group plan

We are planning on targeting TCU students focusing on pyhsical visuals accompanied by a wesbite. We are planning on using the term "hook up" to motivate people to action to volunteer within their local communities. We chose this term because it has a slang connotation as someone who is permissive. We are taking this initial attention getter and using in a different context. We are going to have stickers and pins to attract people as well. We are using pathos the most but also logos because this very word makes people think about what we are talking about. Pathos, because we can relate to the people we are targeting to attract their interests.

Because we are trying to motivate people to action, we are also going to provide places where they can become more involved with their community thru many different organizations. The website will give people actual information about who to call and exact dates. We want to get their attention but then make them think about how they can actual benefit their community.

fast write

I would like a clear division between members. I am very organized and can easily direct people and the flow of ideas. I absolutely HATE presenting or talking in front of people.I would rather do all the work and then have someone else explain it to other people. I would be okay if we split up the work simply 3 ways because I think my group members and I work very well together, but I would not want to be the one simply presenting for 10 minutes. I think my best quality is my ability to think of the big picture as well as the steps it takes to get there.

Unite 3 Portfolio Author's Note

As a whole, I think this portfolio developed my issue of gun control at schools from the letter to the editor, to the op-ed, and to the humorous piece clearly. My target audience is a newspaper like the Wall Street Journal because the target audience for them is a more moderate crowd. I specifically chose this newspaper to focus on because I am not completely anti-gun, unlike many liberal leaning people are, but I am anti-gun in schools, unlike many more conservative people are. I am concerned that by stance will not appeal to everyone who would read the Wall Street Journal, but I am confident that it would appeal to the majority of its readers.
I think my letter to the editor was able to criticize Vertuno's piece in an appropriate manner with examples and my own personal experience. I think I might have been perhaps too critical towards the end, but I made sure to criticize what he wrote, not him as a person.
My op-ed piece I think provides a lot of "what ifs" to really get my audience thinking instead of just reading. I tried to put the reader in the situation so that they could fully grasp possible scenarios and the severity of this issue. I put the Texas flag backwards on purpose because I wanted to prove that this legislation is not appropriate and wrong.
My humor piece was the most frustrating piece to finish. I had all these ideas but could not seem to put them on paper in a way that flowed. I cannot draw, and even though I know we are not being graded for our artistic ability, I think my lack of ability might hinder my argument.

Humor-author's note

For my humorous piece I am arguing against guns on school campuses. I chose to do a comic of a preschool, Sunshine Elementary. All the 4 year olds are holding a gun and have ammo in around their waists. The shooting range is in the foreground with a teacher saying "I will give extra credit to the person who hits the bull' eye the most" and another teacher saying " does anyone need more ammo?". There is a rules list above the gun target that says everyone must be under 5 years old, own a AK-47, and be enrolled in Sunshine Elementary.There is also a sign that says BYOG-bring your own gun next to the Texas flag.
I hope that I have been able to display my argument without many words. This is my second draft but my drawings are still not adequate, yet. The only concern of mine is that I might be offending teachers, who might not necessarily be pro-gun either. I do not want people to react too sensitively because of the anniversary of Columbine being yesterday, and with Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois still recent tragedies, I do not want to hurt anyone.

Humor Challenge

So far, working on my humorous argument has been difficult.i know what my idea is and the details of the argument I am trying to make, but I think that actually creating it is going to challenging. I know we are not expected to be artist, but the best thing I can draw is a stick figure and I don't want this to negatively effect my argument. I feel that using the comic as my medium is the best choice, but am doubting my ability to put my ideas on the paper.
I am also challenged by the fact that I don't know if my argument is even funny. I think it is and so does my small group, but what about others? I am apprehensive because I think that others might not even get what I am trying to depict.

Nonetheless, I have found it to be exciting to get to make an argument on my own for once. As opposed to having to analyze someone else's I really have enjoyed thinking on on my own about an issue. I have found myself taking different sides to the same story because I can really see how someone else would see it.

Humor Op-ed

This article was able to take the general topic of American's not being aware of there surroundings and legislation, and make it geared towards guns. He critiques the most typical members of society: the stupid, the rich, the poor, the hard worker, and those who don't care. By doing this, and including himself he appeals to more people because he is not just picking on on group. He takes a somewhat doomsday approach to how everyone seems to be apathetic to all the goes on around the U.S. and the world.

