Self- Evaluation: The Wall

Stephanie Russo

ENG 112

May 6^th, 2014

The Wall

            One of the many goals of taking a college course is to not only learn and apply the material given, but to also grow as an individual. This goal has flourished through the ten courses I have already taken as a college student in that I continue to learn more about my abilities in academia along with as individually. Throughout English 112, I had a few standards for myself to achieve during the course of the spring semester simply because you cannot measure your success without determining your starting point. As I plug along through these four years working up to my career, I seek skills that will benefit me for the duration. It is evident to me that my improved organizational skills and ability to review while writing will benefit me in the future and into my career as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

            When writing, organizing the piece so that it will flow and make sense the entire way through has proved to be more important than I presumed. Before this semester, I was unaware of the different techniques used in organization, and just made sure that my ending sentences and topic sentences bounced off of each other. Because of this, attempting to put my ideas into essay format as well as making sure the organization was strong was difficult for me. I would just write whatever came next in chronological order every time. In my blog post “Activity 6”, there was no sense of organization as I jumped from the idea of critical analysis to the importance of asking questions. If I were to attempt reviewing this activity even further, I would apply the knowledge that I now have of creating an after-the-fact outline to make sure my organization, topic and ending sentences held fluidity. Furthermore, like many other first year college students, I was under the impression that the five paragraph layout was the way to go. English 112 has clearly shown me that this structure of an essay is not efficient and will not be considered “college-level writing”. I started off my Autobiographical Essay titled, “Love from Afar” this way and found myself struggling to incorporate more information without making the paragraphs all bleed together. The end result became many different paragraphs when going to a new thought and proved to paint a better essay than the standardized high school model. There are many ways in which you can organize your paper including spatial order, time order, cause and effect order, and compare and contrast order, to name a few. Implementing one of these strategies, my Southern Problem and Solution assignment titled “Gym Nightmare” followed a problem solution pattern in each of the body paragraphs and a concession and refutation paragraph just before my conclusion. In doing this, the essay was rhythmic and was well-organized compared to when I first wrote the essay and had problem and solution paragraphs scattered about. Organization is a worthy skill to obtain so that your readers have the ability to follow along with your perspective easily and also keeps the pieces interesting.

            It was also true that prior to this semester, I would be able to get away with changing a few sentences here and there when going from rough draft to final draft. But the power of reviewing your paper yourself and peer review has changed my perspective completely. I was never a fan of peer review as stated in my “4R” blog post. I write, “Excited to be a part of writer’s workshop in high school for the first few times, I’ve learned that it was pretty awful in the end. Not only did I give peer review a second chance, but definitely obtained new ways for myself to become a more efficient peer editor.” These are two statements that I expressed through my reaction blog post for the week and show the contrast throughout the peer review process that I experienced. My outlook changed completely when performing these tasks in a college classroom setting and I was humbled by it. Additionally, peer editing was such a warming process to know that other people in my group appreciated my writing and were kind enough to provide feedback that would later help me improve my piece. The insight to different perspectives was provided and this process also gave me time away from my paper so that I would be able to go back to it with clear eyes and a clear mind. With maturity comes progress and I have demonstrated this to myself in English this semester.  Contrasting my opinion of reviewing from the beginning of the semester to now is a good representation of how my perspective on the future has changed.

            Speech-language pathologists, sometimes called speech therapists, work with people who have an assortment of speech-related conditions. These disorders can include the inability to produce certain sounds, speech rhythm and fluency problems, and voice disorders. Helping people who want to modify accents or who have swallowing difficulties is also included in this occupation. With sheer confidence, English 112 has prepared me with the necessary skills to move forward. Beginning with being able to write a clearly organized report on various cases will be a crucial expertise to hold especially if treatment stretches over a long period of time. It will ensure that the next person who deals with this same patient, will be able to easily follow the report on their diagnosis and take appropriate further action if needed. Also, being a part of the peer reviewing process has made me more modest and able to work with a diverse group of people. Even on a small scale, being able to collaborate and work on a task together with a diversity of people is a skill not able to be taught and very useful when approaching any job.

