Reflective – chickennugget246

Posted on April 26, 2023 by chickennugget246

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.

Posted in ChickenNugget, Portfolio ChickenNugget, Reflective SP23 | 2 Comments

Reflective-rowanstudent6

Posted on April 26, 2023 by rowanstudent6

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.

When this project was first introduced I knew immediately what I wanted to research. I wanted to research why the Banzai Pipeline is the best wave in the world. However I initially was going to focus on why the crowd it draws to its shores are what make it the best wave in the world as opposed to the wave itself. Then upon the first meeting with Professor Hodges, I was told that this was too safe an argument. The truly counterintuitive argument would be to cite a surf break that no one would ever look at. I began to research New Jersey surfing and initially searched only on google scholar and the Rowan Campbell library services as they provided peer reviewed sources. His feedback greatly helped to steer me in a better direction when improving my essays. It was because of his feedback and my own critical review of my work that I believe that my final essays are of a much higher caliber than their original drafts.

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. 

Throughout my research I came across a variety of sources from temperature graphs to swell charts to doctoral papers and beyond. I was able to understand what was important about each of these texts in order to understand how they could help prove my argument that the Jersey Shore is home to the best surf break in the world. Many of the sources about New Jersey were pointing out alleged flaws, from summer crowds to shifting breaks, and frigid temps, but it was in these alleged flaws that I found what was special about New Jersey. Despite these issues, we persist, persevere, and thrive and I talked about how these flaws are positive extensively throughout my Definition and Causal arguments

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.

I wrote this essay to prove that the Jersey Shore has the best surf break in the world because I have had some of the best experiences of my life in that brownish-greenish water. I am aware of the fact that New Jersey receives no attention from the surf community, so I wrote in order to shed some light on what makes New Jersey surf special. The opening paragraph of my definition argument shows that from an outside perspective, the Jersey Shore is a gross, trash ridden stretch of beaches, but then I explain thereafter in my essay what makes this surf break the best in the world.

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.

Throughout my research I was able to dissect and analyze various sources to see what would support my claims that New Jersey is the best surf break in the world. There is little written on this topic, but by understanding my own experiences with my home break and the science behind surfing I was able to gather information that would demonstrate what makes New Jersey a hidden gem in the surfing world. Without my local knowledge of winter dredging and the necessity for five millimeter wetsuits then I would have been lost when looking for evidence as no peer-reviewed authors have written about New Jersey surf. Instead I search for evaluations of the effects of off-shore dredging in the winter and what the change in temperature is from winter and summer which led me to NOAA.

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. 

I wrote this paper to shed light on New Jersey surf, but also to show how valued Pipeline is to the surfing community. The most difficult part of this writing process was trying to dismantle the argument for the Banzai Pipeline because I have so much respect for that wave and those who risk their lives surfing it. However, I hoped to show all those who read my paper that the Jersey Shore has the best surf because it pushes the surfer while also allowing anyone to paddle out into our water. This led me to my search for sources that showed the sexism at Pipeline in the past which led me to my New York Times article on the lack of surf contests involving women. I gave proper credit to the sources that I used in my paper, but also filled much of the paper with my own information and experience from surfing in New Jersey the last five years.

Posted in Portfolio RowanStudent6, Reflective SP23, rowanstudent6 | 1 Comment

Self Reflective Statement – Gobirds

Posted on April 26, 2023 by gobirds115

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.

I believe this core value was most demonstrated through the use of my white paper. I’ve never been one to pre-write or use scrap paper in my writing. Most of the time I would just read the prompt and do my best to compose my writing without any kind of prep. I would still find sources and use outside material but I never really read beyond the quote that I needed from that source. This semester, the white paper allowed me to really see the benefits of preparing before I write and how to properly get information from a source other than just quoting it. I was able to actually understand what I was resourcing and knew the background of it. This practice of using the White Paper is where I see most of core value 1’s relevancy in my writing journey this semester.

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. 

I believe that core value 2 was most demonstrated in my research paper. The research paper was a combination of all three of my short arguments. While the subject remains the same among each short argument, the topics within vary from one argument to the other. The sources I found for support for one argument may have been totally different and wouldn’t blend into another argument. However, I was able to construct my paper so that the source material made sense within each argument. I was able to take specific information from different sources and synthesize it into an argument of my own. By doing this, I believe I definitely expressed the strategies from core value 2 during the construction of my research paper.

