Course thank you !

I just wanted to thank Professor Kyburz for an amazing semester, i have learned so many new things that i can utilize in future writing and use in the real world after college. Thanks again for being a great and helpful teacher that i can always refer to and ask for help down the road , THANK YOU!!!

E-Portfolio

johnbeportfolio.blogspot.com 

E Portfolio

Over the course of the semester in Dr. Kyburz's class I have learned many helpful techniques and skills that i will be able to use the rest of my life when writing. While writing all of our papers i felt very comfortable and open to ask any questions that i needed help with, some of the skills i already knew i was able to brush up on and polish for perfection. Some of the skills i was able to get a chance to improve were Rhetoric, Process, and Critical thinking.

When Looking at the Rhetorical Knowledge aspect, I was given the opportunity to do a full Documentary Project and apply my skills. The assignment was to pick out a documentary and watch it, during this i took heavy notes so i could remember key aspects that stood out for the post summary. When Writing after the documentary i was truly able to express my Rhetorical Knowledge and analyze the documentary and pull its specific techniques that grabbed the audience and myself.

I was also able to grasp the process portion when doing my Microtheme as well. I struggled a bit when gathering information because i wanted key aspects to pop out but i was only given a single page to get my point across. So i used the process strategy and adapted my outline into something short and sweet. After that i developed a final revision and a last copy was the end result. I am used to fluffing and adding information to write 5-7 page papers and not getting rid of unneeded info. But, in the end the process was a huge help in constructing a good Microtheme that i am pleased with.

In the end i was very pleased with the skills i learned and i could go on and on about the assignments that were formed into something great utilizing the learning outcomes of this semesters course. But, i will use these tools and strategies in life and be able to keep building and adding to my knowledge.

Multimodal Video

My quotes for summary analysis.

Simon Klebanow , a Weston resident had many thoughts running through his head after the accident he was involved in. One of the main impactful conclusions he came to was how demolished his vehicle looked after the crash.“If you took a look at my car and was told the driver lived, you'd say, 'No way,' '' he said. ''There's no question about it. My seat belt saved me.'' Many car crash survivors that wear their seatbelt end up with a very similar story like this. The man even said it himself that if he wouldn't have been wearing his belt he wouldn't be here sharing his story. The statement appeals to logos because Simon knew from the second he put his seatbelt on it could potentially save his life, and that is exactly what it did.

Everyone most likely knows that statistics may educate and even persuade personal opinions. Although, according to the Saved By The Belt Club stories have a bigger impact than basic statistics. Facts are simply an amazing reference that people may use to refer to when they want to be informed on a specific subject. Research has shown that there is a 60 percent chance of escaping death and injury in an accident when wearing a seat belt, Mr. Whyte said. ''If you knew you had a 60 percent chance of winning Lotto, you'd go out and buy a ticket,'' he added. ''So why not increase the likelihood of being alive by fastening your belt?'' Statistics are primarily the most effective, logical, and simple way to get a point across, and that is what Mr. White did. But, the Saved by the Belt Club is correct, i personally would feel that stories and messages by crash survivors would have a bigger impact on my own decisions when i get in my car and have the choice to buckle up or not. I feel that this statement appeals to logos because it involves general statistics to get the point across even when it is related to a real life situation.      

My summary Analysis Article and paper.

Article: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uF2q0fGwhyOyIwVu1Q0wuGgdN2ePrHcfWVmmIhX-kT4/edit


Paper: “Click It or Not The Choice is Yours”

In “Crash Survivors Urge of Belts”, Sharon Bass reveals the truth of the importance of wearing a seatbelt with the assistance of real life survivors. One of those survivors is Simon Klebanow who shares  his impactful story of a car crash that he experienced in 1981. A drunk driver had  lost control of their vehicle at roughly 70 mph and jumped a median which then hit  Klebanow’s car head on. Luckily, Mr. Klebanow was wearing his seatbelt but his car was immediately totaled from mostly front damage. Bass uses a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos appeals to support her arguments when interviewing the crash survivors.

Klebanow was rushed to the hospital and was in a coma for about 3 days. However, that was only the least of his worries. He endured a total of 2 months total spent in the hospital. His injuries consisted of amnesia, multiple broken bones, a fractured skull, and a punctured lung. One of the main impactful conclusions he came to was how demolished his vehicle looked after the crash.“If you took a look at my car and was told the driver lived, you'd say, 'No way,' he said. ''There's no question about it. My seat belt saved me”(1). By including this quote from her interview with Klebanow, Bass appeals to pathos. While it is basic logic that if it was shocking that Klebanow lived then the car must have been in pretty bad shape, the fact that his seat belt completely saved his life could pull at emotions. Also, including Klebanow injuries and the time he spent in the hospital could cause emotions to rise. For this reason Bass is appealing to pathos. However, this appeal is not as effective as it could be. Since the emotions Bass is trying to grab at by including this quote is also basic logic, the appeal is not very effective. If Bass had included more words of emotion this could have been even more supportive to her argument. While this was an appeal to pathos, the fact that Bass neglected to truly get emotions flowing makes this appeal ineffective. Many car crash survivors that wear their seatbelt end up with a very similar story like this.

