Final Reflection

Jessica Mayes
English 201.005
Dr. Micer
8 May 2009
Final Reflection
Through the course of the semester, I have learned a great deal about communicating publicly through writing. The main thing I learned is that writing publicly is a very important skill to possess. By being able to read and examine public texts and generate my own, I feel like I have accomplished so much, and I feel like my writing has really made a difference in my world. The biggest similarity between all public literacy seems to be that it addresses a need that is considered important to the world or community it is addressing. They all seek to change the status quo.
The most challenging problem for me was to take the issue of wearing animal fur for fashion and making it relevant so that I could address it locally here in southern Indiana. Through tweaking my project just a bit, I realized that I could publicly address animal cruelty and neglect more easily, and that it would be more likely to reach people if I focused on issues that could more easily potentially affect the local people.
Now that I have a greater understanding of public literacy, I would approach my Evansville content analysis differently. I found it very difficult when I was writing it, but now that I know what it means to sit down and try to reach an audience myself, I think I would look for different points in my paper, particularly ones that are more relevant to the younger community of Evansville like the college students.
I have become much better at analyzing texts over the course of the semester due to all of the rhetorical précis I lave written. The individual précis and the rhetorical analysis were small assignments that I clearly struggled to gain the right length for. By the time I wrote my content analysis, I found it much easier to write in a way which addressed a question more thoroughly. My ability to answer questions concisely and thoroughly is one of the biggest changes I have noticed in my writings over the course of the semester.
Public sphere week was very helpful because it allowed me to see that communicating my work publicly was important. It showed me that I am able to reach people through writing, and that there is no reason to keep writing private. By allowing others to read what I had written, I felt that I was really beginning to help the animals I want to save. Knowing that I reached someone through my own hard work and effort makes me very proud, and gives me more hope than ever to be able to accomplish any goal I may set out to achieve.
To conclude, I am very thankful I got to participate in such a worldly experience this year. I know that the skills I learned here will be useful and taken with me when I leave the class. I also know that through my own writing, I can communicate to people wide and far. This fact is very comforting. I am glad that I now have the ability to make a difference.

Did You Know? Info Sheet

Brochure with Resources

Brochure: Stop the Fur Industry!

Public Sphere Announcement/Flyer

9876 Why Would I Put My Real Address Here Rd.
Evansville, IN Zip Code
April 29, 2009

Andrew Foster
Editor
The Shield
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, IN 47712

Dear Mr. Foster,

In accordance with the animal rights movement, I believe that animals have the right to long, happy lives whenever they are able. I am here to focus on cruelty to animals, including pet abandonment and using animals for fashion in the fur industry. Many people in the tri-state area buy pets like chinchillas or rabbits without realizing the time and effort it takes to raise them, leading them to abandon these animals or to neglect them. While fur coats are not an issue here in southern Indiana, I have seen fur trimmed coats, gloves, and boots come into fashion recently. According to a recent investigation by the London newspaper, The Daily Mail, conditions on fur farms are deplorable, and animals are often skinned alive. I want to alert the student body to the animal neglect that occurs here, and tell them how they can stop or prevent it. I also want to tell people the abuse they cause by supporting the fur industry, in an attempt to dissuade them from buying and wearing fur. I had a table set up with all of my information and I spoke publicly on April 20 and 22 from 8:00am to 9:00am on campus in front of the University Center entrance.

You may e-mail me if you have any questions about my project at ******@usieagles.org, or call (812)***-**** in the afternoon between noon and 3:00PM for more information.

Sincerely,



Jessica L. Mayes

Annotated Bibliography

Jessica Mayes
Dr. Micer
English 201
27 March 2009
Animal Rights and the Fur Industry: An Annotated Bibliography

"Animal Rights." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006. Credo Reference. 25 March 2009. . This encyclopedia article articulates the way certain religions of the world view human and animals relationships. It also addresses philosophical implications of animal rights and gives arguments for both sides of the issue. It is a valuable resource in which to find religious aspects that are against using animals for personal gain and cruelty towards animals.

"Animal Rights: Fur." Issues & Controversies On File. 23 April 1999. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. 25 March 2009. . This article is an argument, presenting both the animal rights activists attacking arguments and the fur industry’s defensive counterarguments. The information can be used to oppose the fur industry’s cruel slaughter and inhumane treatment of animals for human vanity.

