Monthly Archives: September 2012

Ideas for Appeals Essay

Posted on September 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Well, we have an essay draft due next week—Surprise! The assignment is to rhetorically analyze a “text” and its use of the various appeal strategies. I’m glad the term “text” includes speeches, pamphlets, etc. Although I need to look more into the kind of information I can find, I’m leaning toward using John Lennon’s famous classic “Imagine” as it is one of my favorites and an obvious example of appeals. I think I can probably make it work, but, just in case, I’m considering one of Banksy’s works that includes a statement, or one of my favorite poems. I feel like we don’t know enough yet about the project to make a definite decision on a subject…

 

Although I’m nervous about my first college essay, I’m kind of excited (I definitely secretly love writing essays)…  I feel I need to prove my reason for my enrollment in this honors class and I’m 95% sure I can do it. I only hope that after my super lazy summer, I didn’t lose any ability to produce a decent essay.  I don’t know… these blog posts have been a little rough in terms of composition. I should be fine, right? Let’s hope so—I don’t want to destroy John Lennon’s perfection with nonsense writing and support! Ah!

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Emotions of THON

Posted on September 27, 2012 | 2 comments

With the release of the THON documentary tonight, “Why We Dance,” I couldn’t help recalling the film’s preview and all other preceding videos about the largest student-run philanthropic effort hosted here in Penn State. I personally cannot watch one of the many YouTube videos about the subject without wanting to cry (and I don’t cry at many things) due to the intense inspiration of the clips in combination with empowering text. Each video provokes one’s emotions, infiltrating thoughts first with the horrible effects of pediatric cancers and then with the uplifting tale of THON, working to relieve the emotional and financial pain experienced by the diagnosed children and their families. When the unforgettable number cards unfold one by one to reveal the amount of money raised, many feel an uncontrollable chill run up his/her spine. The touching background music in combination with the moving scenes where smiles are contagious and the only tears to be found are of joy, truly “tug at one’s heartstrings.” Although it is a shame that THON has to exist in terms of the continual presence childhood cancer, it is a wonderful opportunity for unity, to showcase that no one is fighting the battle alone. WE ARE…here for those who need renewed strength and motivation to go on combating these awful conditions. Penn Staters, too, are united under this positive cause, especially after the negative controversy experienced over the past year. As one of the many, I cannot wait for the documentary premier tonight! I’ll probably be an emotional mess, but I believe it will be an outstanding documentary and will renew our inspiration to move forward as one community.

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How Egg-travagant!

Posted on September 27, 2012 | 3 comments

Hello again, friends!

So I was/am still pretty hungry today so for the artist of the week I decided to seek out an artist who uses food as a creative medium… I found surprisingly varied and overall impressive techniques from mosaic portraits made of junk food to ornate pastries that really “take the cake” in awesomeness! But the one artist really caught my eye for her unique medium is something I’ve never seen before…

Christel Assante

Christel Assante is a French artist who carves and paints eggshells in her spare time. Without any formal artistic training, the science major began working with eggs nearly a decade ago. When asked during an interview why she tried eggs, she humbly responded, “This question is always the most difficult for me, indeed, I don’t know at all what pushes people to adopt a special technique. It happens often without knowing why. I actually likes drawing on this so symbolic shape, on this so pleasant material because very porous which allow numerous different techniques … The egg shape allows to present scenes which evolve as you turn around it. I like this idea …” She has experimented with a wide array of egg types, including ostrich, emu, quail, duck, etc—each varying thickness allows for more possibilities—yet oddly never uses those of a chicken. Depending on the egg, a project may take from 8 hours to a full week to finish. Although she has much experience in this medium, she encourages others to try it out. She claims all you need are some small carving knives, vinegar, and a tiny-small drill (preferably diamond-coated).

So if you have some free time and a raw egg, why not? No harm no fowl!

Forget Christmas in July, anyone up for Easter in October??

Viv

P.S. I could not find an official website for her work, so just Google Image search her name for more amazing pieces!

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Reflection on Speech

Posted on September 20, 2012 | 2 comments

So… The speech wasn’t so bad.

I think everyone incorporated different organizations, demeanors, and transitions that both assisted and hindered his/her presentation. First, I think that energy level and confidence heavily contributed to the substance of the speech. It not only grabs the audience’s attention, but also holds it as people become more interested in what the speaker is conveying. In addition, smooth transitions are key! I kept becoming distracted when people immediately began, “my artifact is ______,”or interrupted with “in this portion of the speech/now I’m going to talk about ______.” Generic statements, even in otherwise awesome communication, rob the speaker of a certain aspect of sincerity and professionalism. A presentation’s flow is extremely important and should not be so hastily abandoned or undermined.