He is also able to stay critical of how people should care about what is done and how the laws the government makes affect them. He was able to effectively combine his critical opinions with things that the majority of people would fine funny, even if some would not be willing to laugh. For instance, someone too oblivious to know a car is coming because they are texting, though scary, is funny to watch and later hear about. He was able to bring it back to how we rely too much on media and loose face to face contact. By choosing a particular person and an action that almost everyone can relate to and a common situation, he is able to illicit some laughter even though he is critical.

op-ed auhtor's note

This is my first draft of my op-ed piece. I think I was able to write a catchy opening to prove my point immediately. I think I might have been a little too mean when trying to provide specific examples, so if you could help me perhaps, be more nice. I like this draft, but I still need a little help transitioning. Thanks!

Prewrite in class

Tara Finn
Pre-Writing
April 6, 2009
Op-ed Piece


The general tone of many gun-control op-ed pieces is that of the second amendment right to possess a firearm. Many relate it back to the massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. There are many technicalities about who is allowed to own guns in various states and how a national law, like that from the Supreme Court, would not be able to be enforced. The New York Times is a national liberal paper that is known for putting spin on many of their articles. However, even with one of the most conservative issues, they seemed to simply argue the legality, not the potential threat, of guns.
For my specific topic, I want to focus on not allowing guns on school campuses, not simply who is allowed to own guns. I want to make the point that I support the Second Amendment and as a gun-owner myself, how I see why it would cause such a stir. I think that as U.S. citizens, that those are licensed and trained should be able to carry weapons for their protection, just not on school grounds. Most people are focusing on guns on university campuses, but high schools and middle schools and even preschools would be affected. It is not simply about the second amendment right to possess a firearm, it is the lack of judgment that people have about it safe.
I plan to approach this issue through the eyes of a current student and future teacher who is and will spend much of my time in the classroom on school campus. I want to take the perspective that I think people, including teachers, should be able to have a gun if they wish, but that they should not be allowed to carry it to school so they can feel safe. Most assume that the only real problem with this is the threat of a massacre, but there is so much more. It is the student who is too intimated to ask questions because the teacher has a 44 in his or her coat. It is the drunken frat boy who gets mad at someone and decides to shoot someone. Theses situations are not protected by the second amendment, and yet, Texas is pushing to include them in state law. I want to motivate people to protest these new laws and to really think about why they are passing them. Is it to demonstrate our second amendment right to posses a firearm, or is to prove a point that school boundaries do not really prevent violence?
I think that pathos appeals will be most effective because even the word “gun” puts people’s nerves on edge. It is a part of society that people are naturally afraid of what can harm them. By using pathos to give specific accounts of those who have been affected by gun violence, I think the reader will be able to relate more and perhaps agree more. Also, with cases like Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, there is a mass amount of sympathy for those people because it was displayed so frequently and really brought the possibility to life.
I think that a combination of facts and personal experience will help to best better my argument. The laws that are pending will also help the reader see that is it is a real possibility, not some random issue. I also think that using direct quotes from those who survived the school shootings with strengthen the sympathy and understanding.
I might to do a little research on the passage of the second amendment and the current status of the laws.

Gun Control- Op-ed topic

This op-ed piece was able to not only pull in a current situation that happened in California because of gun control, but also how nationally, gun control is a hot issue that needs to be dealt with appropriately. He picks a specific incident and relates it back to the bigger issue. I think his remarks about citizens owning guns and how that does not necessarily make the entire community safe were brilliant. "If arming citizens reduces crime, then why isn't Baghdad the safest city in the world?"Stephen Maffin asks. He argues that is not simply about making laws about gun control; it is about enforcing them. The death penalty and the three-strikes rule do not seem to a deal breaker for murderers.

I think was an effective op-ed piece because the reader can clearly see where the author is coming from, their evidence for their claims, and where they are headed creating more trust in their opinions. Guns are a scary topic for many, but this op-ed had a great way of bringing it to a level where almost anyone could see the validity in his arguments. He was able to take a national concern and make it feel like a community problem and vice versa. He is direct and sincere.