"Animal Testing." Issues & Controversies On File. 1 September 2000. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. 25 March 2009. . This article addresses the issue of animals used for medical research. It describes the ongoing debate between researchers and animal activists, and questions the need for animal testing. It is a resource rich in criticisms against people who use animals for their own needs, ignoring the animals suffering.

"Coats Made from Dog and Cat Pelts Raise a Furor (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File. 23 April 1999. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. 25 Mar. 2009. . This article is details and investigation that revealed that cat and dog fur was being used for fur clothing. This outraged and disgusted people, and I will use this as evidence to convince people that when they wear fur, in essence they are wearing their furry pet.

de Fraga, Carole. "China's fur farms exposed." Animals Today 13.0 (Feb. 2005): 19. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Rice Library, Evansville, IN. 23 March 2009. . This article from people magazine describes a recent investigation that took place on a Chinese fur farm. It states cruel treatment of the animals in these kinds of fur farms regarding their manner of execution. By bringing the inhumane treatment of these abused animals to light, I hope to dissuade people from buying fur.

Diamantis, Nikolaos. "Morality is the key issue for anti-fur campaigners." The Express. [United Kingdom] 21 August 2008, 1st ed., Letters sec.: 35. This article is a letter regarding the inhumanity of raising animals to be slaughtered for their fur. It describes the harsh living conditions and execution methods of these animals, and how some people do not see a problem with it. This illustrates and vanity and denial is why the fur industry is still active.

Donahue, Alex. "The Office star strips for Peta anti-fur campaign." Brand Republic News Releases 14 August 2007: 1. This magazine article is about the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ campaign against the fur industry, particularly against black bear fur coats. It describes the unnecessary pain it causes bears and how it often orphans cubs in order to make these coats.

Leepson, M. "Animal rights." CQ Researcher, 1 (1991, May 24): 301-324. CQ Researcher Online. Rice Library, Evansville, IN. 25 March 2009. . This article from describes the ongoing battle between animal rights activists and biomedical researchers. It then gives the history of the philosophical views on animal cruelty, and moves into the animal rights movement. It describes new activism focusing mainly on cruelty to animals through medical and cosmetic testing. Though the fur industry is not being attacked, another industry, the medical industry, is being opposed. I can use the description of the cruel treatment of animals for human pleasure as an issue to convince my audience that wearing fur for fashion is unethical.

Merrilees, Parker. "SKINNED ALIVE FOR THE CATWALK; The lucky ones are gassed. The rest suffer an unspeakable fate. As fur makes a big comeback in the autumn fashions, a TV investigation reveals the bloody price." Daily Mail [London] 9 August 2008: 32. LexisNexis Academic. Rice Library, Evansville, IN. 23 March 2009. < http://www.lexisnexis.com.lib-proxy.usi.edu/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T6414638496&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T6414638499&cisb=22_T6414638498&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=138794&docNo=13>. This newspaper article details a reporter’s investigation into fur factories after the comeback of fur on the fashion scene. It describes in detail how animals are kept in small enclosures, starved, and skinned alive. This evidence and the inhumanity of trapping these animals will be used to sway the audience’s perception of fur for fashion purposes.

Triggs, Charlotte. "THE FAKE FUR SCANDAL." People 67.1 (09 Apr. 2007): 116. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Rice Library, Evansville, IN. 23 March 2009. . This article from People magazine describes the way in which fur and fur trimmed garments are often mislabeled. It will be useful in my proposal because it mentions the dog fur is sometimes used as trim are garments but is mislabeled as coyote fur. People would be much less willing to wear fur if they knew that it came from a household pet.

