qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh jklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvb nmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer My Writing Portfolio tyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopas WRT 235 Final dfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj klzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc Sarah Callahan Since the start of this semester it became apparent to me that this class, out of all the rest of my classes, would have the most work. However, what I didn’t expect, was for me to in fact enjoy the entire out of class assignments. I think that throughout the course of the semester, my writing has improved tremendously. It’s interesting for me to look upon my enthusiast blog and see my posts get stronger and more descriptive each week. I can understand why this was a required class to take for Public Relations majors, because it prepares you to write in different electronic environments, which is extremely important in today’s advanced world. In relation to other classes that I have taken, like Public Speaking and Great American Speeches I have learned that credibility, or ethos, is a particularly important factor in persuading your audience. Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively and according to Aristotle, rhetoric is “the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion.” Aristotle described his three main forms of rhetoric to be ethos, logos and pathos. In this class, I feel that I was able to learn something different; how to portray the main elements to my specific audiences via my writing. What we learned in the beginning of the semester, is that language structures reality. As a writer, I think that my portfolio definitely demonstrates hard work, which pays off due to my development as a writer. In my portfolio, you will find my website re-design, my enthusiast blog and my wiki travel site. I think that these 3 projects have clearly shown my dedication and progress that I have gained throughout this course. In class we learned Aristotle’s usage of the three artistic proofs; which are ones that “inspire confidence in the rhetor’s own character. They encourage us to believe a thing apart from any proof; good sense, good moral character, and goodwill.” Like I said previously, the three components that make up my portfolio include my enthusiast blog, where I was able to establish my ethos, the Wikitravel project that developed inventiveness on my hometown and the website re-design project that reflected on my persuasive writing by means of writing the proposal. I think that I reveal a great amount of credibility in my enthusiast blog. At first, I admit that I was confused with the whole process of trying to write to my target audience only because I wasn’t sure how to launch myself. However I think that looking at my blog now, my revised ‘about me’ is credible, and my ‘description’ links to my topic; revealing how I want my audience to view my page. In addition, I feel that my posts are clear and factual with my own personality tied into them. My journey throughout my process blog in a way relates to the team that I chose to write about. In the beginning of the season the 49ers were at a rough start. Our fans sort of had the pre-conception that we would be a solid team, which is how I can relate to this writing class. When you think about a writing course in general, you simply just think about writing; with no rules or guidelines. However, with this class you can’t have the assumption that you can just jump right into a project and start writing about whatever pops into your mind. I mean, you should, however you also need to understand who you are writing for and how to build your ethos pathos and logos. Writing my enthusiast blog was a slow start because I had to get the hang of things before I could just jump right into it. I think that both the Niner’s and I end up flourishing in the end though in the sense that they are in the running for making the playoffs (which would be amazing by the way). The four posts that I chose to display completely demonstrate my writing abilities. I think that they determine great ethos due to the fact that they have many components. I tried to give my blog a flair by adding in quotes, pictures, fun facts, and discussion questions. After looking at my review on the project, it was said that I should consider revising my ‘About Me’, which is what I did. I chose to take out some parts that effected my credibility, and I also improved the structure of my writing and the grammar corrections making it appear more perceptible to my audience. I really had a lot of fun writing for this blog and I think that it is evident that my discussions became stronger each week the Niners