            I look at the transformation of my writing this semester as a perfect work in progress. By meeting the benchmarks I set for myself, my abilities to essentially review my skills have shined through. Knowing that there will be lessons from this class that I can apply through the rest of my life and into my career is such a relief. All of the time and effort put into this semester, whether it be reorganizing my papers or developing someone else’s, was worthwhile and has helped me grow. But, the climbing does not stop here. I will take these lessons and abilities and apply for whatever comes my way. Think about a period of time that when you look back, it is as if you have knocked down a soaring wall and gotten through to the other side. What a breath of fresh air. 

Essay #3 - Gym Nightmare

Gym Nightmare

            Prior to suffering a knee injury, I never saw the importance of joining a gym in that I had all the exercise I needed from constantly playing soccer and dancing. But, once I was required to join after physical therapy, it became part of my lifestyle. Not only did it further my progress in getting my knee stronger, but the friends and people I have met throughout the years at many different gyms will be some I will never forget. It has become habitual for me and my dad to go together and we have developed such a closer relationship because of it. We constantly push each other and motivate the other to put in our best, every time. Gyms outpour with supportive members and people who would love to see you reach your goals and I will never catch myself without a membership again. It is of utmost importance that this same experience is happening at our gym here at SCSU. Whether it be continuing a habit from home, or wanting to start a healthy lifestyle when you start college, the gym is one of the best places to relieve the stresses of college.

If you take a walk to the Adanti Student Center and up a few flights of stairs, the friendly, and sweat filled atmosphere will greet you on your right. Filled with cardio and weight machines and a well-kept, clean locker room, separating the genders, the Fitness Center at Southern Connecticut State University seems to be fulfill their member’s needs and hold themselves to a standard where only positivity is accepted. Being a member of this school gym requires you to pay a fee of sixty dollars per semester and is offered to students, faculty, and even alumni. If our semesters are about three and a half months long, this translates to about eighteen dollars a month. After completing your daily workout routine many times here, it becomes evident that the glorious gym you thought you would be entering is not all it is cracked up to be. By using the membership money wisely, it is necessary for the Fitness Center to install adequate water supply and air conditioning along with promoting more social events to ensure students and faculty will have a healthy and worthwhile workout.

            Stepping foot into this facility, the most obvious things you would notice would be sweat and beat red faces, but the less obvious are hard work ethic and determination. Along with these characteristics, comes dedication to a healthy lifestyle and the most important ingredient to this is water. When you exercise, your body loses water through sweat as it tries to cool itself down. This is water that needs to be sufficiently replaced for you to maintain optimal health. Even though hydrating yourself involves drinking a lot of water before physical activity, keeping this hydration present is important while you actually participate in the activity. (Livestrong.com) Most underestimate the importance of water and do not realize the risks of not being completely hydrated, which is probably why it is not acted upon in the fitness center. If you dance your feet along the white tiled and speckled floor covered with sporadic spaces of sand and into the locker rooms, you will notice a traditional silver water fountain peeking out of the wall. As you bend at the waist and fill your water bottle, the cold sensation of the bottle on your hand makes your mouth water and ready for rejuvenation. When actually taking a sip of this, you will find more of a metal taste in your mouth rather than that cold water you were expecting. This is because these water fountains are not purified water, and just the regular tap water from the city of New Haven. New Haven's tap water comes from the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, and although regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they have created reports that the water includes "lead levels that still often exceed medically recognized health standards." (United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2012) The lead is so potent in the water that squirts out of the fountain, which many members shy away from refilling their water bottles because they detest the taste. A danger is now produces as many members go without drinking water during their workout because this is their only option.  Keeping this in mind, it is crucial for the school gym to install at least one purified water fountain because even as little as a two percent drop in body water can cause small but critical shrinkage in the brain that can slow thinking, and decrease concentration. Being at a college, these characteristics must be at a peak to maximize learning and thinking abilities. When putting it into perspective, installing a purified water fountain sounds expensive, but with just one of these fundraising events, and splitting the proceeds in half, the goal is attainable. If buying from Primo Water & Dispensers, it will be one hundred and eighty dollars for hot and cold Pro Series Dispenser. This dispenser will additionally self-clean so that it is efficient and a solid investment for the members in that they will receive better quality water and also lessen their risk of dehydration while working out.

