Blogs
One ongoing assignment I had to complete as part of my Honors Rhetoric and Civic Life class was weekly blogging. I had to keep one blog titled Rhetoric and Civic Life which related how rhetoric is used in the world around me to concepts, topics, or strategies discussed in class. This blog's goal was to show an engaged understanding and analysis of how rhetoric functions and its impact on civic discourse or public reaction.
The second blog was a Passion Blog which was a series of a topic of my choice. Mine, titled Stories from Supplemental, was a chronicle of weekly events and/or lessons I experienced as a result of living in Supplemental Housing. Supplemental Housing at Penn State is a housing situation for students who are not assigned to a regular dorm room. These rooms are large spaces originally intended to be lounges that house between four and eight students. I experienced life with seven roommates, so there were many options when it came to picking a story or lesson to discuss. I have chosen several entries to include as part of this portfolio. To view them, please choose one from the drop-down menu under the "Blogs" tab. |
Why did I choose these blogs?
Of all the blogs I have written as part of my Honors Rhetoric and Civic Live course, the three I chose to include in this portfolio cover topics that are common in my everyday life. "Where is the Love" is a song that I have been able to relate to since I first heard it; when I listen to it, it makes me think, so when I got the chance to write about how its message could affect others, I already knew at least how it affected me. I chose to write about Colonel Reyel's song, which is newer to me, because I knew I would enjoy talking about how rhetorical strategies allow a message or view to be shared even when there is a language difference; when I talked about the rhetoric of the lyrics, I was able to use my French knowledge to understand and explain in English. Lastly, I chose to write about 5 Gum because I wanted to include a visual analysis along with two that focused more on textual analysis. Both songs and 5 Gum are very regular things in my life, and talking about them from a rhetorical perspective really made me think more about their intricacies and how rhetoric is truly present everywhere in the world around me.