played, which is a great goal to have reached, and achievement of mine. The wikitravel project was my favorite to work on because it allowed me to be adventurous. It describes me as a writer based on the page’s organization and creativity. I enjoyed the fact that South Windsor didn’t already have a page made up and that I had to be the one to make it. Starting out on a clean slate was inspiring in a way because it allowed me to utilize all aspects of the town. Traveling around the town, taking pictures, and collecting information that would help a tourist gave me motivation for my creativity. I took pictures of things that would be appealing to a tourist in my eyes. By revealing the scenic-like hometown feel via pictures I think that I was able to grasp the reader’s attention on what I was talking about. Touting was a little bit difficult for me in this project only because I had to use words that were even more descriptive than the description itself, if that makes any sense. I had to look at each place or restaurant that I was talking about and visually imagine and put into words the feeling I got or experience that was given. In the end, I feel as though I was able to escape the touting and give the readers an accurate vision of the town. Throughout this project I did an extensive amount of research which I think reflected on the amount of informative writing that is displayed. I think that I was able to apply what we learned in class and present it on a well organized and structured template on the Wikitravel site. After looking at the final project that I handed in for wikitravel, I couldn’t find much to change, except for the grammar and spelling that were overlooked. I’m very proud with how the site came out and I like the fact that it is helpful and can be looked at by everyone. It was interesting to write for the website redesign project because it was something different in such a way that I have never experienced before. I consider this project more different than the last two projects because firstly, it was a group project and secondly, the type of writing was more business-like and persuasive. This project had to deal with persuasive writing because it required me to have the incentive to attract the readers and customers to the website, and I also had write persuasively to influence the owners of the website as to why our website was the best one for them and for their targeted rhetorical audience. After looking over the final project, some changes that I decided to make was to modify the background color, the font style and the font color as well. When you are working in a group, it can sometimes be hard because you have to come to terms with what everyone thinks will be suitable for the project, which is understandable. However, after reflecting on this project, I think that my greatest contribution was my proposal write-up. I think that I able to relate well to the rhetorical audience that the tanning establishment was trying to capture. I feel that I was able to recommend a course of action without fully criticizing their entire site. What I learned was that it’s significant for you to understand who’s website the establishment belongs to, then after doing that, you need to relate to what it is they are trying to accomplish on their site (even though their site may be a complete mess). By doing this, I feel that I was able to communicate effectively what our group was trying to achieve. In addition, like I said before, I decided to change the background of the original design, the font, and the font color. In doing so, I think that the site fits together. The color scheme correlates with the image in the upper left corner and the background it subtle yet classy enough to meet the needs of all aged customers. In Conclusion to my overall reflection, it’s evident that my writing has grown a substantial amount throughout this semester, and it’s rewarding to know that I was able experience and learn how to write with different genres. Being able to write within different electronic environments is useful. Based on my personal experience within job and internship searching, companies are now looking and expecting for their future employees to have experience in writing for the internet setting, such as blogging. The three projects that I have exposed and reflected on, represent my strong areas with informative and persuasive writing and producing a strong ethos. This class was able to encourage and provide a great background knowledge to the understanding of the specific rhetorical audience within any environment. WikiTravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/South_Windsor South Windsor Contents Understand Get in Get Around See Do Buy Eat Drink Sleep Get out South Windsor is a small town in