As it starts to get warmer, the air inside of the buildings gets more humid and muggy and is deprived of oxygen. Now imagine over fifty bodies in a single room, all generating extra body heat from exercising and sweating. Just this past weekend, the SCSU Fitness Center was closed because of “high temperatures”. This is unfair to the members as they pay a membership fee and expect to have access to the gym every day of the week. When asked about the gym conditions, Victoria, a freshman at SCSU stresses the simple fact that air conditioning is needed in this workout facility: “It is so hard to concentrate on your work out when you are gasping for sweaty air. We do pay sixty dollars a semester for our membership to this gym so I think the least they can do is put in air conditioning for us.” Granted, this is only one member’s opinion, but it is a commonality for many who work out here to feel this way. It would be difficult to close the gym and put in air conditioning in a pre-existing building, but decreasing the risk of overheating and the growth of molds and mildews by putting a cooling unit would outweigh the price immensely. Being exposed to these allergens such as mold, mildew, and pollen can cause a person to have allergic reactions, develop asthma, and respiratory problems. (hellomagazine.com) Reducing the risk of the presence of external allergens would ensure that members will have a healthy workout with no excuses.

            Every so often, you will see a neon colored sign exclaiming that an event tied to the fitness center is being held soon. These events can range from Zumba to Insanity and are a great way for students who attend SCSU to get out and have a good time with their friends, while working on their fitness and getting healthy. However, it is only but every two months will these signs pop up and it is time to increase the amount of events held that are sponsored by the fitness center. By holding these for members of the gym and non-members, will promote fitness campus wide and excite students to incorporate daily exercise into their routine. Some people are just so intimidated by actually going into a gym because of “gym rats” and intimidation, but these fun events will show them that there is nothing to be afraid of and that being healthy is the way to be. It is important to remember that this gym is not like others just placed in the middle of plazas. The SCSU Fitness Center is dead center on a college campus, so coordinating events such as school wide running events or 5K marathons is a way for the students to come together. As a side note, more than half of the residents that live on campus make their way home on the weekends because of how “dead” the campus is on the weekends. Hosting these events for students will draw students to stay here and interact with the school on the weekends, and can also be a popular fundraising event.

            Fundraising is a broad topic and there are many options for the Fitness Center to act upon to raise money for these causes. Generally speaking, college students, especially here at Southern, love tee shirts. With this being said, the Fitness Center can promote an event, whether it be a flag football tournament or exercise class such as Boot Camp, where everyone can pay a small amount to take the class and afterwards can tye dye a tee shirt. To make this more attractive, half of the proceeds can be donated to an association such as the American Cancer Association or American Heart Association. Obviously, not every student who attends school here will have a gym membership or even care about the gym itself, but including these causes into the mix will help get members and non-members involved. These can also provide exposure to the gym atmosphere for those who aren’t familiar and get them to consider joining. The exposure is important because it is so common for people who have never attended a gym to be overwhelmed and feel as though everyone is watching only them but this is not the case. Sure, fundraising can cost a few bucks and students may not be interested, but if held during the week at a low cost such as five dollars, these fundraising events can make a real impact.

