Revision Process

At first I really struggled with the idea of a mediation paper. For a long while now my writing was been structured as making a claim (via a thesis), then using facts and rhetoric to prove my claim. The mediation paper on the hand does not really make a claim, but instead seems to just be stating facts in a very organized fashion. The papers purpose is more to educate than it is to prove a point. Taking this mentality, and outside inspiration I soon developed a very structured way of writing my paper.

The structure of my paper was loosely inspired by the Barack Obama speech “A more perfect Union“. Like the speech which started off speaking of the historical roots of racial tension in America, I started of discussing the historical roots of marijuana use in organized societies. I went in depth into its earliest uses in ancient china and described how uses of the plant have evolved throughout the years. The next phase of my paper described how people viewed and used the plant in early American society, followed by when and why the relationship went sour.

Once I established the historical relevance of marijuana use I went on to describe its present day use, and how both sides of the debate feel about the issue of legalization. There are many myths out there about marijuana, and most of these myths come from people on the extreme ends of the issue spinning statics. In order to remain neutral (and help keep my audience neutral as well) I decided to make sure that each point (whether pro or con), was followed by an equally strong point from the other side. For my conclusion I summarized the general gist of my paper and came up with a middle of the road conclusion which should satisfy both sides of the issue.

As far as revision goes I tend to revise as a write a paper. I usually have an outline of how I want the paper to develop and try to focus on proper transitions. Transitions are not only important when switching paragraphs, but they are necessary in making the paper as a whole flow. After I get the paper sounding the way I want, the next step in my revision process is checking grammar and spelling. It is hard for me to edit a paper on a computer screen, so I usually print out a copy, edit it, and then make the essay corrections. This way of editing takes longer to do, but it works for me. No matter how many times I check my own writing I always find another mistake (at times I just alternate word choice with each draft), so for my next revision step is to have an outside party check the paper for clarity, consistency, and also grammar and spelling. The final step in my revision process is to make sure everything is properly cited.

Borak Obama

I heard this speech when it first cam out and i have one way to describe it...PERFECT. He speaks for all of America in this speech. Whether one agrees with most of his issues or not, one has to admit he understands race in a way that most people don't (or at least can not express).

Clemson Photo Essay

My photo essay is about the impact of Clemson football on Clemson fans. Game day is not only about the game, but so much more. It is about having fun and being with friends and family. I've decided to make this argument by "telling a story." The essay follows a mock game day from sunrise till the final whistle blows. Slides not involving people represent a chapter/theme change in the day...Enjoy

Works Cited
Sunset,Tailgate orange,Tailgate Dress,
Family,Tiger cub #1,Tiger cub #2,
Caged Tiger,Death Valley,Excitment #1,
Excitment #2,Excitment #3,Excitment #4,
Uncaged tiger,Clemson Pass,Clemson Rush,
Clemson Tackle,Looking down,Crying Fan,
Hope,Catch,Rush the Field!

Visual Rhetoric

I choose this political cartoon because it made me laugh the first time i saw it. On the surface it appears to make fun of president Bush (which it does), but to me it is so much deeper than that. It reflects on how big this upcoming election is. Everyone in the country is excited for the upcoming race and young people are voting in record numbers. Maybe i just hadn't noticed it in years past but its interesting to see how all the hype of these elections are overshadowing our current political situation. The whole world is waiting to see the path that America and so am I.

Photo Essay

I looked at a bunch of photo essays, and many of them focus on different aspects particular event or lifestyle. My personal favorite was an essay about hip-hop. Reason being the subject matter and also while other essays focused on different aspects of a specific event, this essay was more of a time line and depicted the evolution of an art form.

Grammer Question

The biggest grammar problem I have is knowing when to use "affect vs. effect." It is something that i can remember reviewing multiple times in elementary and even middle school, but it just did not stick. According to Grammer Girl, this is one of her most frequently asked grammar related questions. One of those requesting an answer went as far as calling it a "conundrum." Grammer Girl says that "Affect with an a means 'to influence'....", while "Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions."

Though there are rare exceptions to this rule, it holds true 95% of the time. To help us remember the rule Grammer Girl has created the following picture to help us remember it: