Core Value 1. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

My White Paper that was progressively constructed during the semester demonstrates this core value using a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development. Through the experience of composing a white paper, there was a path that exposed me to explore a topic, discover information, conceptualize thoughts, and develop ideas. Specifically, I researched and found many sources on my topic to provide information, facts, statistics, and evidence to help support my claim. The one reference that I used from Huecker and Chapman, titled “Seat Belt Injuries,” was the most compelling. It contained a real-life medical report of an individual dying from the use of a seat belt. The graphic explanations and details of injuries were astonishing. This report, I will never forget. Also, the article, “The Peltzman Effect,” supported my claim since it discusses how people’s perception of risk decreases when safety measures are implemented, so they feel they can make riskier decisions. This was a journey that unfolded at each stage of the process. The continuous and thoughtful conversations, as well as the feedback that I received from my professor, helped me to fine tune my writing and challenge myself to become a more specific writer and a deeper thinker.

Core Value 2. My work demonstrates that I read critically, and that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities. 

This core value was demonstrated by the rebuttal argument. During this stage of the semester, I had to read and research to discover different texts and articles that helped to express the different viewpoints on wearing, or not wearing, a seat belt. As one would expect, this was not an easy task, since seat belt use is such an automatic commonality for most. I had to take on the tremendous task of trying to convince readers that seat belts are not as safe as one might think. Specifically, I found information that supported this idea and it came out of New Hampshire. Seat belts are not mandatory in the state and through my research I found that death rates from car accidents were no where near as high in New Hampshire as they are in many other states. To complete the idea, from this core value, I had to thoroughly read on the topic, create meaning behind the topic, from all points of view, include the information that was discovered from the research, and incorporate all of these ideas and viewpoints within the argument. It was a task, but a lesson learned.

Core Value 3. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

The visual rhetoric assignment demonstrated this core value. The assignment was to watch a thirty second video of choice and to examine, break down, analyze, and describe, in full detail, practically each and every second of the video. This challenge was supposed to have clearly and expressively explain to the readers what was occurring during the short video, clip by clip. The explanation of the video had to be very descriptive and it was important for the writer to pay very close attention to every detail in the thirty second video, in order to paint the picture accurately. The video I watched was to promote the idea to never drive while high, or intoxicated. The video demonstrated how a group of friends decided to keep their camping trip at home since none of them could safely drive, since they were all intoxicated. The goal was to get this message clearly delivered to the readers, so that they knew what the video consisted of without ever listening or watching it.

Core Value 4: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

My causal argument demonstrates this core value. I gathered many useful sources as evidence to help support my claim on the harm seat belts cause to drivers that are involved in car accidents. The article, “Seat Belt Injuries,” included an abundance of seat belt related injuries that caused harm to external and internal organs. It reported that the most common organs affected by the force of a seat belt were the spleen, liver, and bowel. Additionally, it was also necessary to incorporate these pieces of material within the causal argument to provide factual evidence for my readers that supported my idea on the negative side of wearing seat belts. I thoroughly read the articles that I found to help assist my claim on seat belt use and provided evidence that supported my claim. In addition, throughout the process, it was important to continuously revise my argument in order to better improve it and to also persuade and convince my readers that seat belts were actually causing serious injuries to drivers.

Core Value 5. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

My annotated bibliography demonstrated this core value. The assignment was to provide background information on the most useful sources that were incorporated within my three arguments as well as my research paper, and to also explain how each one was specifically used within these writing pieces. The source that I felt was critical and supportive to my claim was “Seat Belt Law.” It supplied information on the state of New Hampshire, which does not require individuals over 18 years old to wear a seat belt, along with no overwhelming amounts of fatal accidents in the state. I also found a theory about risk and how people will take more risks if safety measures are implemented, like a seatbelt. This theory called “The Peltzman Effect” supported my idea that drivers wearing a seatbelt, a safety device, will be prone to drive more recklessly. It was extremely important to be accurate and cite each of these sources, giving credit where credit was due. It is very crucial to make sure that proper credit is given to the author or authors by creating a reference page at the bottom of each completed paper that we have written. This also helped me to stay organized and prepared while I gathered my sources and acquired background on each one that I used. It was a good foundation that helped with beginning each paper. Being very specific and accurate was important here.