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.

Core Value 3 was most useful in the Visual Rhetoric argument. Prior to this assignment, I had felt that my skills of being able to interpret rhetorical elements were about average. After completing the assignment and doing the exercises in class, I felt as if my abilities regarding interpreting rhetoric, specifically visual rhetoric in this case, were deeply improved and my understanding of the topic as a whole was much more clear. These skills I improved on were not only a one time use for this assignment specifically as now I find that applying these skills to TV and movie watching make the watching experience far more valuable as now I’m not just looking at something but I’m far more analytical when I watch a show or a movie.

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.

Core Value 4 was used all throughout my research paper. In this class, I was asked for the first time in my academic experience to construct a paper that had no clear cut and direct prompt based on source material we were given. The direction we were given was to pick something of our own interest and do our own research to convey a counter intuitive argument. While I was excited, I was also nervous considering I’d never done anything like this before. But the exercises we did on how to correctly analyze a source and how to properly approach sourcing the material necessary to create a compelling and thorough argument greatly helped me unlock the traits and values that lie within Core Value 4.

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.

Core Value 5 was used in every piece of writing that I submitted to the blog for this class in this semester. A huge part of this course was using the work done by others to help convey our own argument. In doing this, it’s extremely important to carefully incorporate their work a long with your own. I believe that I was able to properly source material without stealing the work and ideas of others but more so use their ideology to support a separate argument that I was conveying. The exercises we did in class regarding how to properly source material and how to walk the line of referencing vs copying material were a major help in how I was able to demonstrate Core Value 5.

Posted in GoBirds, Portfolio GoBirds, Portfolio Tasks, Reflective SP23 | Leave a comment

Bibliography- blueee

Posted on April 26, 2023 by blueee04
  1. Vohs, Kathleen; Mead, Nicole; and Goode, Miranda “Merely activating the concept of money changes personal and interpersonal behavior” Sage journals, 1 June. 2008.

Background: This article explains how money plays a big role in peoples lives but it hasn’t been researched as much. Although what it shows is how people can be more helpful when reminded of money, meaning having a reason to do something. But is it even help if you’re doing it do get something in return. People will put their all into a task and work harder than those not bribed with money.

How I used it : I used this source to explain that when money is involved it changes ones behavior. Someone can be easily bribed to do a task and they’ll want to do it more if money is involved.

2. Letkiewicz, Jodi; Robinson, Chris; Domian, Dale; Uborceva, Natallia “Behavioral and wealth considerations for seeking professional financial planning help” SSRN, 30 Sep.2015.

Background: In this article there is information explaining how individuals with lower income risk financial issues because they don’t get the same advice as those who have a higher income. When they get advice they just take it as a compliment.

How I used it: I used this to explain how people with lower income are treated. People with lower income don’t get the same opportunities as those with higher income. This source showed that the rich and poor get treated differently.

3. Scheve, Kenneth and Stasavage, David “Taxing the rich” , published 2018

Background: In this article it explains how people argue about the rich not being taxed fairly just as others are. Someone stated in the article, very briefly, believes that the governments don’t tax the rich because inequality is high or rising. Their is no equality or fairness to how everyone is taxed. The system is rigged to favor the rich.

How I used it: I used this source to show that the rich are above the poor. The government does not help because they are the ones that set up the taxing conditions. This is another example of how there is no equality.

4. Verschoor, C. Curtis “Are the rich more Unethical and greedy?” Institute of Management Accountants, May.2012.

Background: In this article it explains how the poor are likely to be more generous and less selfish. A University of Toronto published several studies showing that wealthier people act more unethical than those with less money. A lot of the evidence shown explains how in some of the largest fraud cases that the CEO was the one directly responsible.

How I used it: I used this in my essay to show that the poor are more likely to be generous even if they don’t have much, while the more wealthy are commonly greedy and selfish. The rich have the opportunity to do something good with the money they have but instead they are greedy. This shows how a lot of money can change the way one acts.

