elements that go into making a successful ad and capturing the reader’s attention. Color is one such element. The color scheme for each advertisement is no accident. The hue, the saturation, and the brightness of each color all contribute to the overall message of the ad. Some ads are brightly colored, while some are not. This is no accident. The colors chosen all contribute substantially to our emotions. For example, an ad for new Trident Vitality gum. This ad campaign uses bright colors such as sharp oranges, greens, and reds. This not only captures the attention of the audience, but also makes them associate the product with health, freshness, and healthy living. On the contrary, an ad for a law firm chooses dull, business-like colors. This evokes a more serious emotional response. Every ad may seem to be similar, however it is important to know just how much the color of an ad can impact you.

A Helping Hand

The disaster that recently occurred in Japan is tragic to say the least.  Lives have been ruined; a country has been entirely demolished. In this time of great despair, it is hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel.  But perhaps there is some hope as we turn to each other for support.  Charity organizations are advertising on televisions, radios, and Internet sites.  Everyone has the opportunity to support the people in Japan whose lives have been so greatly affected by this terrible incident.  But as I look for ways to help I can’t help but question our true willingness to help others.  Do we only offer aid in times of natural disasters?  There are millions of people in need of our assistant each day yet it seems we are not willing to lend a helping hand on an everyday basis.  However, as I was surfing YouTube recently I came across a company that understands that helping is important no matter how small the gesture.

Toms is a philanthropic organization that is dedicated to helping underprivileged children around the world.  This organization has been around for approximately 4-5 years.  They sell shoes that $40, but for each pair sold on pair is donated to a child in need.  They come in an assortment of colors and materials.  Over the years they have expanded and now even sell heels and have a wedding line.  On the Toms website you can even purchase their “one for one” collection t-shirts and pair of shoes will be donated.   This company has developed into multimillion-dollar organization and is still continuing to grow and expand. This organization and those who help it prosper clearly show that all hope is not lost. People are still willing to help others in need. However, it is still true that bigger steps can be taken to offer assistance to others on a daily basis.

Cars and the American People

      Recently we have seen several car commercials in class. Many classmates decided to analyze the appeals car companies make to American audiences so that they buy their products. However, all of the car commercials that were analyzed were American car companies. They spoke to American values and American life. But what about foreign car companies? How do they appeal to an American audience? 
      American car companies such Ford, GM, Dodge appeal to American values of hard work, commitment, and determination. They continuously portray their vehicles as rugged and tough, and “built to last”. Through these appeals they hope that the audience will trust their cars and trust them as companies. In several new commercials these American car companies draw upon emotional appeals to get their audience on board. In one commercial, Dodge makes its new vehicle, the Challenger, synonymous with the freedom.  In the commercial, as the Challenger rolls through the battlefield of the Revolutionary War, a flag is flying out of the window. This is a very “American” commercial in every sense. By portraying the past in a humorous, modern light, it appeals to our ideals of freedom, justice, and strength. This commercial places an American car, the Challenger, in a very American atmosphere.
       Foreign car companies are very effective in conveying their messages to American audiences as well. Companies such as Hyundai, Honda, and Nissan appeal to their American audience in a different way. Instead of capturing the importance of the American values of hard work, determination, and commitment, they stress the importance of harnessing the future, as their cars are always becoming sleeker, and more energy efficient. Instead of showing their cars in a rugged light, they appeal more to the audience’s desire for luxury. These companies understand their audience just as much as American companies, yet they use different tools to convey their messages, making them just as effectively as American companies.

Times Square

           In everyday life we are constantly bombarded with advertisements. They come at us from all directions—on television, in magazines, and on the computer screen. Every company claims that their product is the one you should choose. They claim their product is the cheapest, the best. Because we always have so many advertisements thrown our way, I thought it would be interesting to analyze how companies effectively advertise their products in one of the busiest commercial intersections—Times Square.
       When you visit Times Square you are blinded by all of the lights, bombarded by advertisements, maybe even taken aback by all of the commotion. The ads in Times Square are lit up and full of color. Approximately 500,000 people travel through the area each day, and more than 10 million people see live shots of Times Square on daily television shows. This shows that the advertisements in Times Square must be eye-popping and unique.  But what makes an ad stand out?
         Some companies like American Eagle Outfitters feel one of the best ways to appeal to the public is by being the largest and tallest. Its LED signs stretch over 15,000 square feet and cover 4 levels. American Eagle uses bright colors and their popular slogan, “Live your Life” in order to appeal to the potential customers bustling through this busy section of New York. MTV, on the other hand, may not have the tallest advertisement, but it definitely has the widest. Its HD video screen is the largest available to advertisers in Times Square. This huge screen is sure to catch your attention as it advertises concerts, special events, or the “next big thing”.
       Other companies, like Forever 21, always find ways to stop the crowd. Every day onscreen models interact with the crowd in order draw the audience in. Models on the 60 foot screen take photos of passersby and display them on the screen or shout to people as they walk by. This allows the public to become a part of the ad instead of just looking at it.
      Clearly these companies have found unique ways to appeal to their target audiences. They have taken the idea of advertisement to a new level and modified their uses of rhetorical devices to appeal to a new generation. They have taken advantage of the technology available to them and used it as a tool to catch the attention of viewers in more way than one.