Even though I didn’t have much time to practice after being swamped with other homework, I think I did an alright job (minus all the and’s and um’s). Overall, it wasn’t nearly as bad as expected—I was able to commentate without dependence on my outline and found it easy to relate all my points. I was a tad nervous at first, but it’s never because I have to speak in front of a group that causes, but rather that I have so much to say that I don’t want to forget any information. I just hope my conclusion was all right… It was a blur, but I have the feeling I didn’t end my final sentence looking at the audience and it’s driving me crazy! Hopefully I didn’t do too terribly and the class understood at least most of my main points and/or found some interest in my topic. I wish I could’ve had more time to organize my discussion, but still so glad it’s over. Looking forward to see the rest of the speeches! Woo!

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“Water” You Looking At?

Posted on September 20, 2012 | 5 comments

Prepare to be astounded…

At first glace, the image I have chosen for my header image for this blog looks like an interesting choice of photograph… Think again! This “photo” is actually an image painted by a woman named Alyssa Monks. This week’s incredible artist has nearly flawless photorealism skills. Beginning to oil paint as a child, the 35-year-old has been painting similar works for close to a decade. For years she has experimented with many distorting/concealing elements including water, steamy glass, and vinyl and as you see, possesses an uncanny ability to portray moments with unmatched detail and with an essence of her subject’s personality. Surprisingly, many of her paintings are self-portraits, for she fears models may be self-conscious and wants her paintings to be as natural as possible. She often paints images of people in the shower, swimming, or sleeping; however, more recently she has begun experimenting with varied levels of abstraction. She explains this transition with profound accuracy:

“When I began painting the human body, I was obsessed with it and needed to create as much realism as possible. I chased realism until it began to unravel and deconstruct itself,” Alyssa states, “I am exploring the possibility and potential where representational painting and abstraction meet – if both can coexist in the same moment.” (from Official Website)

I personally prefer her photorealistic works, but can respect this artistic shift in that it shows her progression as an artist. She’s already a master in her domain and is allowing herself to branch out which is awesome. I highly recommend that you check out more of her work. It’s truly unbelievable! Such a beast!

“Reserve,” 2011.“Fish,” 2007.

Her website is below:

http://alyssamonks.com/index.asp

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First Round of Speeches

Posted on September 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

When deciding my topic for this assignment, I tried to think outside the box; however, I hadn’t realized just how broad the topic of civic duty could be. Listening to the first set of speeches, I kept thinking, “Wow, I’ve never considered that” or “Oh my, how creative!” Even if someone’s artifact was an obvious call to national or local responsibility, he/she dug deeper, unearthing things normally ignored or overlooked in daily life. Maybe it was the immense enthusiasm, but I thought Zack’s presentation on the importance of voter registration forms during an election year was very well developed. He went beyond the papers’ immediate impact and analyzed why they possess such importance and how their presentation contributes to that effect. Tim also achieved this when he discussed both versions of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and the differing aspects of each. It was interesting, too, to learn of the release strategy of the two versions to ensure positive audience reception and appreciation.

I also appreciated the creativity and/or personal connection involved with some of the topics. Ben’s idea to use Wikipedia was awesome! The public contribution site is such a great example of public engagement, yet it’s commonplace often thwarts our recognition of its significance. He clearly identified and explained exactly how the popular website supports continuous input and how such involvement may entice us to likewise participate. In addition, Jackie, Ellie, Josh, Polina, and Delia (almost everyone) incorporated an aspect of personal interest/relevance within their subject. For example, Delia and Polina portrayed their interviewees tremendously, illustrating not only their civic roles, but also an element of their strong, active-minded personalities and positive attitudes. Last, Jackie, Rob, and Ellie were able to connect with the audience immediately with their inclusive intros—Jackie inviting us to recall the Haitian earthquake and our subsequent feelings and opinions, Rob initiating his speech with common images of our surrounding society, and Ellie pushing us to understand the loneliness of others.

Everyone did such a fabulous job it’s difficult to pinpoint one singular essence possessed by all that produced success. Instead, I believe it’s our originality in approaching the assignment, innovation, and differing experiences that combine to create great insight on each topic. Listening to people talk passionately about something he/she cares about is extremely refreshing and allows the audience to join him/her in that passion and, in turn, promote new ideas and progression within the listeners.