5. Bratanova, Bokya; Loughnan, Steve; Klein, Olivier and Wood, Robert “The rich get richer, the poor get even: Perceived socioeconomic position influences micro‐social distributions of wealth” Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 22 March. 2016.

Background: In this article it explains how two studies examine whether psychological mindsets adopted by the wealthy and the less wealthy act to perpetuate inequality. Their was a study held and the wealthy pursue their self interest, the poorer challenged inequality by rejecting unequal offers. In this study many was offered to both but as they hypothesized, the wealthy individuals are more stingy, they think of themselves.

How I used it: I used this to support the fact that the poor are less stingy than the rich. One may believe that the poor would be more greedy due to them not having much but it’s commonly the opposite. This source explains how money and differences effect behavior.

6. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, “The rich are easily offended by unfairness: Wealth triggers spiteful rejection of unfair offers” 5April. 2017.

Background: In this article it explains how three studies were held with University students and nationwide, this experiment was to show how people will act in different situations with inequality. “In this game, the proposer gives the responder an unfair offer of CN¥2, but keeps the remaining CN¥8 out of CN¥10. If the responder accepts the offer, each receives the proposed amounts; otherwise both receive nothing. We chose the ¥2/¥8 offer that can elicit roughly 50% rejection rates.”

How I used it: I used this source to prove that even the rich are bothered by inequality. I used this as evidence because the experiments that were explained in this article showed that the poor were more than willing to take the unfair offer.

7. Taneja, Rimple “Money attitude-an abridgement” July. 2012.

Background: In this writing the author explains that the role of money has become a the means and end of our happiness. It states that individuals attitude towards money depends on several things such as their childhood experiences, education, financial and social status. They could also pick up their attitude from the ones around them, such as friends or family.

How I used it: I used this to show that rude behavior can be learned from the people we surround ourselves with. Two people can grow up in a wealthy environment but one could have a whole different behavior than the other. If you are around negative people than you are prone to grow up as one of them.

8. Davidson, Dan and Harrington, K Vernard “Workplace bullying: It’s not just about lunch money anymore” Southern Journal of Business and Ethics, 2012.

Background: This short writing is about how not only children are getting bullied for money but so do adults, in their workspace. In a recent report it was shown that 35% of U.S. workers claimed to be bullied while at work. Although, bullying is a problem it has not been made a legal problem.

How I used it: I used this to support the fact that even adults get bullied at work. People don’t always grow out of the immature life style. Some get used to it and think that there attitude towards others aren’t a problem.

9. Johnson, R. Pamela and Indvik, Julie “Rudeness at work: Impulse over restraint” Sage Journals, December. 2001.

Background: This article explains how managers and employees attitude can cost the company millions of dollars a year. Their behavior drives customers away and although being rude isn’t a sign of violence or harassment it could eventually build up to that or worse.

How I used it: I used this to explain how company’s even lose out on money due to the behavior of the workers. I stated that no one wants to be treated rude, workers don’t know how bad of a day their customers are having. It’;s not that difficult to treat them with kindness.

10. Mahrunnisya, Dyanti; Indriayu, Mintasih; Wardani, K. Dewi “Peer conformity through money attitudes toward adolescence’s consumptive behavior” International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 2018.

Background: In this writing it explains how people can be effected by their peers. People may act a certain way because they want to fit in, be recognized or accepted. It also states that money is a source of energy but it can lead to war or conflict. “Individuals attitude towards money is influenced by cultural and individual differences, such as gender, personal values, family, life cycle, age, educational level and social status.”

How I used it:  I used this to support that the way people grow up affects their behavior. The people we surround ourselves with is how we are usually going to act. It is in our control if we want to become rude or treat people with kindness. There is no reason to try and fit in with negative behavior, this never gets anyone far in life.

Posted in Bibliography, Blueee, Portfolio Blueee | 2 Comments

Rebuttal-Fatjoe

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Matt Loesche

Athletes Need to Stay Calm

When it comes to high pressure situations it is common for everyone, not just athletes, to feel anxiety about the situation. In these types of scenarios it is best to stay calm, don’t overthink and narrow your focus to the task at hand. As we know, anxiety can lead to multiple negative outcomes like drug abuse and other mental health issues. So in these situations it would be best not to let the anxiety get too powerful right? Well according to Jesse Singal in the article “Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment,” it is actually better to remain anxious during these high stakes situations.

