Final Reflection

Overall Semester Reflection

            This semester has been an amazing influence on my writing style.  I have been exposed to so many new forms of writings and objectives that I think I have improved greatly.  The best way to look at how my writing has changed is to look at the original three goals I set for myself at the beginning of the semester.  Those three goals were to practice different ways of gathering, investigating, developing, and presenting information; using methods that were new to me to investigate questions, topics, and ideas; and to use a variety of electronic technologies intentionally to compose my works.

            My first goal was to find a new way to gather, investigate, develop, and present information.  I had originally had specific academic research in mind when I created this goal, hoping this information would help me in senior seminar; however this was not quite the case.  This class me taught me a sort of research.  It has taught me how to look for online sources whenever I am writing a piece that is new to me.  It may be easy for me to think that I can write a restaurant review on my own, but that is not the case.  I needed to go online to find a variety of reviews to look for the accepted format and make sure that I am including the expected information.  The same goes for topics like cover letters, editorials, and so on.  These were all new frontiers for me in the world of writing, and I had to make sure I knew how to write the piece before simply trying to do it on my own.  I also had to learn how to present this information in new ways.  The best example of this was in my presentation of my proposal for the class rubric.  This sort of demonstration was completely new to me.  I was not only trying to convince my audience that my argument was logical and sound, but also trying to sell my ideas to my classmates.  I had to explain what made my rubric important to them and why they should devote a semester to the things that it contained.

            My second goal was to use methods to investigate questions, topics, and ideas.  I learned skills in this area while writing my restaurant review.  I am used to using secondary sources to find information.  Writing my food review required me to find a first-hand source and do my own independent research.  I had to go out and gather information for myself, which was a sort of new experience in its own way.  This way felt very different.  It was my job to collect every possible detail that I would feel was necessary, because if I did not, it was not as simple as going back to the article again.  I would admit that I probably need a little more skill in this area.  I do not think I paid enough attention to all the details.  I had trouble recalling what everyone had later when I was writing the actual piece.  I should have kept notes somewhere during the process.

            My third goal was to use a variety of electronic technologies intentionally to compose my works.  I would not say there is a specific piece that is exemplary of this, but that my entire blog is the embodiment of this lesson.  Before this semester, I had no experience with blogging whatsoever.  I did not even follow a blog before this course.  I have to say that it was an experience.  It is definitely interesting to see a tool that allows people so many different options of sharing.  It is probably one of the more versatile social media tools to which I have been exposed.  I have not decided if I want to continue to use my blog or not.  I think I will definitely for a small amount of time to see how I treat it after it is no longer connected with a class and my content can be less regulated.

            Overall, this course has been rather instructive.  Even though I did not explore my three original goals the way I thought I would, I did still meet them.  I think Advanced Writing has given me a chance to explore myself in ways I did not expect and has given me even more tools to add to my belt as a writer.

            All the assignments I reference can be seen on my blog.

A Reflection on Cover Letters and Resumes

This experience of writing cover letters and resumes was probably one of my greatest lessons of this class.  This sort of writing is completely different from anything else I have ever written before.  I think the most difficult things for me to learn were the lessons of what is important and how to write something that is concise.

            The resume is such an interesting piece to write because it is summing up someone’s lifetime of accomplishments into one page of paper.  Obviously, there is more to a person than what is in their resume, but the resume forces the writer to think about what is most important about them in the professional world.  They need to prioritize what they have done and what their possible employer absolutely needs to know.  It also forces them to quantify everything they have done.  An ambiguous statement means nothing, but supplying actual deeds and facts will give the applicant a better chance at employment.

            I think the hardest thing to do in writing a resume and a cover letter is the concise nature that these items require.  Both documents really must be only a page long, but they must also contain so much.  The writer is forced to really consider his words carefully.  Every word needs to be necessary and needs to contribute to something.  No sentence should be able to be removed without its removal making the work less.

            These two things have made me think about writing so much more.  It really forced me to think about every word choice I made.  I also had to organize all the accomplishments of my college career.

A Good Burger in a Dark Room

         A Good Burger in a Dark Room

            I am a big fan of burgers and that is why I have been meaning to go to Butch Cassidy’s, a legendary local burger joint in Mobile, ever since I first heard of it earlier this year.  Last Friday, a large group of friends and I finally took the ten minute drive down Old Shell from Spring Hill College to get there.