Rhetorical Analysis

Jessica Mayes
ENG201.005
Dr. Micer
February 13, 2009
Rhetorical Analysis
In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he uses many persuasive techniques to convey his point across. This letter was written while Dr. King was confined in Birmingham Jail, and is directed at his fellow clergyman to explain and justify his actions to them. In this letter, Dr. King portrays himself as an educated and well organized person seeking change. This is demonstrated when he states that he is the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He explains to them the main reason why he was in Birmingham, stating, “I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here.” Dr. King was looking to change the nations view and treatment of African Americans, as shown when he says, “…I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.”
Throughout the letter, Dr. King makes numerous allusions to the Bible. At one point, he likens himself to the Apostle Paul, who carried the word of the Bible beyond his home town just as Martin Luther King Jr. did. He goes on to define what direct action, which is what his whole campaign was centered around, is and why it is important. He states, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create a crisis…” which implies that though he uses nonviolent methods to attain his goals, he still seeks to cause trouble with his actions. This is an example of logos because it tells is a definition, and earlier tells us a story which is widely accepted as truth. However, he does rely somewhat heavily on logical fallacies in his text. He states that if his philosophy had not come about, the streets of the south would “be flowing with blood.” By using fear, he further sways people to accept his methods and actions.
Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrates his credibility quite fully in his letter. He describes in detail, each step of his campaign. In many instances, he describes situations in which he directly has spoken with others concerning his campaign, and the results that occurred. He also displays a strong willingness to negotiate, further portraying himself as a very reasonable and fair man. This is an example of ethos because it is widely agreed upon that being able to sacrifice and negotiate are signs of a person with reason and understanding.
Dr. King’s letter is very emotionally charged. He describes in such detail the “pent-up resentments and latent frustrations” of the African American people. He also uses language here to put fear in the people regarding what would happen if the African American race were to rebel or revolt. He also makes his audience pity him, referring numerous times to the “shattered dreams” of him and his people. By expressing his disappointment in the white race and, specifically, the white church, he tries to make them feel guilty for their actions. By so vividly describing the struggle of his race in America and by causing is to feel sympathy for them and guilt for our actions, he uses pathos, in my opinion, more effectively than any other tool.
Dr. King’s work, though it contains some fallacies, was meant to explain his purpose. He uses logic, fear, pity, guilt, fact, and his own credentials to create a writing that is so persuasive and well written that it is studied even today for his effective use of strategies in persuasive writing. It is a great piece of rhetoric, and demonstrates all of the components of rhetorical quite thoroughly.