While Singal suggests that anxiety can be used as a source of energy and motivation for athletes, and just life in general, using your anxiety can have as much negative outcomes as it can positive. Singal states “It’s better, this research argues, to embrace your anxiety.” Excessive anxiety can have negative consequences on performance. When athletes are too anxious it can interfere with their ability to focus and perform well. This can lead to poor decision making and a lack of confidence. Instead of embracing their anxiety, athletes should calm down before a big moment, calming down can help athletes maintain their composure, focus and perform to the best of their abilities.

Singal also argues that trying to convince your body that you are excited instead of anxious, will help you perform better. Singal states “Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School found, in four studies “involving karaoke singing, public speaking, and math performance,” that “reappraising anxiety as excitement” led to better performance.” While yes, this can be true, but convincing your body to turn anxiety into excitement is way easier said than done. This strategy can also differ from people to people. Some individuals may benefit from it, but others may find it unhelpful. People have different personalities and experiences which can affect how they respond to to anxiety and other emotions. It is important to recognize that what works for one person may not work for another and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to managing anxiety, Singal fails to realize this.

Singal tries to argue that anxiety and excitement are in the same category, when they are not. Singal states “The contestant who is excited rather than anxious will get the most out of their body during the action of flow.” While this is also true, it also assumes that anxiety and excitement are two sides of the same coin, which is not entirely accurate. While anxiety and excitement share some similarities, they are fundamentally different emotions with distinct physiological and cognitive responses. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of apprehension, fear and uncertainty. While excitement is associated with the feelings and anticipation, enthusiasm and optimism, Therefore it is not clear whether reappraising anxiety as excitement actually leads to better performance or whether it simply changes the way we experience anxiety.

Another approach to anxiety and excitement that Singal states is “Recognizing that you are feeling anxious, and naming the source of your anxiety.” While this strategy can be useful for some individuals, it may not always be effective for athletes in high-pressure situations. Athletes may experience a range of emotions including anxiety, fear, excitement and adrenaline during competition. However, in the heat of the moment, it may be challenging to identify the exact source of these emotions. Additionally, naming the source of anxiety may not necessarily lead to better performance or help athletes overcome their fears or doubts. Instead, athletes may need more comprehensive and targeted strategies to manage their emotions and optimize their performance, such as visualization, goal-setting, positive self-talk or seeking support from their coaches and teammates. While recognizing and naming the source of anxiety may be a helpful technique in some situations, it is not a silver bullet for athletes and should be used in conjunction with other strategies to support their mental and emotional well-being.

The idea that recognizing our tendency to stress more and more intensely is crucial to managing stress as Singal states, “The key to ‘owning’ your stress is to recognize that we tend to stress more, and more intensely.” While recognizing this tendency can be helpful, it is not a comprehensive or universally effective solution. Individuals may have different reasons for experiencing stress, and simply acknowledging their tendency to stress may not address the root causes of their stress. Moreover, some people may have chronic or severe stress that requires more targeted and specialized interventions, such as therapy, medication or lifestyle changes. Also, some stressful situations may be unavoidable or beyond someone’s control, such as job loss, illness or relationship problems, making it difficult to manage stress solely by recognizing one’s stress patterns.

Singal suggests that stress is not inherently negative but rather an adaptive response, as she states in her article, “The evolutionary goal of the stress response was to help boost the body and mind into enhanced functioning, to help us grow and meet the demands we face.” For athletes, stress can be a useful tool to improve performance, but only up to a certain point. When stress becomes excessive or chronic, it can lead to physical and mental fatigue, burnout and injury. Athletes should manage their stress levels effectively and balance the demands of training and competition with rest and recovery. It is also essential to recognize that different athletes may respond to stress differently, and some may be more susceptible to the negative effects of stress than others.