Connecticut it is 5 miles NE of Hartford, Connecticut and 88 miles SW of Boston, Massachusetts. The town is conveniently located inside the Hartford metropolitan area. [edit] Understand The Podunk Indians were the original inhabitants of the area now known as South Windsor. Thomas Burnham purchased the land that presently covers the towns of South Windsor and East Hartford in 1659. Other settlers from Windsor, Connecticut, arrived in this area in the mid 17th century. South Windsor was incorporated as a town in 1845. Though the area was originally a farming community, it developed into a suburban town in the 1950s. [edit] Get in From 84E: 84E to exit 62; take a left onto Buckland Road. Go approximately 2 miles to a 4-corner intersection (sixth traffic light). Sullivan Avenue, Route 194, goes straight, Town Hall is on the right. From 84W: take exit 62. Turn Right at the bottom of the ramp. at the first light (Buckland Road) turn left. Follow Buckland for approx. 2 miles until you come to the intersection of Rtes 30 and 194. Go straight on Rte 194 , Town Hall is on the right. From 91N or S: I-91N to exit 35A (Bissell Bridge, I-291); Take exit 4 (Route 5, East Hartford, South Windsor) at end of ramp go straight on to Ellington Road. Follow Ellington Road to sixth light and take a left onto Sullivan Avenue (Route 194). Town Hall is on the right. [edit] Get Around Avery Cab 24 Chatham Ln, South Windsor, CT 06074 (860) 648-1669 Ace Taxi Vernon Rockville, CT 06066 (860) 244-9999 [edit][add listing] See The Michael Donnelly Land Preserve/Park: A view of the open grassy landscape along with seasonal trees, picnic tables and a great walking path. The Michael Donnelly Land Preserve is dedicated to Major Michael Donnelly who was a United States Air Force major and veteran of the first Gulf War. Medically retired in 1996 following a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's Disease, he became a leading activist for sufferers of Gulf War Syndrome. Donnelly died of his disease in 2005. The Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve,is named after him. Old MainStreet: A Historical street that is located near the Connecticut River. It is the center of South Windsor's historical district that is filled with open farm land and ancient builidings such as The Wood Memorial Library, Ellsworth School, and the nation's oldest continually operating post office(picture on right). Nevers Park: Consists of a 2 mile walking/running trail, soccer fields, and a pavilion with picnic tables. Nevers park also has what is called a "Boundless Playground" which is a unique playground structured where children and adults of all abilities can play, including people who may have difficulty with mobility. [edit][add listing] Do Foster Family Farm's Corn Maze: Each year in the fall this maze has a different theme where you can solve over 4 miles of corn maze trails, go on a hayride, or pet the farm animals. You may also enjoy the country fall surroundings of pumpkins, mums, and Indian corn. The Maze Takes Place Through the Month of October. Located: Foster Family Farm 90 Foster Street South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone: 860-648-9366 The South Windsor Arena: An open indoor rink where you can ice skate, participate in pick-up hockey games, and recieve skating lessons. This arena offers a wide variety of food and beverages also. It also sells hockey equipment in stock for those interested. Located: 585 John Fitch Blvd. South Windsor CT, 06074 Phone: (860) 289-3401 Nomad's Sports Complex: A recently new indoor entertainment center that includes laser tag, black-light mini golf, a climbing wall, billiards, bowling, and an arcade. This complex also has a bar, a full service cafe and restaurant. When it all adds up, it can be a little expensive. Located: 100 Bidwell Rd. South Windsor CT, 06074 Phone: (860) 290-1177 Topstone Golf Course: Opened in 1997, Topstone is an 18 Hole, Par 72 Championship Golf Course. Rated the #1 course in the area as voted on by the Hartford Magazine subscribers. This course was also given 4 stars as Best Places to Play by Golf Digest. Willow Brook Golf Course : 18-hole par 60 layout. In 2006 it was voted as one of the top 5 courses in Connecticut by Hartford Magazine. [edit][add listing] Buy The Promenade Shops of Evergreen Walk: This shopping plaza offers a collection of over 60 retailers and restaurants. The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk resembles a traditional New England village consisting of: -Moes Southwest Grill -Coldstone Creamery -Teds Montana Grill -Old Navy -Banana Republic -Anthropology -Lux Bond & Green -JCrew -Atlanta Bread -LL Bean -Omaha Steaks -Johnny Rockets -Brook Brothers -Justice -Sakura Garden -Gap -White House Black Market -Williams-Sonoma -Bellini's