Evansville Content Analysis

Jessica Mayes
Dr. Micer
English 201 Section 5
25 March 2009
The Changing Face of Evansville
Every city has a distinct identity that makes it unique from every other city in the world. A city’s identity is defined by a number of things, including its people, different ethnic and cultural groups, history, industry, moral concepts, and the areas and ideas that the people and the city itself value. Location also plays an important role in a city’s identity. For example, the heavily populated and busy city of Miami is obviously very different from a small rural town in Nebraska. The city of Evansville is located in southern Indiana, and is the third largest city in the state (Advameg, Inc). It is the seat of Vanderburgh County, one of the smallest counties in the country. However, being a large city in the Midwest is very different from being a large city on the east or west coast. Without the aid of the ocean and landscapes of the coastal regions, it is more difficult to entice people to move into the Midwest. Evansville is a city with a declining population struggling to turn itself around and once again become a bustling center of commerce using techniques such as creating more jobs by bringing in more businesses, integrating more commercial industries to draw in tourists, and changing from its original German Catholic background into a more culturally diverse city.
The population of the city of Evansville, Indiana had decreased 3.7% between 1990 and 2000 (Advameg, Inc). This is the most recent data, since the next census will not occur until 2010. Though the city is declining now, it was once a new city with increasing opportunity and growing population and industry. It was officially named a city in 1847 with 4000 people. By 1890, more than 50,000 people lived in Evansville. This growth was due to the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which caused the population to increase and business to develop in the area. A large immigration of European craftsmen came to work in the city’s factories and businesses, further increasing the city. Evansville’s location on the Ohio River also made it a very profitable and easily accessible trade center (Advameg, Inc). In the recent years, however, Evansville has become a city with a decreasing population struggling to keep people here and bring more people in. A main cause of decreasing population is migration out of Evansville by the young adult population due to the fact that people in Evansville earn less money than most of the United States (Reynolds). In the past several years, Evansville’s economy has slowed considerably. The unemployment rate as of January 2009 was 9.2 percent (Shaw). However, Evansville is doing its part to attract people to move to the city and entice residents to stay. In order to keep people in the area, Evansville has tried to bring in more jobs. An Evansville committee known as the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville entered into an innovative technology transfer agreement that created great potential for business opportunity and opened up more jobs for Evansville residents (“United States: Tech Transfer”). Evansville has also implemented incentive programs such as the Evansville Regional Economic Development Corporation, which works in conjunction with the city’s Chamber of Commerce to help develop Evansville’s economy. Job training programs also offer people the opportunity to become more equipped for jobs within the city. Large employers like Toyota, Whirlpool, and Deaconess and St. Mary’s Hospitals provide thousands of jobs to residents of the city (“Evansville Economy”). Though Evansville’s economy has taken a down turn, it is very clearly trying to provide people with job opportunities in as many ways as possible.
Another way in which to attract people to a city is through tourism. The city of Evansville has a few major attractions. These include the historic warship, the LST 325, Casino Aztar, Roberts Stadium, and Mesker Park Zoo. These have been in the city for quite some time. So how do they use these tourist attractions to draw more people in? The city does this by adding to existing attractions to make them more modern and interesting. In 2004 Evansville decided to consider building a new public arena in hopes that it would keep the younger population from leaving. The estimated cost was around ninety two million dollars. While this may indeed keep people in the city, the cost was just too staggering, and construction plans fell through (“Cities and Stadiums”). More successfully, however, was Mesker Park Zoo’s recent endeavor. In 2008 it opened its new attraction, “Amazonia,” an Amazon rainforest exhibit whose main attraction is a jaguar. It has received praises from the residents of Evansville and has hopefully paved the way for more successful projects like it. The main venue for musicians, comedians, and other public speakers including present and former Presidents of the United States is Roberts Stadium. Each year it houses popular musical acts and speakers that draw in very good crowds, furthering the city’s tourism efforts (Langhorne). This promotes the idea that Evansville is a city that seems to care about the image it portrays to the rest of the world and uses that to try to steady its population to prevent further decline.
In a final effort to keep people in Evansville, the city has implemented programs to improve the weak road system. The city’s main thoroughfare is the Lloyd Expressway. Road crews have been working for the past few years on expanding it. Warning lights have also been implemented throughout the city on Fulton Avenue to warn drivers of traffic blockages on nearby roads (Reynolds). In 2006, the Indiana Department of Transportation awarded the Evansville area one and a half million dollars to improve the crumbling road system (“Indiana Department”). The people of Evansville often see the constant road construction as a nuisance and a hazard. At times, it is somewhat hazardous to drive during heavy construction, but the end goal of the city is clear: to improve the quality of the roads to make them safer and more comfortable in the long run. This is a clear effort on Evansville’s part to improve the life and safety of its residents to encourage people to stay here.
Evansville began as a primarily German Catholic community. It has now grown into a center rich in cultural and religious diversity. Evansville has helped to facilitate this diversity by adopting many religious structures, welcoming all people into the city. The city houses a mosque, which is the Muslim place of worship. This allows people of the Islam faith in the Evansville area to have a place in which to gather for worship, as well as acting as a center for celebration and communication within the Muslim faith community in the city (Hussain). Evansville also caters to the Buddhist faith. The Mindful Heart Buddha Sangha is the religious center for people who practice Buddhism. This allows a place for people of this faith to gather together to discuss the teachings of their religion, and gives them a communal place in which to practice meditation, which is a very important aspect of the Buddhist faith (Orr).
Besides being religiously diverse, Evansville is also ethnically and culturally diverse. In 2008 the city opened its first African American Museum that includes exhibits regarding African American life in Evansville throughout its history (Lesnick). This shows Evansville’s clear position of supporting minority groups and allowing them equal opportunity and recognition throughout the city’s nearly 200 year history. Women have also received equal opportunity and recognition in Evansville. A Network of Evansville Women (ANEW) is an organization for professional women. It connects women who are already well established in business and advises those who want to become professionals how to achieve their goals (Medley). This is a great way Evansville has created for businesswomen to communicate with each other, advance to new heights, and gain equal footing with men in the male dominated corporate world.
To summarize, Evansville is a city with a long and economically winding history. It began as a thriving center of business and trade when it officially became a city in 1847. Through the past several years, however, the population has begun to decline due to a large number of young adults migrating out of the city to pursue better job opportunities. Evansville is a tenacious city, though, and is currently doing its best to prevent further population loss. It is doing this primarily by bringing more businesses into the area, therefore creating more jobs for people, and offering training for specialized jobs to increase opportunity. The city is also working to increase its number of tourists. It is doing so through improving old attractions like the new exhibit at the zoo, and allowing celebrities to appear at the local venue, Roberts Stadium. By working to improve the roads in Evansville, the city hopes to keep more people in the area. This better road system will hopefully improve the comfort and safety of the residents of Evansville and the people who pass through. By incorporating many religious views in the city, it creates an environment that welcomes a diverse group of people. Evansville also cares very much about the success of its minority groups, as displayed by the African American Museum and ANEW, an organization to help businesswomen succeed. Though Evansville is declining in population, it is growing in its efforts to reverse the damage that the decrease has done. Evansville is a persistent city that will do most everything in its power to become the bustling center of commerce and diversity that it once was.