Lastly, Singal says that stress and anxiety is are universal things to feel, as she states in her article, “And it’s as useful for an office worker as it is for an Olympic sprinter.” This is definitely true as we all feel stress and anxiety, but the stressors that Olympic athletes face vs what an office worker may face are vastly different, which ultimately means they will need to use different strategies. For example, an Olympic sprinter will face stressors related to intense physical training and competition, whereas an office worker may face stressors related to tight deadlines and heavy workloads. Athletes may work with their coaches and sports psychologists while an office worker may seek help through employee assistance programs.

All things considered, anxiety is a common experience for individuals in high-pressure situations, and it can have negative impacts on mental health and well-being if left unchecked. And while in Jesse Singal’s article “Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment,” argues that embracing anxiety is better to do than calming down, this in fact is not the best thing to do. It is better to stay calm, maintain your focus and don’t overthink. Trying to deal with stress and anxiety is very difficult to do and there is no simple solution to it.

Works Cited

Singal, J. (2016, August 4). Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment. The Cut. Retrieved April 26, 2023,

Posted in FatJoe, Portfolio FatJoe, Rebuttal Argument, You Forgot to Categorize! | Leave a comment

Rebuttal Rewrite-Fatjoe

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Matt Loesche

Athletes Need to Stay Calm

When it comes to high pressure situations it is common for everyone, not just athletes, to feel anxiety about the situation. In these types of scenarios it is best to stay calm, don’t overthink and narrow your focus to the task at hand. As we know, anxiety can lead to multiple negative outcomes like drug abuse and other mental health issues. So in these situations it would be best not to let the anxiety get too powerful right? Well according to Jesse Singal in the article “Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment,” it is actually better to remain anxious during these high stakes situations.

While Singal suggests that anxiety can be used as a source of energy and motivation for athletes, and just life in general, using your anxiety can have as much negative outcomes as it can positive. Singal states “It’s better, this research argues, to embrace your anxiety.” Excessive anxiety can have negative consequences on performance. When athletes are too anxious it can interfere with their ability to focus and perform well. This can lead to poor decision making and a lack of confidence. Instead of embracing their anxiety, athletes should calm down before a big moment, calming down can help athletes maintain their composure, focus and perform to the best of their abilities.

Singal also argues that trying to convince your body that you are excited instead of anxious, will help you perform better. Singal states “Alison Wood Brooks of Harvard Business School found, in four studies “involving karaoke singing, public speaking, and math performance,” that “reappraising anxiety as excitement” led to better performance.” While yes, this can be true, but convincing your body to turn anxiety into excitement is way easier said than done. This strategy can also differ from people to people. Some individuals may benefit from it, but others may find it unhelpful. People have different personalities and experiences which can affect how they respond to to anxiety and other emotions. It is important to recognize that what works for one person may not work for another and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to managing anxiety, Singal fails to realize this.

Singal tries to argue that anxiety and excitement are in the same category, when they are not. Singal states “The contestant who is excited rather than anxious will get the most out of their body during the action of flow.” While this is also true, it also assumes that anxiety and excitement are two sides of the same coin, which is not entirely accurate. While anxiety and excitement share some similarities, they are fundamentally different emotions with distinct physiological and cognitive responses. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of apprehension, fear and uncertainty. While excitement is associated with the feelings and anticipation, enthusiasm and optimism, Therefore it is not clear whether reappraising anxiety as excitement actually leads to better performance or whether it simply changes the way we experience anxiety.

Another approach to anxiety and excitement that Singal states is “Recognizing that you are feeling anxious, and naming the source of your anxiety.” While this strategy can be useful for some individuals, it may not always be effective for athletes in high-pressure situations. Athletes may experience a range of emotions including anxiety, fear, excitement and adrenaline during competition. However, in the heat of the moment, it may be challenging to identify the exact source of these emotions. Additionally, naming the source of anxiety may not necessarily lead to better performance or help athletes overcome their fears or doubts. Instead, athletes may need more comprehensive and targeted strategies to manage their emotions and optimize their performance, such as visualization, goal-setting, positive self-talk or seeking support from their coaches and teammates. While recognizing and naming the source of anxiety may be a helpful technique in some situations, it is not a silver bullet for athletes and should be used in conjunction with other strategies to support their mental and emotional well-being.