Italian Eatery -Pottery Barn -Stonewall Kitchen Crandle & Daughter: A small two floor store located in the center of town. It looks like an older house. In each room you walk into their is a set theme. This store is filled with really unique gifts for any type of occasion, it also carries interesting home decorations and furnishings. Located: 544 Buckland Road South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone: (860) 648-0014 Uptown Consignment: For those who enjoy searching for used high fashion name brand clothing. This store is 9,000 square feet, making Uptown the largest clothing consignment store in the Country. Located: Town Center 1735 Ellington Rd South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone: (860)644-9090 Bangle & Clutch: A small boutique that carries purses, jewelry and accessories at pretty reasonable prices. Located: 293 Oakland Road South Windsor, ct 06074 Phone: (860) 432-4618 [edit][add listing] Eat Lena's Restaurant & Pizza, Alexia's Restaurant & Pizza, Teddy's Pizza Restaurant, The Red Onion,Campions Pizza: There are many pizza places in South Windsor. Campions has really good flat crusted pizza. Alexia’s has a good sauce. Mill on the River Restaurant: This restaurant was built on a dam. The Podunk Mill dates back more than 200 years in South Windsor's History. Its original dam, built by Colonists and Indians, is the oldest in Connecticut. The Mill has a lit up pavilion overlooking the water at night. Located: 989 Ellington Road South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone:(860) 289-7929 La Casa Bella: A new small family-owned Italian Restaurant that is supposed to have really good home-made pasta with vodka sauce. Located: 1750 Ellington Road South Windsor, Connecticut Burtons Grill: A perfect lunch or dinner spot for shoppers or locals, it has a seasonal outdoor patio which is ideal for late afternoon drinks or to have a relaxing dinner outside. Burtons has contemporary American cuisine, and is kind of pricey. Ted's Montana Grill: Classic American Grilled comfort food. They are best known for their entrees including steaks, "Beer Can" Chicken, Cedar Plank Salmon and Bison Meatloaf. The Red Cabin: A breakfast & Lunch sit-down diner. It has the appearance of an actual old red cabin. Many people come here for the home-made pancakes and waffles. Moes Southwest Grille: A fast-casual establishment that serves a wide variety of fresh, made-to-order southwest Mexican food. The food is made right in front of you, their "homewrecker" burritos are very popular as well as their chips, salsa and queso. [edit][add listing] Drink The B&G Bar and Billiard: This bar has been around for a very long time. It's a small bar located near the center of town, if you go here you will probably see only people who are from South Windsor, everyone knows everyone there. They sometimes have fun bands that play. It's kind of dark inside and smells of cigarettes. Club 645 Pub: A small bar with an outdoor patio/smoking area. Many rock bands play here on the weekends. [edit][add listing] Sleep The Watson House B&B: Located on Old Main Street, surrounded by open farm land and animals and historical buildings. located: 1876 Main Street, South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone: (860) 282-8888 Directions from Bradley International Airport(Windsor Locks, CT 06096): Head northwest for about 0.6 mi then you are going to take a slight left toward Schoephoester Rd 331 ft. Then turn right at Schoephoester Rd 0.2 mi and continue onto CT-401 South for 3.8 mi. Take the exit onto I-91 N toward Springfield 2.2 mi and take exit 44 for US-5 S toward E.Windsor 0.3 mi. Turn right at US-5 S/Prospect Hill Rd and Continue to follow US-5 S for about 4.3 mi. Turn right at Sullivan Ave 0.1 mi and then turn right at Main St and your destination will be on the right. Cumon Inn Farm Homestays B&B: Conveniently located near the Buckland Hills Mall and The Shoppes of Evergreen Walk. located: 130 Buckland Rd, South Windsor, CT 06074 Phone: (860) 644-8486 [edit] Get out The Buckland Hills Mall Located: 194 Buckland Hills Drive, Suite 2500 Manchester, Connecticut 06042 Phone: (860) 644-1450 About 5 minutes away from South Windsor The Buckland Hills Cinema Extremely expensive, but was recently re-done. Along with movie-showings, there is an arcade, a sitting area to eat food, and a bar. Located: 99 Redstone Rd. Central Manchester, CT, 06040 (860)646-9800 Golf Land: Miniature golf, bumper carts, batting cages, go-karts, arcade Located: 95 Hartford Turnpike Route 83 Vernon, CT 06066 Phone: (860) 643-2654 Directions: From Hartford: I-84 East to exit 63 - South Windsor, Left at light, 1 Mile Down on the left From Boston: I-84 West to Exit 64 - Kelly Road, Right at end of exit, Right at light Enthusiast Blog: http://love49ers.blogspot.com/ 1. NOT good I'm going to quote my brother on this recent game that we played against the Falcons, "your headline this week should read 'They fucking suck.' " Now I don't want to be that harsh, but it just seems like every game we've watched, we have been continuously let down. This game in particular is a perfect example, the Niners had a great start to this game, giving themselves a lead as I said in my previous blog 14-7. It almost seemed as though our new offensive coordinator was proving to us something good. We were led to think that we would finally have our first win, BUT did we get it? The answer is simply and unfortunately no. But why? Why do they always seem to mess it up? Tyson Clabo, the Falcons Offensive guard said that "The Falcons were amazed that the 49ers are win-less this season considering the passion they played with Sunday." And I'm amazed as well, to me it’s almost as if they get so close and they play so well but there is one small thing that always seems to get in the way. If they can find this "thing," this problem, I really do think they have a chance to redeem themselves, but then again I have been saying this since the start of the season. I am by no means sticking up for them anymore because of the constant let down, but then again as we look at their potential in playing really well, I strongly believe that there still is a slight chance. Quarterback Alex Smith went 21-of-32 which I learned means that he completed 21 passes and in-completed 11(see, I'm learning something new every day.) Smith gave a touchdown to tight end Vernon Davis, but gave away two picks in enemy territory. In a post game interview with Jay Adams, Alex smith reflects: “O-and-four is not fun. It is frustrating to say the least. Really frustrating. You have to go out there and execute, and that’s the mindset. I felt like we executed on a lot of levels, but two really poor decisions ended up costing us. They were just really bad decisions.” Along with the two big mistakes that the 49ers made, another factor in losing was Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, who was the main reason the Falcons got ahead in this game, with nine points including the final three to put the Falcons up at the end with seven seconds on the clock. A depressing 14-16 score was what was left at the end of the 4th quarter, I was sure that we had it in the bag, and of course we were let down. New Offensive Coordinator: Maybe firing our offensive coordinator in the middle of the season potentially is hurting our team instead of making it better, I don't think our head coach considered how much of a dramatic change this is, and how it could affect our team. This could really hurt our offense, because now we have to learn a different/new type of offensive system... which can be a setback. Alex Smith: 49ers head coach Mike Singletary is quoted saying that he never thought about pulling Smith during the game. Why would he? Smith killed two potential scoring drives with interceptions. And up until the final seven seconds, the Niners had the lead the entire time. Smith hasn’t been horrible, but the thing is that he isn’t making enough plays in the vertical passing game, or enough plays period. The situation against the Atlanta Falcons was set up perfectly for him, he had a 14-0 lead, a good game plan under our new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson, and yet everything fell through. They are understandably off to their worst start since 2004, when they finished 2-14 -- and Smith's 66.1 passer rating is lower than his career rating of 68.9. So the Question is; Why Not David Carr? Carr signed onto the 49ers in March of 2010, though he has not had the best NFL career stats (in fact in 2002, Carr became the most sacked quarterback in a single season of the NFL, being sacked 76 times) I still think that something new could be good for us. Our new offensive coordinator seemed to benefit us greatly with the start of our game against Atlanta, therefore I feel like we should give Carr a shot. Alex Smith has had his ups and downs all season, and has yet to prove himself as a great QB that Singletary believes he is. If we make a change, or if Smith betters himself, we could possibly regain our dignity back this season. 2. 