In comparison to schools that are similar to Southern, such as Eastern Connecticut State University, the Fitness Center falls below. At Eastern, students have access to not one, but two gyms that have air conditioning and purified water fountains. Mirrors line the walls of these gyms and a membership is included in the tuition. Furthermore, gyms that occupy the surrounding areas such as Planet Fitness or Cardio Express, charge ten dollars per month and also include classes and free tanning from time to time.  What makes Southern different that a sixty dollar membership fee is required per semester and why is this money not being used resourcefully? Imagine a gym on campus that takes care of your health needs and social needs. A more efficient environment to help you constantly reach fitness goals, and keep you coming back for more. This perfect gym can be established here at Southern if the money collected from events and memberships was used in a smarter fashion, keeping the hydration and body temperature in mind. How can Southern and the Fitness Center work together to alter the budget and improve the facility?

Works Cited

"Air Conditioning: Cool." Hellomagazine.com. N.p., n.d. Web.  Apr. 2014. <http://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/201007053811/air-conditioning/health/risks/>.

"Importance of Drinking Water during Exercise." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 02 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/339075-importance-of-drinking-water-during-exercise/>.

 "Local Drinking Water Information." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2014. <http://water.epa.gov/drink/local/index.cfm>.

Victoria Marino. Personal Interview. 4/9/2014

9R

Our week in English consisted of one word, essays. On Tuesday, we had the chance to peer review the second drafts of essay three. This peer review session worked out tremendously as we were able to switch essays with different people in the class to get a feel for other writing styles and also we were given the rubric to which we will be held accountable. This made the peer review straighter forward and based on the same criteria throughout. Kim definitely had ideas for me to add to my essay as I had reached just about three pages with nowhere to go. I got a chance to take a breather away from the essay and her ideas really helped me to further the essay and escape writer’s block. It was beneficial to see what my peers thought I would lose points on the most, which were adding more ethos and personal connection to the problem I was describing. It was easy to describe the problem because everyone loves to complain sometimes, but coming up with a valid and realistic solution was my challenge during this assignment.

                Moving forward to Thursday, with draft three of essay three in hand, I was feeling much better about the final product. I was able to elongate the essay and include more specific information such as statistics and personal connections. In class, we wrote a reflective letter to the professor so that we may address more areas that can be improved before handing in the final draft. I wrote that I needed feedback on my thesis statement because I was unsure about how specific it was, and also am unsure how the essay flows/ if it has flowing organization and what I can do to fix these. These will be discussed during our conferences next week which I am looking forward to so that I can ensure that I am completing this essay correctly and going in the right direction with it. We then were introduced to the final essay which a self-reflective piece that is universal to all English 112 classes. While talking in small groups, I figured out that I wanted my topic to be revolved around the ways in which what I have learned during this semester will help me throughout my career as a Speech-Language Pathologist. It was a good way to brainstorm and nail down a topic, all that is left is to gather evidence and create a final piece that I can compile all the knowledge from this semester and be proud!

9T

Anecdote- a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

After the fact outline- states the topics of each paragraph and recognizes the organization of the essay or story

Problem- a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

Solution- a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.

Self-reflection- consideration or serious thought about one's character, actions, and motives.

Reflective writing- a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events or new information, a way of making meaning out of what you study and learn

8R

“When learning is purposeful, creativity blossoms. When creativity blossoms, thinking emanates. When thinking emanates, knowledge is fully lit.” A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

               

This week, after a long time coming, we handed in our first final essay. I can say with confidence that this piece was one of the most well written and meaningful pieces I have ever written and I really shocked myself. It is crazy what you can do if you really put your mind to it. The final product is one I can say exemplifies hard work and dedication. Up until this point, I would always get frustrated and discouraged about writing a thesis, but after a lot of revising, I was finally capable to come up with a strong working thesis.

                Furthermore, in-class we started talking about fallacies and the elements of arguments that appeal to your audience. These include logos, pathos, and ethos. Last semester, we focused heavily on these aspects and how they were intertwined in advertising or media. So, when asked to find examples of fallacies for homework, I relied on my prior knowledge to complete it. Additionally, when looking at fallacies, I am aware of what they are, but have a difficult time figuring out which category they fall under. We then read the essay “Children Should Play, Not Compete,” and picked apart the different elements the author used. She had an interesting introductory strategy and way of displaying her thesis which our class agreed was a bit confusing. The author also definitely established strong credibility by using multiple sources, but had none of her own analysis or thoughts on the source material, and therefore hurt her argument. When I first read this essay that was the first thing to jump out at me. We were always taught that when writing, the more examples, the better but our class recognized this not to be the case because it can be overpowering. Rather, you should add your own opinion and have the sources support your opinion. Our in-class activity really facilitated practicing a new technique called an “after the fact outline” which was super helpful in looking at the authors organizational strategies and can also help establish what needs to be worked on. I do feel myself getting stronger in more areas of reading and writing, so keep it coming!