The idea that recognizing our tendency to stress more and more intensely is crucial to managing stress as Singal states, “The key to ‘owning’ your stress is to recognize that we tend to stress more, and more intensely.” While recognizing this tendency can be helpful, it is not a comprehensive or universally effective solution. Individuals may have different reasons for experiencing stress, and simply acknowledging their tendency to stress may not address the root causes of their stress. Moreover, some people may have chronic or severe stress that requires more targeted and specialized interventions, such as therapy, medication or lifestyle changes. Also, some stressful situations may be unavoidable or beyond someone’s control, such as job loss, illness or relationship problems, making it difficult to manage stress solely by recognizing one’s stress patterns.

Singal suggests that stress is not inherently negative but rather an adaptive response, as she states in her article, “The evolutionary goal of the stress response was to help boost the body and mind into enhanced functioning, to help us grow and meet the demands we face.” For athletes, stress can be a useful tool to improve performance, but only up to a certain point. When stress becomes excessive or chronic, it can lead to physical and mental fatigue, burnout and injury. Athletes should manage their stress levels effectively and balance the demands of training and competition with rest and recovery. It is also essential to recognize that different athletes may respond to stress differently, and some may be more susceptible to the negative effects of stress than others.

Lastly, Singal says that stress and anxiety is are universal things to feel, as she states in her article, “And it’s as useful for an office worker as it is for an Olympic sprinter.” This is definitely true as we all feel stress and anxiety, but the stressors that Olympic athletes face vs what an office worker may face are vastly different, which ultimately means they will need to use different strategies. For example, an Olympic sprinter will face stressors related to intense physical training and competition, whereas an office worker may face stressors related to tight deadlines and heavy workloads. Athletes may work with their coaches and sports psychologists while an office worker may seek help through employee assistance programs.

All things considered, anxiety is a common experience for individuals in high-pressure situations, and it can have negative impacts on mental health and well-being if left unchecked. And while in Jesse Singal’s article “Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment,” argues that embracing anxiety is better to do than calming down, this in fact is not the best thing to do. It is better to stay calm, maintain your focus and don’t overthink. Trying to deal with stress and anxiety is very difficult to do and there is no simple solution to it.

Works Cited

Singal, J. (2016, August 4). Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn’t Try to Calm Down Before a Big Moment. The Cut. Retrieved April 26, 2023,

Posted in FatJoe, Portfolio FatJoe, Rebuttal Rewrite | Leave a comment

Reflective — Shazammm

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Samantha Szumloz

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.

I believe I have demonstrated this core value proficiently in my “Definition Argument” paper. Even though I did not communicate with my peers about my paper, or workshop my piece with other writers outside of class, I did chat with Professor Hodges numerous times via text and virtual conferences. He provided substantial feedback on my work and critiqued the parts that were weakest. His comments and my replies to his comments created a meaningful conversation on the Counterintuitive Blog as well as on iMessage. My revisions in response to his critiques also illustrate my commitment to this core value. However, I regret not reaching out to my peers more during the semester. I think I held back from reaching out because I felt disconnected from everyone. I definitely would have felt less alone in my writing struggles. 

Definition Rewrite—Shazammm

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. 

I have demonstrated this core value fairly well in my “White Paper,” a place to gather sources and informally criticize/react to them. I would take notes on each article that piqued my interest and judge how relevant they were to my overall research paper. I would “start a conversation with them” so-to-speak. I would use the relevant sources from my White Paper to create short argumentative papers, which would combine into a massive research paper at the end of the semester. Basically, I synthesized the arguments to create something bigger than themselves – a major theme. However, the only thing I did have trouble with was placing texts into conversation with one another. I did not compare texts within my White Paper because from what I recall, I was instructed to do so. I merely gathered sources, took some notes on them, summarized them, and concluded my findings with a brief update on my research progress. So from 1-10, I would give myself a 7. 

White Paper—Shazammm

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.

I feel that I have demonstrated this core value extremely well in my “Rebuttal Argument” paper. I believe I had a strong understanding of what audience I was speaking to and my purpose for writing this piece. I think I had a clear grasp of what I wanted to say to persuade my audience into supporting my plea for change. Especially since I got substantial feedback from my professor. He pointed out some of the errors I made in my piece, which help me rhetorically analyze my writing better. We as a class also pulled apart some TV commercials and analyzed each scene. We did this to try and find the contexts, purposes, and audiences of the commercials {at least that is how I interpret the assignment}. 