            We went for dinner so it took about twenty minutes for us to get a table for seven.  The servers were considerate though and moved us to a corner somewhere so we would not be in the way.  The décor was similar to that of most sport bars.  There were several nice T.V.s broadcasting a golf tournament.  The walls were covered in memorabilia and the tables had ads for local Mobile businesses on them.  The lighting can be described as dim.

            When the servers finally had a chance to sit us all at the same table we were asked what we would like to drink.  There was a nice selection of beers and even a choice of wines, but I went with my favorite drink to have with a burger, a Coke.  Then it was time for me to select what I wanted to eat.  I knew I wanted a burger, but the question was what kind.  I was surprised to see that there were not that many choices for a local restaurant that was famous for its burgers.  The menu only offers four options.  I chose the “Famous Butch Burger,” which is basically a bacon cheeseburger.

            My group numbered eight.  Many of my friends also ordered burgers and there was an overall level of satisfaction for their orders.  One of my friends complained that his burger was a little overcooked, but that was the only issue.  Another friend of mine was a vegetarian.  The wonderful thing about Butch Cassidy’s is that there are still options available for those who do not want to eat meat.  She is also a local and a huge fan of the restaurant’s “’nanner puddin’.”

            It took a little while for our food to get out, but this is understandable.  We were a large group, it was prime dinner time, and the restaurant was very busy.  I will also say this, the wait was worth it.  This burger was one of the best I have ever had.  The meat was cooked just the way I wanted it, medium.  I love a juicy burger.  They also remembered my special order to leave off vegetables and mayonnaise.

            The food was great, but the service was a little lacking.  Our server did not check on us regularly and she seemed to expect us to only order the bare minimum.  One of my friends wanted a dessert, but she brought the bill right after we had finished eating and did not ask if there was anything else we wanted, so he did not feel comfortable ordering again.  I do want to say that this may only be because we were a large group of people during an incredibly busy time for business.

            If you’re a fan of burgers, Butch Cassidy’s is a must.

Cost: $10-$20

Drinks: Beer, wine, soda

Other details: kids options, live music on certain nights (listed on website), healthy options

For menu: Web site's menu

Voter ID Laws: An Attack on Democracy

Voter ID Laws: An Attack on Democracy

            My memories of early schooling are filled with lessons on the basics of democracy and that all citizens of America have a right to vote.  The upcoming presidential election is shaking the foundations of this principle.

            And, before you ask, no, I am not talking about the Electoral College.

            This year has inspired politicians in several states throughout our nation push for what they label as voter identification laws.  They explain that they are necessary to fight voter fraud.  These laws require voters to present a form of government-issued photo identification.

            This may look like a reasonable cause at first, but there are some issues.

            The first one is simple.  Individual voter fraud is not an issue in the United States.  Suevon Lee of the website ProPublica describes a 2007 The New York Times study showing approximately 120 cases within a five year period.  She also cites a News21 study that estimated that there were about ten impersonation cases out of 2,068 election fraud cases since 2000.  This equates to about one out of every 15 million voters.  I do not believe this is a number that calls for a great deal of legislative action.

            However, this is not the larger issue here.

            The larger issue is that these laws disenfranchise American citizens.  They will prevent more people from voting than prospective evildoers.  These laws require government-issued photo identification, only making exceptions for cases of poverty and religion.  Studies show that about eleven percent of the population does not have an acceptable form of identification under these laws.  Opponents of these laws point out that people from this group tend to be young, without jobs, or a minority; seeing these laws as a kind of disenfranchisement and believe they were set up to target these groups.

            The defenders of these laws point out that this small group is not “certain to vote.”  They do not see their laws as something that will affect anyone who is likely to vote.  I do not believe that this is a reasonable excuse.  Our nation should shun the idea of anyone being denied the right to vote simply to prevent a problem that exists on a small and insignificant scale.  We should be horrified at the idea of eleven percent of the population not being able to vote if they chose to do so.  Their inclination to vote should not matter in any way whatsoever.

            The true controversy of this is bipartisanship, like most of the issues in today’s politics.  The politicians who push for these laws tend to be members of the Republican Party.  Many have suggested that the same group who would be disenfranchised by these laws would also be inclined to vote for Democratic candidates.  It did not help when Mike Turzai, majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, stated, “Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”  It is hard to deny that there is an ulterior motive to these laws when such a quote exists.

            I think that these laws go against the very ideas of democracy and I am ashamed that they have been passed in so many states.  I am glad to see that many courts have already been filled with cases against these laws and hope that this trend continues.  Whatever its motives are, voter ID laws go against the values of our nation.