2nd win! As we all know, our Niners quarterback Alex Smith was inactive for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Smith, who injured his non-throwing left shoulder in last week's loss at the Carolina Panthers, was replaced by Troy Smith for the NFL's fourth regular-season game at Wembley Stadium. Singletary said Wednesday that the former Heisman Trophy winner will get his first NFL start in three years after Alex Smith was ruled out for 2 to 3 weeks with a separated left shoulder. Singletary picked the former Ohio State standout over David Carr, which was a smart decision based on when he came on against Carolina after Alex Smith was injured on Sunday. He ended up throwing a late interception that led to the winning field goal for the Panthers. Singletary was quoted saying before the game that, “Troy Smith gives us a good opportunity to win this game.” The 49ers' victory on Halloween may have brought just a glimmer of hope for a possible division title?! Troy Smith is said to have looked like possibly the best 49ers quarterback since Jeff Garcia. Smith showed very good foot coordination and was able to make deep passes. Troy Smith also scored two touchdowns. Smith's second touchdown of the day came on a 28-yard pass to Michael Crabtree up the sideline. This is interesting because Crabtree has been able to get a touchdown in both of San Francisco’s victories this year. The 49ers defense dominated Denver's offense through the first half, hardly allowing the Bronco's to even move past midfield. Now, The Niners have a bye following their game at Wembley, giving Alex Smith a chance to heal before San Francisco faces the Rams on Nov. 14. I hope though, that Singletary takes into opinion that Troy Smith is a new refreshing change for us, which is what we needed. The 49ers are going into their bye week at 2-6. Luckily for them, this means they are only twoand-a-half games out of first place for the NFC West crown. And what that means, is that the 49ers' playoff hopes have been brought back. 3. Overtime 49ers v. Rams Troy Smith earned his second straight victory as a starter for the 49ers throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:10 left before leading the winning drive in Over time. Although he realizes he won’t remind anybody of Joe Montana or Steve Young just yet, Ohio State’s former Heisman Trophy winner is doing extremely well in place of Alex Smith, who is (thankfully) out with a separated left shoulder. “When you’re part of a team that has nothing but a winning tradition, you want to keep that going as a quarterback,” Troy Smith was quoted saying. “There’s too many tremendous athletes here to not share, for everybody to not have the opportunity to make a play. It’s on me for distribution.” Frank Gore also seems to prefer Troy Smith as the starting quarterback, he was quoted, “When we go out there, it’s just like we’re little kids,” said Gore, who rushed for 87 yards and caught three passes for 67 more. “It feels good, because going back to the first eight games, something was always going wrong for us.” Quick Fact: Troy Smith's 356 yards were the most by a 49ers passer since Tim Rattay in 2004. He also averaged 12.71 yards per attempt -- the highest average by a 49ers passer since Steve Young in 1997. Coach Mike Singletary has yet to pick his starter for next week, but it’s fairly clear that Troy Smith energizes his teammates in ways Alex Smith has not mastered. In my opinion, it's hard to imagine the 49ers going forward without Troy Smith as their starting quarterback. Think about it, Alex Smith is 1-6 as a starter this season. Troy Smith is 2-0. 4. Great game against the Cardinals. Last night we Played the Arizona Cardinals. This was a big game for us based on the simple fact that both teams were 3-7. Winning this game would definitely be an important factor to making the playoffs. In the end, our hopes for the playoffs still are alive; we were able to seize a 27-6 win over the Cardinals. In not so great news, our running back, Frank Gore unfortunately left last night’s game against the Cardinals with an injury. After the game he left the University of Phoenix Stadium seen on crutches. His Preliminary diagnosis is said to be a fractured right hip. According to the NFL Network Report, Gore will most likely be out of the rest of the season. Gore, had nice gainers of 25 and 15 yards on the opening possession for this game. It's hard to say how we will manage to carry out the season without Gore's vital leadership ability that he carries on the field. Brian Westbrook, the Philadelphia Eagles' former running back, replaced Gore and rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 27-6 victory. Last night's game was able to finally give Westbrook an opportunity to show that he can still do it. And considering the news about Gore's broken right hip, there will be more chances for him to prove himself and what he can do. Ted Ginn Jr. also was a main contributor to the win. He had a kickoff return of 41 yards and a punt return for 42, both leading to San Francisco touchdowns. Quick Fact: The Niners have not scored more than 24 points in a game all season. In last night’s game, they were able to lead 21-6 at the half. The 49ers hadn't scored that many by halftime in two years.