Rebuttal Rewrite — Shazammm

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.

I like to believe that I have demonstrated this core value extremely well in my “Causal Argument” paper. I have provided more than enough evidence to support my thoughts regarding my thesis as well as provided a “cheerleading example” to explain my stance. I believe I also incorporated appropriate sources into all my papers. I did not use any “fishy” articles to back up my ideas. I made sure that the sources I used were trustworthy and pertained to my argument{s}. The only thing I wish I had done was analyze my peers’ writing. Not only would this have made my arguments stronger, but it would have also made me feel less alone in my work struggles, as stated earlier in this self-reflection assignment.    

Causal Rewrite — Shazammm

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. 

I strongly believe that I demonstrated this core value exceptionally well in my “Bibliography” post. I believe I correctly cited all my 14 sources in APA format. I also picked the sources that were most helpful to me, so I didn’t incorporate any sources that were not beneficial to my research. I also properly credited all my sources inside my argumentative papers, so there was never a time when an idea was left uncited. I never plagiarized in this course or in any of my courses prior to this semester. The only thing that I found weak was my reference page for my “Causal Argument” paper. I still have time to fix the citations for that, but I was not proud about how I left it. Other than that, though, I have demonstrated my strength in this area in all my other assignments.

 https://compclass2021.com/2023/04/25/bibliography-shazammm/

Posted in Portfolio Shazammm, Portfolio SP23, Reflective SP23, Shazammm | Leave a comment

Reflective–SinatraMan

Posted on April 26, 2023 by adamreim

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.

In this paper, the Visual Rhetoric assignment, I demonstrated these practices most prominently. I engaged in active interaction with the media I was analyzing. Beyond just analyzing what I could see on screen, I explored WHY the filmmakers made such choices, and what more those choices tell us about the characters. I contemplated how the characters on screen interacted socially together, and what that added to the overall effectiveness of the PSA. I confidently drew conclusions based on what I saw, knowing my discoveries were correct as long as they could be backed by logical reasoning. 

Visual Rewrite–SinatraMan17

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. 

In my Definition Argument, I demonstrated the critical use of several academic and online sources. I used these texts to aid in the definition of key terms needed to comprehend my research paper. I put several of these quotes in conjunction with each other, in hopes to build a definitive comprehension of the often overly-technical jargon. An example of texts interacting and responding to each other would be “‘For most of the past decade, A.I. chatbots have been terrible – impressive only if you cherry-pick the bot’s best responses and throw out the rest.’ Chat GPT differs from its predecessors in that it produces coherent and intelligent responses and, if prompted, ‘artful’ ones as well. The concept which powers this technology is called ‘machine learning, which is defined by IBM as the process in which ‘[AI] focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy.’”

Definition Rewrite–SinatraMan17

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 Rebuttal Argument represents my strongest use of analysis of purpose, audience, and context, especially within the texts of my opponents. I explored their strengths and weaknesses and dug deep within their arguments to discover what issues were within. Upon researching the claims of my opponent, I was able to learn the tendencies of the audience– whether they tend to side with me or against me. In learning this I could address my own audience with that idea in mind.

Rebuttal–SinatraMan17

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 semester-long Research Paper is where I spent the most time locating, evaluating, and incorporating evidence to support my counterintuitive claim. Within these 3000 words, It was absolutely essential that I followed all three of these practices. First off, locating relevant, reputable sources from the get-go allowed me to spend time on the latter actions, instead of wandering databases aimlessly. My focused library of texts proved to be extremely useful. Secondly, I evaluated each of these texts through reading notes– jotting down when I thought a certain excerpt was especially relevant to my argument. Lastly, as seen in my Research Paper, I incorporated these findings throughout to support my claims. 

Research–SinatraMan17

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 citations. 

My Annotated Bibliography is a direct example of how I’ve respected the work of others and cited all texts that I quoted or was influenced by. I have noted the background information of each source I used, as well as in what ways I used the text. I used the “How I Used It” section to explain what purpose each work served in the overall argument effort of my paper.