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Speech Assignment

Posted on September 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Alright, time to advance brainstorm on speech ideas via blog…

Right now, I’m still a little apprehensive about how to go about drafting this project… I’m excited about using “The Problem We All Face” by Norman Rockwell because I think that I can do a lot using various topics, but only if I put in time to research it more. I found a really cool video interview of the girl illustrated in the painting, so that will probably prove very useful the 2nd time around… The only thing I’m worried about is making assumptions about Rockwell’s intent for the painting, but hopefully that won’t be a problem as his website is very interactive and informative. Just in case I begin to struggle tremendously, I’ve decided to keep the famous World War II “Rosie the Riveter” poster in the back of my brain for emergency speech material…

I need to remember to ask how to cite videos (and how we should format our citation list… powerpoint slide?). I wonder, too, if we can make a few, small handwritten notes on our printed outline…? Also, I want to skim back through the opening chapters of both books for specific names of rhetorical devices/strategies. It stinks that I have to go the first Tuesday, for I usually others’ finds usually force my brain to consider alternatives and spark the idea for new opinions. Oh, well, I’l just have to make due… Hopefully, I won’t get up there and sound like too much of an idiot.

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I’ll take Passion for 300, Alex.

Posted on September 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dearest people of my English class,

What’s up? I’m doing all right, not too shabby. I’ve decided to focus my passion blog on art, although I’m not completely sure how exactly I will organize it topic-wise. I think most weeks I will do an “Artist of the Week” post, but I may occasionally throw in some of my own project ideas…

Before I begin, here is some background information about myself… From a very young age, I’ve had a strong love for drawing and art. My family and teachers have always supported this interest; however, my k-8 grade school did not have the money to support an art program and as upperclassmen, my 8th grade class participated in the same basic projects as the 3rd and 4th grade. We even resorted to acrylic paint mixed with glue for an “oil paint substitute”! When I got to high school, my art classes became a haven. I’d never before experienced such guidance and accessibility to so many mediums! I loved being able to try many different things even if I had to adhere to project guidelines. This may sound super lame/corny, but I aspire for my mixed media pieces to push the viewer to question his/her surrounding environment and love the tagline listed above: “Welcome to Curious City.” I’m a little upset I couldn’t schedule any art classes this year, but hopefully this blog will push me to keep up a little art during the school year and if so you’ll probably see a lot of portraits because they are my favorite.

Speaking of portraits…Here comes my first “Artist of the Week,” yo!

I originally had another artist in mind for this post, but in respect to 9-11’s recent anniversary I found a different artist… Some of you may have already heard of her, as her charitable work is nothing new. In 2003, Kaziah “The Goat Woman” Hancock, began painting portraits of fallen U.S. soldiers from the war in Iraq/Afghanistan and concurrently founded Project Compassion for this cause. Escaping a rough youth in a polygamist society, she now manages a goat ranch in Utah. She alone has created nearly 1,000 portraits since the project’s start and with partners has produced over 4,000 paintings of loved ones lost in the warzones of the Middle East. She notoriously does not accept any money for these pieces and never turns down any requests. After Ovarian Cancer rendered her infertile, she sees these young men and women (and her beloved goats) as her children and during an emotional speech finished with: “You have my heart, so I give you my hands.”

One of Kaziah’s portraits (Jason R. Arnette)

It’s so refreshing to see someone making such a difference in other’s lives and her supreme conviction and dedication in continuing this project for so many years without hesitation. Her genuine and honest character is also extremely remarkable… She inspires me to one day be as devoted to something that I believe in as she is and I hope you experience the same!

Below is the link to her website:

http://www.kaziahthegoatwoman.com/kaziah.html

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Fight the Power

Posted on September 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Do the Right Thing credits that no one-sided way to combat issues such as racism. Choosing solely violence in the end only leads to despair and destruction smothered by more hate. Everyone was at fault yet no one was at fault. The triviality of the disagreements in the movie such as the pictures and radio, although extreme, seems to represent the underlying backbone of the social issue between skin tones and ethnicities, idiotically contrived hatred.

Next, I feel that the repetitive mentioning of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X coincides with the extremist values exemplified by the characters throughout the film, although no individual wholly represents of either of these historical activists. For example, Pino and Vito’s differing hate versus tolerance personas lie on opposite ends of the spectrum. Lacking these figure’s outstanding rhetorical skills, most residents portrayed in the movie resort solely to violence or ignorance, never finding a unity between the two. Ironically, one who demonstrates any realization of this ideal combination is Smiley, a man who struggles to articulate his thoughts due to a mental disability, who always carries MLK Jr. and Malcolm X’s photo together.

Although there are still instances of racism, I believe that in today’s society (in the US), the view of equality has progressed very much throughout history, for today opportunities are open to nearly all regardless of race. That is not to say, however, that all of these opportunities are received. Of course, some of our poorer neighborhoods in the US, that may remain filled primarily with minorities from our segregated past, cannot fully partake in everything our nation has to offer. Although this idea is arguable, I believe the problem no longer lies in the color of a person’s skin, but in that, black or white, these places are behind. Some people may still choose to associate our nation’s poverty with primarily black and other minority areas, but it is in our nation’s best interest for our people to step up and help each other progress as one.

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