Blog 8T

Blog 8T

Argument- a statement, reason, or fact for or against a point

A discussion involving differing points of view; debate

Topic- conflict/issue at hand

Thesis- proving your position on the issue

Three elements of argument to appeal to the audience:

·         Logos- based on logic, provides evidence and support. Use objective facts that are “true”. Examples include observation, statistics, facts, experiences

·         Pathos- based on emotions such as sadness, guilt, humanity, or positive feelings

·         Ethos- based on ethics and the spirit of right and wrong, establishes credibility and considers the opposition

 *danger of using any one of these- weakens argument

Logical Fallacies- a pattern of thinking that has faulty reasoning and error in the argument, can “poke holes” in the argument

                Ex. Music education makes kids smarter

                                Holes- SAT’s do not measure intelligence

                                                Socioeconomic classes may provide more/better opportunities

                                                Results can be based on the student’s focus, discipline, desire, and          determination attitudes

Using source material- make sure to comment on and connect back to your thesis, “3/4ths should be your analysis, 1/4^th should be the source material”, try not to end paragraphs with source material/quotes

Opposition- resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument.

Concession-the act of yielding or conceding, as to a demand or argument

Refutation- an act of refuting a statement, charge, etc.; disproof.

Observation

Entering the Adanti Student Center and climbing up the two, dark grey colored stairs, your tired legs will take a few steps until you reach your destination. Bright colors and paper flyers cover the glass doors ahead of you filled with fitness activities and events that are coming up in the next few weeks. As you turn the slippery silver handle and enter the glass doors, you are greeted with smiling faces usually in gray tee shirts. “Hey, how are you today?” is the first question you try to answer but the smell of sweat and rubber overtake your nose. Then, you gently swipe your hoot loot, making sure the black bar code is facing toward you and hear a beep. The beep is your ticket into the gym and you are finally ready to begin your workout.

 Passing two more open doors to offices on the left and ten tall cardio machines on the right, the girl’s locker room jumps out at you. In this classy, all white and cream locker room, girls of all sizes are preparing for their workout or are covered in sweat already. The tiled floors have scattered spots of dirt from outside but are generally kept up well. Your worst enemy is staring you in the face with numbers ranging from zero to three hundred and a black platform to determine your confidence. A quick look in the full length mirror, and you step back out onto the speckled gray textured floor. Sounds of metal hitting metal and static from the machines along with faint music will fill your ears here, but most like to drown this sound out with ear phones and their personal music.

                Many different people spend their time here including students and faculty, but they all have a few things in common. The most obvious, sweat and beat red faces, but the less obvious, hard work ethic and determination. Working out is a life style that most believe is just physical but is mentally exhausting as well. Your mind set must be motivated and ready to take on what you think is the impossible just to get that body you’ve always dreamed of. Taking a few steps further, past the dozens of treadmills and elliptical machines lined in parallel rows, you look to your left and find a huge mirror coupled with black free weights and weight machines. Mostly guys will stand in this area to look at themselves and their progress in the mirror, very rarely will you see females here. In the way back of this straight lined facility, you will find two doors to enter into a room. This room always reminds me of my ballet room as it has ceiling to floor mirrors and light sand colored wooden floors. Used for group exercise and space, this room can be turned into one of the most fun places on campus, being able to socialize while working hard. The SCSU fitness center is filled with positive energy and various people constantly trying to reach their goals which rubs off on any new comers or even the regulars.