After the whole experience,  Klebanow decided to create a group named “Saved by the Belt Club” which formed into a non-profit organization in Hartford. Continuously rising, the group already consists of roughly 200 members that quickly wanted to get involved and join the group as soon as they heard about it. Day by day the group grows even bigger and gains more great people eager to join. There is only one qualification or criterion to be able to be included in the organization and it is that you must have had to be involved in any sort of crash while wearing a seatbelt. The group has certain gatherings where all the members are able to meet up and discuss the issue. The meetings give members the ability to talk about their stories and develop strategies in order to spread awareness and get even more people involved in the overall issue. There are tons of different audiences that they can target which mainly seems to be teen boys and young men. They use statistics to back up and facilitate their research and it is proven that most deaths or from young men on a Friday or Saturday night; and generally just because they are considered rebellious and least compliant to basic rules. This appeal is ineffective because insinuating that all young men are rebellious and less compliant could be taken the wrong way.

Now, we have seen a huge impact from groups like this across the nation spreading awareness of this issue. In 1985, there was a 12% chance that people followed the rules and regulations of seatbelt safety. This year, most are happy to announce that the numbers have significantly risen to 83% on highway and 59% on residential roads. Everyone most likely knows that statistics may educate and even persuade personal opinions. Although, according to the Saved By The Belt Club stories have a bigger impact than basic statistics. Facts are simply an amazing reference that people may use to refer to when they want to be informed on a specific subject. Research has shown that there is a 60 percent chance of escaping death and injury in an accident when wearing a seat belt, Mr. Whyte said. ''If you knew you had a 60 percent chance of winning Lotto, you'd go out and buy a ticket,'' he added. ''So why not increase the likelihood of being alive by fastening your belt”(1)? Statistics are primarily the most effective, logical, and simple way to get a point across, and that is what Bass did. However, I agree with the Saved by the Belt Club. I personally would feel that stories and messages by crash survivors would have a bigger impact on my own decisions when I get in my car and have the choice to buckle up or not. I feel that this statement appeals to logos because it involves general statistics to get the point across even when it is related to a real life situation. According to this organization, statistics will never change things; only real people and real stories will do the trick. They reveal that the crowd may feel more connected and put themselves in the story of the presenter or teller. Most will find themselves easily convinced if they can picture themselves in the same situation instead of listening to endless statistics.

Bass wraps up with one last impactful message from a woman named Carol Pompano. She explains her story and how she will never forget the gunshot noise her seatbelt made when it locked up during the accident. It was snowing out when she got into a head-on collision with another vehicle that had lost control. Following the initial accident, 15 other cars piled up into the back of her car. “There is no doubt in my mind,” she said.” I would have been injured if I hadn’t worn my seatbelt, my car was completely totaled”(1). Pompanos was very shaken up and traumatized afterwards and even 12 years later she remembers it like it happened yesterday. Bass appeals to pathos by including quotes from her interview with Ms. Pompanos. This appeal is effective because Bass shows that even the simplest of things like a seat belt can truly save your life and that every day she is  reminded by the event that had such a great impact on her life which may even have been the reason why she wanted to join the group and share her experiences to everyone that may be curious.  The only problem is that the appeal could have been better utilized if she showed a little more emotion or even described how she felt after the crash a bit more than she did. Klebanow explains that there was no doubt that if she wasn't wearing her belt she would have ended up in critical condition, or even killed. That could have been pushed a lot further towards the readers and made more impactful when getting the point across.

In conclusion, Sharon Bass does an overall good job of supporting why many should strap up while driving their vehicles. With the support of the interviews she was able to get across the point with statistics and stories. Most will look at statistics which reveals the Logos appeal and just see numbers and may not be impacted by them even though they are proven facts, but she was able to get real life people that have experienced this first hand and let them get across to the audience. That is the best way to get through by using a Pathos appeal when describing the death defying crashes. It may seem harsh at first, having to hear someone’s death story but the listener will think about that story every single time they get in their car and choose not to let something like that happen to themselves.  The more we  analyze  her appeals the more we notice it may lack a few things. I personally believe you can never go wrong with more statistics and facts  to prove why or why not something is right or wrong, but Bass could  have added more well  rounded statistics to support  the interviewee’s arguments and claims. She found a good balance that worked will for her and she stuck with it. Also, I when dissecting her Pathos  appeal; she wants to persuade the audience according to her emotions but i found a lack thereof  in specific spots in the article. I feel there was a need to push the people and maybe ask them  what do they believe would have happened if they  were not wearing their seatbelt or even  ask  Mr. Klebanow why he does not have a bigger group of more people that just don't wear their seatbelts  in general to get a double sided view that can be shared around the world to show  some excuses why people don't wear their seatbelts in the first place. This can open up a bigger audience to people interested in finding out the true consequences for their actions when                                            deciding not to buckle up as well. Having both sides of the argument is important so a reader can      see the excuse of not  doing the right thing and then why it may be in invalid excuse.  Overall, the article was a true  impact on my  life not only as an education experience but as a safety wakeup call. I very rarely ever wore my seat belt before doing an analysis on Ms. Bass’s article and she truly showed me the reasons why i should buckle up when getting in my car. Now, I wear my seat belt every single  time and know why it is so important to do so.

