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  1. E-Portfolio Submission

    May 5, 2014 by Bryna Parlow

    Thanks for a great year, Ben!

    Bryna Parlow E-Portfolio


  2. Advocacy Project Ideas

    April 10, 2014 by Bryna Parlow

    One possible topic I have would be to promote campus resources that most students aren’t aware of, or have very little information about. I’m not sure what resources I’ll do yet, maybe something in career services.

    For my audience, it would be geared toward Penn State undergrads, who may know that some of these programs exists, but aren’t sure about what exactly they so.

    I was thinking to spread the information in a form that is commanding some attention right now: online quizzes. People will take quizzes on BuzzFeed and other websites about literally anything (I took a “How Lazy Are You Actually?” quiz along with a “How Much Do You Care About Grammar?”). So plan I guess is to make a “Which Penn State Campus Resource Is for You?”-type of quiz. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll include completely serious choices, because then I think people will be less likely to finish the quiz.  It’ll be balance of serious and funny answers, and I’ll have to get good graphics, so people will want to finish to see their result. In the result, I’ll have the website of the resource and along with a brief description.

    Or I could simplify make it somewhat smaller like “Which CAPS Penn State Resource Is for You?”, and then be able to actually get into what each part of CAPS does…so we’ll see.


  3. RCL Persuasive Essay Topic Proposal

    March 27, 2014 by Bryna Parlow

    What I want to do my advocacy project on Affirmative Action in the Brazil University System. My policy would be that instead of filling quotas based on race, it should be based on level of income. This way, there wouldn’t be a committee of people, as there are in the months of kids applying under the race of “black, ” that look at their skin color and decide if they are “black enough” to qualify for the separate applicant pool.

    My research looked into the number of poor blacks vs. poor whites in the country, and how this policy wouldn’t make as much sense in the Unites States, where there is a larger number of poorer whites, even though there are a higher percentage of poor blacks. However, in Brazil, almost half the population is black, so even if they switch the quotas to an income-based system, there would still be a lot of blacks that would make their way into the education system,

    I think it is appropriate for this assignment because there is seemingly simple way Brazil can fix the problem of the elite making up most of the university population, this is a fairer way to ensure the poorer class gets an opportunity for education.


  4. This I Believe

    February 5, 2014 by Bryna Parlow

     

    While I’m far from shy in my life, there’s something I hate that I think can relate to extraverts and introverts alike.

    I hate people watching me, but more than that, I hate watching myself.

    Sometimes the cruelest, most judgmental pair of eyes on you is your own.

    Take the gym, for example, where the room I hate the most is the small one with the massive, wall-length mirror.

    I really don’t need to stare at that stupid mirror to see how this can’t bend.

    I know this, my awkward body, cannot bend.

    The large, open gym room is where I can let loose though,

    There, I’m anonymous.

    In that room there’s no mirror, no hateful eyes glaring back at me

    And when the music turns on I’m invincible,

    I’m able to tune the world, and most importantly, my negative thoughts out.

    I believe in dorky dance moves.

    I believe in dancing those dorky dance moves like nobody’s watching.

    In fact, I go right ahead; I make an absolute fool of myself, which I can be seen doing in a variety of locations

    Yes

    I’m that weirdo smiling and dancing by myself as I walk in between classes.

    Because as I pass by the scenery that is State College, I will hardly been seen without my ear buds in tow. Whether it is Broadway musicals, classic rock, or those insanely addicting sugarcoated pop singles, I will move my body in awkward ways to them all, and it’s a great feeling.

    The best feeling in the world for me, though, is when I laugh.

    And I’m not talking about a little giggle at something that is mildly humorous.

    I’m talking about an obnoxious guffaw followed the feeling you can’t breathe

    That’s the best feeling.

    Because at that moment, whether it’s getting totally lost in a song or my laugh, I don’t care if anybody’s watching me.

    Nobody’s there.

    It’s just me.

    I’ve found that’s hard to remember though when I’m bogged down with homework, drama, and dozens of other trivial mini-catastrophes that can bring me down in a matter of seconds.

    But, there’s always time for one song.

    One silly-sing-your-heart-out-with an air guitar song…

    It’s an instant mood booster…because I’ve learned being grumpy helps no one, especially myself.

    And when I’m doing my gawky Elaine Benes style dance moves, I’m so into the moment that I forget the trouble and stresses I have,

    I love to see people who are just so into something. Whether it is making silly faces to go along with the moves at gym class, or closing their eyes because they’re so moved by the music they’re creating with their own instrument…..I can’t take my eyes off them

    There’s something so…. magnetizing about it, and that’s because like me, they’ve learned to tune the world out.

    So that’s why when I’m stressed I just turn the music up, sing loud and off key, and include cheesy hand motions.

    At that moment I’m just myself, and I, rock on.