Works Cited
"Cities and Stadiums the Issue: Corpus Christi has Similarities to Evansville. Our View: Quality of Life, Affordability are Key Issues." Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current). Evansville Courier & Press. 2008. HighBeam Research. 8 Mar. 2009 .
City-data.com. 2008. Advameg, Inc. 1 March 2009. < http://www.city-data.com/city/Evansville-Indiana.html>.
"Evansville: Economy." Cities of the United States. Thomson Gale. 2006. HighBeam Research. 6 Mar. 2009 .
Hussain, Mohammad. "Mosque is Becoming as Muhammad First Inteded." Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current). Evansville Courier & Press. 2007. HighBeam Research. 10 Mar. 2009 .
"Indiana Department of Transportation Awards $1.5 Million to Fund Improvements in Evansville Area." US Fed News Service, Including US State News. 2006. HighBeam Research. 8 Mar. 2009 .
Langhorne, Thomas B. "Obama Set for Stadium Rally Tonight Evansville Stop Also Will Feature Michelle Obama, John Mellencamp." Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current). Evansville Courier & Press. 2008. HighBeam Research. 6 Mar. 2009 .
Lesnick, Gavin . "Museum Nearly Ready African-American History." Evansville Courier & Press (2007-Current). Evansville Courier & Press. 2007. HighBeam Research. 10 Mar. 2009 .
Medley, Bill. "Working to Connect Evansville Women." Evansville Courier & Press. Evansville Courier & Press. 2006. HighBeam Research. 10 Mar. 2009 .
Orr, Susan. "Local Practitioners Find Buddhist Method Brings Proufound Peace and Change to Life." Evansville Courier & Press. Evansville Courier & Press. 2006. HighBeam Research. 10 Mar. 2009 .
Reynolds, Ryan . "A Growing Dilemma Evansville’s Lagging Economy Makes it Hard to Attract Young Professionals Series: Why Some cities grow and some don't First of a five-day series." Evansville Courier & Press. Evansville Courier & Press. 2003. HighBeam Research. 12 Mar. 2009 .
Reynolds, Ryan. “Train Warning Lights Activated on Fulton.” Evansville Courier and Press. 27 February 2009. 6 March 2009 < http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/feb/27/no-headline---27a0xtrainlights-brf/>.
Shaw, Dan. “Vanderburgh County Unemployment Rate at 8 Percent.” Evansville Business Journal. (6 March 2009). 10 March 2009. .
"United States: Tech Transfer Deal to be Announced in Evansville." TendersInfo. 2008. HighBeam Research. 8 Mar. 2009 .