Freewrite 04/03/17

The argumentative essay is completely different than my previous ones. We have primarily broke it down into different steps in order to build and complete our whole essay. First we found an article and summarized it, this step was fairly easy i just had trouble finding the most appropriate topic that is best and fitting for me. Second,  worked to pull specific quotes out of my article and create quote sandwiches. They seemed very easy but i struggled to incorporate ethos, pathos, and logos points across to my potential readers.

funny debate meme

MY MICROTHEME!

John P Breidenbach

Dr. Kyburz

College Writing 2

March 5, 2017

Seatbelt Safety

I love the feeling of getting in my vehicle and feeling safe when I am getting from point A to B. The only real reason why I feel safe is because I am wearing my seatbelt in the process of doing so.  When I was younger one of my dear middle school friends was critically injured from forgetting that crucial step and it will affect his life forever.  Why don’t people wear their seat belts?

One of the reasons why most people don’t wear their seatbelts may be the cockiness of the driver itself. They may feel that they are a great driver or that the manufacturer put in airbags for a reason. Confidence can lead a person to feel obligated to not follow important decisions of wearing a seatbelt. Another reason why someone would not wear a seatbelt may be that they already feel that their vehicle is safe enough with airbags, Another reason may be just because they feel uncomfortable wearing the seatbelt itself.

If we could stop to seriously contemplate our reasons for not wearing seatbelts, we may

begin to see that our reasons are silly, unreasonable, and dangerous. We might just realize that we are holding onto bad excuses in the name of resistance towards our safety.

Microtheme based Freewrite

As i wrote my microtheme i discovered a few different things, The main idea is that no matter what the argument states; i will always stick to my opinion and never let something else persuade myself into choosing the wrong alternative. Generally, i am a man to my word and choose what fits me best, but sometimes in life you will be held accountable for specific decisions that you make. My topic consisted on weather or not you should wear a seatbelt when driving. I honestly never wear my seatbelt even though i get so much crap for not wearing it. I always find myself coming up with a petty excuse for not wearing it. Through all of this i believe it will be a great idea and try to persuade not only the reader but to persuade myself into wearing it as well. Normally, i am very hard headed and dont let facts or opinions sway my decision but facts dont lie. Now, after my microtheme project i can say that i wear my seatbelt every single time i get in the car. Moral of the story, i learned that i need to let others opinions better myself as a human being and to stop being so hardheaded.

War Dance Summary Reflection

My Paper went very smooth when writing, i thought that Sean Fire and Andrea Nix did an amazing job with the storyline/film and that made it a whole lot easier in the long run. The main thing that i struggled with during the course of this paper was using analytical language and just length in general. I wanted my paper to stand out above and beyond everyone else's and be very unique when describing the film, my finl grade on the paper was a B+ and i will use that as constructive criticism and strive to do better in the future and use Dr.Kyburz's constructive comments to my advantage in the next coming papers.

My selected Documentary Film

When deciding on which documentary i wanted to choose to watch i wanted to research all the films and what they are about considering i am a very picky person when it comes to my movies. I ended up deciding on War Dance, which is the based on the power of music, even in the most horrific places. Focusing on three children in their early teens in war-torn Uganda, the characters are Nancy, Dominic, and Rose. War Dance tracks the efforts of the school of a refugee camp called Patongo to compete in Uganda's countrywide music competition. This is a perfect film for me considering i have been around music my whole life and should be an enjoyable film to reflect on. 

About me E- Portfolio

If you are interested here is a little information about me an my interests that i created. Select the link for my website.MY WEBSITE

Intro Blog

I Just wanted to introduce myself so all my classmates can get to know me a bit more, i am a second semester sophomore here at Lewis University and i am majoring in Business Marketing and obtaining a finance minor as well. I am from Bolingbrook, IL and i went to Plainfield East Highschool. I decided to go to Lewis because it is a great school for business and it is close to home being only about 15-20 minutes from my house. I have never been an amazing writer hense the reason i am not an English major but i rty my hardest and am looking forward to putting my skills to the test over the course of the semester.