  5. First RCL of the New Semester!

    January 15, 2014 by Bryna Parlow

    RCL

    One idea I have for a “This I Believe” is to “dance like nobody’s watching”.

    I could talk about my experiences with rocking out to my iPod in endless locations, and how I have fun because I can’t see myself be an idiot/dork. Like those stupid mirrors in yoga class? This can’t bend, and I really don’t want to see how it can’t.

    Another one would be “I Believe in Movies”

    I would talk about escapism, and how it can be extremely gratifying just to get away for a few moments in the form of a movie, follow some else’s problems, etc.

    And then there’s nothing wrong with being moved, inspired, because even if the feeling doesn’t last, you remember it feels good. It renews you faith for a just a bit to keep going.

    Passion!

    I really, really like my old topic, but here’s some ideas for new ones. I could write about different careers in a humorous way.

    Like for dentistry I could start with “Were you that kid in high school that everybody hated? The so-called “creepy one” who had an unusual and probably misdirected passion for kids? Then become a dentist!”

    Another idea would be to maybe delve into the different aspects of celebrity culture and look into why so many people (myself included) obsess with celebrities and their lives.

    Civic Issues

    Well…who doesn’t love Sex and Gender-related issues? A gay right is always an option I guess. With more and more states now legalizing it, and even with the latest comments by that Duck Dynasty guy, it’s an issue that is still very much prevalent.

    Fracking! Why? Because it’s such a relatively new issue my computer doesn’t even recognize it as a word! (Believe me the red squiggle was there) Since I honestly don’t know much about it, I’ll get to do plenty of research and probably find new things each time.

    For this semester, I will try to use more dialogue that encourages comments, rather than just telling you all about something you probably don’t care about. I think my line breaks are good, but for my civic issues I’ll try to find more high-quality, relevant pictures.


  6. HW #7

    December 2, 2013 by Bryna Parlow

    The message of these videos definitely gains more rhetorical meaning when viewed in the video medium. Since, after all, it is a video about shooting video.

    The common place of the amateur video guy who doesn’t know much is used, and I guess we’re supposed to relate to him (and I guess we are if we’re watching “Shooting Basics”).

    The “Choosing a Camera” video had strong rhetoric with all the comparison footage used. It was very effective to show the side-by-side picture differences between a cell phone and a camcorder. The same was done with an audio comparison.

    I think having the Vimeo logo on the T-shirts in the videos establish a sort of ethos.  When the viewer sees an actor wearing the T-shirt, we want to listen a bit more closely to what that have to say, as well as hold what they say with more validity than that amateur guy.

    I have to admit I found myself chuckling at the Shooting Basics video. The sort of story element produced by the “intruding” guy not only adds humor but also keeps the viewer engaged on the message. As cheesy as the guy may be, I still remembered the pizza-box-blocking-the-light thing.

    It’s a good rhetorical choice to have the same actor play the “amateur guy” role in all of the videos. It allows us, the audience, to develop a relationship with this guy as he goes through the journey of learning basic video skills.


  7. Hounding for Some Rhetoric

    November 21, 2013 by Bryna Parlow

    With the Michigan Blood Challenge coming to a close, I’d though I might as well get a shameless plug in along with my RCL blog.

    With the endless fliers and posters traversing through the HUB and throughout campus, how does one stand out? I’ve found that rhetoric that goes the extra mile makes me pay attention to the message more.

    So…what qualifies as “going the extra mile”?

    I distinctly remember one time I was walking up the HUB stairs, and the guy passing out fliers said “Excuse me miss, can you throw this out for me?”

    In this case, humor won out. He got me to smile, and I took the flyer.

    Getting people the smile is the key. When you smile at something you see, it’s fail-proof sign you’ve at least acknowledged what you’ve seen. You may not wish to buy the product or take the flyer, but your smile indicates that you, at the very least, have seen the message.

    979885_10202334811593527_1296157641_o

    So yes, that’s me in the Blood Hound costume.

    And look! Someone took a picture with me. Through pure exposure of me walking/dancing around as an unrecognizable dog, I brought attention to the ongoing blood drive. I not only received several high-fives but was asked to pose in a couple pictures as well.

    Note: It was freezing out that day, so the suit was actually quite cozy.

    So what makes parading around in a costume such successful rhetoric? I’m guessing it’s the fact that it’s definitely not something you see everyday.

    Flyers in the HUB, what else is new? Booths and tables outside, how commonplace!

    And then you see it, a loveable, human-sized dog! It’s something different, new, and appealing.

    So while you’re very likely to look at the costume and possibly smile, the people implanting the rhetoric still want to be sure their specific message is retained. I wasn’t out there waving to people alone. I was paired with a girl who yes, was handing out fliers, but also was giving information about the blood drive.

    The initial draw-in (me in my obviously attractive dog costume) + Accurate information = effective rhetoric.