Public Sphere Proposal

Jessica Mayes
Dr. Micer
English 201
1 April 2009
Public Sphere Project Proposal
For my public sphere project, I want to alert people to the cruel treatment of animals in fur farms and medical testing. I own thirteen chinchillas, and value them very much. They are very good and loving pets, and I have developed a deep connection with them. I found out about chinchilla fur coats a few years ago from my father, and I was appalled. Since then, I have researched it extensively and hope to find a way to abolish the fur industry completely. Through my research I have discovered that animals raised on fur farms are kept in extremely small living quarters like cages (Diamantis 35). They often mangle themselves and practice strange behaviors like pacing, indicative of stress (de Fraga 19). If an animal is not raised on a farm, it is often trapped in the wild. However, this is not always an instant death. Often times a trapped animal will try to gnaw off the captured limb, spending its last few moments in excruciating pain (Parker 32). When the time of execution comes, the animals may be gassed, electrocuted, or even skinned alive. None of these constitute an instant or painless death (Parker 32). For black bear fur, mother bears are often shot up to ten times, leaving their orphan cubs behind (Donahue 1). Animals are even killed while being used for medical and cosmetics testing. Cosmetics testing is often harmful to animals, and cosmetics are clearly not vital to human survival (Leepson 303). So why do we kill innocent animals so we can look pretty? I even found evidence that other effective sources exist to test cosmetics and medical treatments on (“Animal Testing” 1). One main piece of evidence I plan to use to dissuade people from wearing fur is to present the horrifying facts. For instance, many fur-trimmed coats have been made using dog and cat fur (Triggs 116; “Coats Made” 1). Imagine how many people would want to wear a coat made of their cute little puppy or kitten. Many sources say that killing or using animals for humanities purposes is unethical, and I agree. A fur coat is nothing more than a fashion statement, and it serves no real purpose except to show status. Killing animals for humanities vanity is wrong and selfish (“Animal Rights: Fur” 1). If it helps my point, I will even have religion on my side. Most religions like Buddhism and Jainism practice not harming any living creature (“Animal Rights” 1). This issue is very important to me, and I never want to hear about an innocent animal dying so that a celebrity can show off to the media. Though I am not an extremist, I may agree with some of their methods to convey my point. If it is necessary, I will show people the beautiful life that they are taking from an animal when they wear its fur. I plan to describe the bond that can be made with these animals, and how they are sentient beings that make wonderful companions. I will make flyers that describe some of these animals and their qualities to show their worth. I will also make pamphlets with facts and statistics describing the cruelty that these animals occur before they are brutally killed. Posters may also be used, with pictures of the fur clothing and the animals they are made from side by side, to illustrate the life that is lost when a fur garment is made. I hope to dissuade people from ever wanting to see an animal killed for it's fur, and for fashion purposes. As I like to say, the only thing that looks good in a chinchilla fur coat is a chinchilla!

Public Sphere Week Project

For my public sphere activity, my main focus will be alerting people to animal cruelty, particularly in the fur industry and the medical research field. I own thirteen chinchillas, and they will be the main animal that I focus my project on. I plan to alert people to the harsh living conditions and the cruel treatment and execution of these animals on fur farms, and also the suffering that many animals experience when they are infected with diseases to be tested on. I will make a flyer, which will have my main focus and a brief summary of what I plan to convey, to gain people’s attention. I also want to make a pamphlet with facts about the animals that are killed and worn as fur, especially chinchillas and what great companions they make. I need to focus on the community, and I hope to change the way they perceive both wild and domestic animals. I’m a little stuck on other public literacy I could use. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

Content Analysis Research

One of the main issues I have encountered in my research of the Evansville Courier and Press is the economy. The economic decline our country is experiencing right now is clearly affecting our community. We are hopeful that the county will receive more money as the year progresses. Many stories have been published about local people losing jobs due to this recession. It also seems that the community is experiencing a decline in the job market as well.
Crime also seems to be a recurring theme in our community. The main crimes seem to be rape and shootings. This is disconcerting, as it seems to be enough of an issue that i have seen several times just in the past month.
School issues have also been popular recently. Issues dealing with tips for doing well in school, new schools opening, and school budgets allow me to infer that school is very important in our community. Our community seems to realize that the future lies in the hands of young people, and their education will enable them to better our community. With that in mind, the community seems to try to do it's best to further and improve education for young people.

Initial Findings of Content Analysis

According to www.census.gov, the population of Evansville in July of 2006 was estimated to be 350,356 people. According to factfinder.census.gov, around 49,200 people are white males, and 55,655 are females. 13,275 of the total population were African-American. About 6,000 were males and about 7,000 were females. About 1,400 people in Evansville were found to be Hispanic of Latino. According to infoplease.com, the main manufactured products of Evansville are Machinery, plastics, primary metals, pharmaceuticals, food products, and fabricated-metal items. It is also home the the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville. It was founded in 1819 and is located in Vanderburgh County. 62,393 people over the age of 16 are in the labor force, while 4,103 are unemployed. That's all my demographic information for now. More to come!

Memo

The topic I chose was the 30-hour famine because it is honestly the only service project I can think of that I have ever done. I didn't even realize when I started writing that I this event changed me very much as a person. Hopefully after reading my essay you will understand the importance of helping others, and how it can better you as a person as well. My main idea is that by helping others, you can help yourself to grow as a person. I think that was communicated fairly well in my draft. I hope you enjoy it.

Autoethnography

In February of 2006, I participated in a volunteer service project at Mt. Vernon First United Methodist Church called “30-Hour Famine.” This event started at noon the first day and ended at 6:00 pm the next day. The point of this project was to not eat for 30 hours and to raise money and goods for the hungry. During our fasting, we collected canned goods, picked up litter around the city, and held a pancake breakfast. Obviously, I felt very hungry after about 10 hours, but I also felt somewhat accomplished. I knew that what I was doing was a sacrifice for me to help others, and that felt really good. Even today, I am very proud of the work I did to help my community and the example I set through my self-discipline. At the time, I knew I was doing a good thing, but I was not doing it for the reason that I would do it now. Back then, I was just having fun with my friends, and making my grandmother happy by going to church. Now, I realize that I helped a lot of people that day, and though I wasn’t recognized, it was still worth the effort. Knowing that I helped people, even if they don’t know it was me, makes me feel appreciated by a higher power.
I have different values now than I did back then. In high school, my main priority was hanging out with my friends and obeying my parents. My grandmother pushed me to do this event, and though I am glad I did it, I probably would not have done it of my own volition. My priorities have shifted greatly since then. Now, the most important things in my life are my fiancé and school. Honestly, I don’t have much time to be with my friends or go to church. Unlike in high school, when I was forced to go to church, I only go to church when I want to, and I no longer feel guilty when my family tries to make me feel bad for not going. I don’t mean to make it sound like I’ve become selfish and don’t do any community service anymore, but I have become more independent. I do still value helping others, and the 30-Hour famine was a great way to do that. I have stayed the same in a few ways, though. My family’s opinion of me is still very important, and I want to make them proud. That is one reason why school is so important to me now. They will just have to be proud of me for going to college, and learn to live with the fact that I am not particularly active in organized religion.
As I mentioned earlier, the Famine was important to me then for a few reasons. For one thing, my friends went, and I tended to follow my friends. More importantly, I knew I was helping people. However then, unlike now, I wanted recognition and honor for all of my good deeds. I wanted to appease my grandmother and convince her that I was a good Christian. Now, the event means much more to me. I realize the sense of goodness that comes from helping others for no reason other than to help them. The people I helped have never even heard my name, but through my example, they know that there are people out there willing to help. Hopefully, it helped to inspire others to do the same. As a person, I have become busier, but also more understanding of what it really means to be a truly good person.

Political Compass Test

For English 201, I had to take a test online to see where I stand on my political views. It showed that I am a Leftist Libertarian. On the graph, I was about a quarter to the left and a quarter down. This means I value the individual over the state, instead of the authoritarian leftists who value the state over the people. The people that this site calls neo-conservatives generally support high military spending and greater control by the government over the people. I was not surprised that I was a leftist libertarian. I have very strong beliefs about the freedom to live life and make choices, and I am pro-choice and support gay rights very much. I don't know much about politics, but I do not believe that the government is always right, or that we should follow it unconditionally. It pleased me a great deal to see that I was in the same category as Gandhi, who is one of my heroes. In regards to the values of our nation, I tend to value more those on the libertarian side. I value freedom over control, and subsistance over wealth. I do not think conformity is necessarily a good thing, and I value my family more than the state. Friendship and individuality are more important than tolerance and collectivity. However, I do have an authoritarian opinion on security. I value security more than anarchy. The test questions are specifically designed to see where you stand on your political and social views. It asks fundamental right/left and authoritarian/libertarian questions in order to see which side you lean more towards. I did not know much about politics before I took this test, but I believe that my results are as accurate as any test of this nature can be. The questions are very well thought-out ones, and I highly reccommend everyone to go take this test if you're interested. You can take it at http://www.politicalcompass.org/test.

Blog Analysis #1: Before the Sun Sets

The implied thesis as I saw it is that through believing in yourself and appreciating what you have, you can achieve great friendships and leave something very memorable in your wake as you age.