Bibliography–SinatraMan17
Posted in Portfolio SinatraMan, Reflective SP23, SinatraMan | Leave a comment

Bibliography-SortableElms

Posted on April 26, 2023 by sortableelms

Auriemma, R. (2019, June 19). Banksy: the best paintings and the meaning of his art. Auralcrave. Retrieved March 29, 2023

Background: This is a 2019 article that explains the meaning behind some of Banksy’s top pieces and his personal life and story behind his reason for becoming an artist.

How I Used It: I used this article to explain Banksy and how his past affected him.

Five Things to Know: Keith Haring. (n.d.). Tate. Retrieved March 29, 2023

Background: This article explains the meaning behind some of Keith Haring personal life and the story behind his reason for becoming an artist.

How I Used It:  I used this article to talk on Keith Haring’s art and life

Hencz, A. (n.d.). What is Street Art? History & Famous Artists. Artland Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2023

Background: This article explains the meaning behind street art and the history of the movement.

How I Used It: I used this article to help expanded my knowledge on street art and it’s positives to the communities 

Picasso, P. (2022, March 17). Cave Art Movement Overview | TheArtStory. The Art Story. Retrieved March 29, 2023

Background: This article explains the origins of street art that originated from cave art.

How I Used It: I used this article to help my original claims with talking about how street art is positive.  

Jones, J. (2015, March 13). Graffiti is ugly, stupid and threatening – there’s more creativity in crochet. The Guardian. Retrieved April 13, 2023

Background: This article talks about David Lynch negitive view of of street rt and graffiti.

How I Used It: I used this article in my rebuttal as a worthy opponent. 

Laboy, S. (2011, July 13). Miami graffiti artists free to leave their mark. Washington Times. Retrieved April 13, 2023

Background: This article talks about the positive meaning of graffiti and how it can make buildings look like pieces of art.

How I Used It: I used this article in my rebuttal to help prove that my opponent is wrong.

Posted in Bibliography, Portfolio SortableElms, SortableElms | Leave a comment

Reflective-pinkheart

Posted on April 26, 2023 by pinkheart84

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

These assignments have allowed me to explore and discover new sources of information. In the very beginning of the course, I created a hypothesis that was very vague and repetitive. Over time, I began to explore many different sources of information and use it towards my projects. Conferencing was something that really helped me in this class. I was able to ask questions and receive helpful feedback about my hypothesis and assignment. The White Paper was also a huge help because it allowed me to keep track of all the information and sources I found throughout the semester. 

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. 

The Rebuttal argument assignment definitely demonstrates this core value the most. I was able to put different viewpoints together from different authors and put texts into conversations. I believe that when the readers see different perspectives and authors throughout the paper, it helps them to agree with you. My hypothesis was how teens use their phone too much and it causes insomnia. In this paper, I even showed an example of surveys done by teens themselves agreeing that they use their phones too much. By including the teens into this paper, it shows them and the reader that what I am talking about is serious and agreeable. 

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.

I think that my Causal argument demonstrates the purpose and audience in the text. I feel like I was really able to c connect with my readers and and not come off too strong. I was able to add quotes that were coming at my audience but gently agreeing with my argument. I think that it is very important to know your audience and subtly talk about the topic in a way that they will agree with you. You also must be aware of how your audience will take the words you are saying. 

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.

The paper that fits this core value the most would be my research paper. This assignment allowed me to explain my ideas and use the sources I had found in a way that would attract my audience. The sources and evidence I had shown made my argument agreeable and convincing to my audience. When searching for the right sources, I had found myself also looking for different opinions and ideas that went against my own. Although this was difficult, when I was able to explain a different point, it made my actual argument stronger. 

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. 

One of my assignments that respects ethical responsibility would be my annotated bibliography. This piece of work was simply explaining each source I used in all of my papers and showing how I used it to fit with my hypothesis. This paper allowed me to see all of the sources I had found and used to incorporate in my assignments. Giving a background on each source was to show what each author had talked about and how it relates to my papers. I think this specific assignment allowed me to stay focused and organized. It also showed my growth as a writer and how I can add other opinions and authors into my papers to help my argument. 

Posted in PinkHeart, Portfolio PinkHeart, Reflective SP23 | 1 Comment