  8. RCL HW#6

    November 18, 2013 by Bryna Parlow

    My preparation for my TED talk was definitely as choppy as the talk itself. I would do bouts of “script writing”, then randomly look to find images, and then practice rehearsing the words I just wrote. Looking back, I definitely should have started preparing earlier. I also should have handled one thing at a time. I should have fully developed the topic I wanted to write about rather than haphazardly writing down whatever came to my head. What I’ve learned from this is that preparing a talk/presentation/TED thing is a process: a one-step-at-a-time process.

    I knew I wanted to incorporate cultural salience into my presentation. I attempted to do this by putting in examples from fairly recent television shows like That 70s Show and The Mindy Project. Of course I scripted how I would say these things in the perfect manner, but I flubbed it up in the talk a bit. However, I think I was able to get my point across.

    Another crucial element I wanted to include in my talk was for it to be relatable. I wanted to incorporate this at the end after presenting all my information with a “this is the takeaway” point, which I had worded in my script. Unfortunately, I paused for at least 10 seconds before I actually said the point, so that definitely took away from its meaning.

    The part of my TED talk that needs the most improvement would be my word flow. There were way too many times when ummm I umm said ummm between ummm every ummm word. I also ended up using some very poor word choices that definitely did not have a place in my rehearsal process. I said things like “prevents against poor disease” and “change the way people result in stress and health.”

    Of course I was finally able to squeak out after that agonizing 15 second pause my conclusion, which I was hoping made the information presented in the talk actually understandable. It also wasn’t that great that I visibly showed my frustration. I should have least kept my feelings concealed as I paused looking for my next words.

    (Also if you want to see the face of a completely pissed off person, look at my face for the last five seconds.)

    It also didn’t help that I looked like I was closing my eyes in shame. I definitely should have focused on placing my eyes a little bit more upward. Unfortunately I also kept repeating the oh-so-flattering arm motion of my elbows being at 90-degree angle for the duration of the talk, as well as the super-annoying motion of pulling my hair back behind my ear.

    One thing I did like about my talk was I felt I kept up a good pace. I was animated (at last for the parts I wasn’t pausing), and I felt I never spoke too fast, which is something I tend to do when I’m nervous. I think is was good I had a lot of little things to cover, so that kept the presentation moving. The parts that worked better and (hopefully) detracted from my off-putting speech patterns were when I was engaged and used vocal inflections.

    All in all, I’d say it was a pretty poor performance on my part, especially because I know my acting script was a lot more polished and put together. I definitely needed to practice more. I’m going to try and redo it later in the week, so hopefully I’ll be able to put up a new-and-slightly-improved talk.


  9. HW #5

    October 31, 2013 by Bryna Parlow

    I’m planning on talking about that with the trend of our “skinnier is better” culture, there have been a few women who speak out against this. Often it’s celebrities like Elizabeth Berkeley, and the daughters of Arnold Schwarzenegger and John McCain.

    My thesis will be something along the lines of how their campaigns are successful because of what they’re focusing on and how they do it.

     

    I will definitely plan my visuals well, including pictures of the ladies and their work. I can develop ethos by citing come facts (in an appealing way of course) to set up where society sees this issue today.

    (also, I might change this)

     


  10. RCLLLLLLLLLL

    October 30, 2013 by Bryna Parlow

    So my friends and I were watching “Awkward” in the TV lounge last night.  And while there were certainly many gasps and screams uttered, mostly along the lines of “Oh my god no! He’s so cute!” our voiced also picked up during the commercial break.

    One commercial was particularly difficult to identify. All we could see was some kind of liquid pouring into molds that was solidifying and being assembled together. We immediately started shouting out our guesses on what the commercial was advertising.

    “Car!” “Car!” “Car!” “It’s totally a car!”

    We were disappointed when it revealed, in the last three seconds mind you, to be a commercial for a cell phone.

    But I think the fact that we all guessed it was for a car says something. Car commercials are often the most wacky, intricate, and clever (though not usually at the same time) ones out there.

    This is one of my favorites. It’s a Volkswagen commercial from the 2012 Super Bowl.

    I don’t know how effective it is if your product isn’t featured until over halfway through the commercial, but here Volkswagen makes it work.

    Not featuring the product right away does give it a sense of intrigue. The commercial definitely uses ethos in building the audience’s connection with the little boy. We become fixated on his quest, and therefore pay attention to the commercial.

    The ad also keeps us engaged with cultural salience. From the very first few seconds, a majority of the viewing audience will recognize the Star Wars music, and an even great majority will be familiar with the Darth Vader.

    This clip has been viewed more than 58 million times on YouTube. That’s even greater than some popular music videos. I think this shows that an important factor for successful rhetoric in a commercial, especially in a car commercial, is the ethos and cultural salience. Cars are machines, and generally people don’t connect with machines. You have to find the right balance of a backstory and personal connection while still making sure your product is featured.

    How well do you think Volkswagen did here?


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