The blog "Before the Sun Sets" is a very well written one, and it is written mostly in the style of a story. The writer, known on the site as Julehya, is a ninety year old woman from the Philippines. Her blog is a chronicle of her life, spanning from her childhood to the present. Clearly, her writings tell of a time long past, but some truths she has to tell still ring true today. Julehya grew up in the Philippines where missionaries were frequent visitors. She moved to the city from the mountains, and had to adjust to a totally new lifestyle there. She attended a school funded by missionaries, and she worked in a convent for the nuns in the summertime (Juleyha). She does not write much concerning the political perspectives of that time, but she does reveal some things in the way of religion and social attitudes. Though she was in school around eighty years ago, it seems that the attitudes of grade school children were similar to when I was a child. Growing up, neither Julehya nor I had very much money. Therefore, we wore hand-me-down clothes and were picked on at school for it.
The main theme in Juleyha's blog seems to be friendship. In the beginning, she was nervous about making friends. As time passed, she came to make friends and spent a great deal of time laughing with them. In this way, we are very similar. However, since we come from different times and different cultures, we have many differences as well. She speaks of different social classes in her childhood, and of how they were treated in different ways. Today in America this is true to an extent, but not to the extreme that it was in the Philippines in the early 20th century.
Juleyha writes her posts like a storyteller, with the quality you would see in a novel. She describes people and places in great detail, including herself and her emotional responses to these people, places, and even events. The only reason there would be to doubt her truthfulness is that her writing is of such high quality and it is so interesting. I do not believe that she is not telling the truth. She just wants people to hear the story of her life.
The writer's stated purpose for the blog is telling her life story to anyone who wishes to hear it. I believe she wants people to remember her culture and the lessons she has learned throughout her life. She wants her grandchildren to have something to look back on and learn something about her and their heritage. She wishes to pass on the wisdom she has gained through experience from friends and family during her ninety years on Earth. The words of her father, "hate warps your being," (Julehya) stayed with her through her life, and allowed her to live a full life and make good friends.
The writer communicates her childhood so effectively and even uses pictures of her own to show the topics she is talking about and how they have changed. The way she describes her feelings on subjects are so detailed and well expressed that she gives a definite sense of honesty in her writing. The intended audience seems to be people interested in reading about the life of an ordinary girl 75 years ago, and also her descendants. I believe that this blog is very well written, and relates to young women and the friendships they make in their childhood. Friendship lasts a long time, and even people who are very different can be the best of friends. When you are gone, make sure you leave behind a legacy that can help people to learn and grow.

You can visit Juleyha's blog at http://mylifeatninetylookingbackandmovingon.blogspot.com/

Please comment and answer the following questions about my writing:

1. Do you get lost in the reading due to gaps or poor explanation? Do I need to elaborate more on a specific subject? If so, where are these inconsistencies located?

2. Is the voice I have used in my writing appropriate for the information I am conveying? Is my mood appropriate in relation to the subject matter?

3. Is there too much detail on a trivial subject in this post? If so, where should I revise to omit uneeded details?

Any additional comments and opinions would be highly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help!

Go Easy on Me, OK?

My name is Jessica, and I am a freshman at the University of Southern Indiana. I love to read (especially Harry Potter), listen to and play music, and just have fun. I am a pretty good at playing instruments. I play the piano, vibraphone, marimba, euphonium, a little bit of drums, and guitar. I attended Mt. Vernon Senior High School, and I was a proud member of the Marching Band. I am engaged to a sophomore here at USI, and his name is Sky. We are getting married in May 2010, and he is the most important thing in my life. I also enjoy making videos and creating things, and I mean anything, such as silly stories, drawings, songs, and even dances. I really like to play badminton, which is pretty much the only sport I'm good at. I'm a biology major, and I want to be a zookeeper at Mesker Park Zoo after I graduate. I have 21 pets total: 3 cats, 2 dogs, 6 degus, and 12 chinchillas. My chinchillas and degus are my pride and joy, and I love them. Watching them bounce off the walls around the house is one of the funnest things I can think of.

For my English 201 class, I have been asked to create a blog. I will be posting my assignments, which will include analyses of readings and who knows what else! This is a blog created so that I can post analyses of other peoples' blogs! This is my first attempt at a blog, so please be gentle. Please offer only constructive criticism, and no flaming. I hope you all enjoy my first blogging experience!