Shitty First Draft

I personally think the title, Shitty Firsts Drafts, is quite clever funny, and attention grabbing. If it was called Horrible First Drafts I wouldn't have cared that much. Everything said I agree with. My friend Michelle is unbelievably talented when it comes to writing. She can write about anything, so deeply, and it feels like an experienced writer wrote it. I on the other hand, don't have that luxurey. It takes me forever to think of what I want to write about and how to even get started on my topic.
"People tend to look at successful writers who are getting their books published and maybe even doing well financially and think that they sit down at their desks every morning feeling like a million dollars, feeling great abut who they are and how much talent they have and what a great story they have to tell; that they take in a few deep breaths, push back their sleeves, roll their necks a few times to get all the cricks out, and dive in, typing fully formed passages as fast a court reporter." That I believe I think completely.

1) Ive been working on my shitty first draft by trying to rewrite and re-paraphrase the write sections of my paper and make sure I keep my own voice and not the people who im quoting.

Writing Center Blog MLA

Burby wrote, "Kids just don't get the same adrenaline rush memorizing a poem in school that they get from going to a party" (Burby 108).

Quaglia asserted, " The sense of fun and adventure they have in going to school and learning new things begin to wane by third grade when they've learned the basic skills," Quaglia says (Burby quoted from 108).

Activity 33

My most personal childhood experience was when I was a sophomore in high school and my best friend died. It was a beautiful spring day and before she picked me up for school that morning she ran into my house to help me grab my track bags for my meet after school. We got in the car and took off; blasting and screaming the words to every song that played on the radio. I helped her into school that one last day before she got her air cast off her right foot. I didn't really see her much in school that day but she came to my track meet after school and we talked for a little.
When I was leaving my meet, my friend Tara pulled me aside and said, "Ashley don't freak out but Mallory got into a really bad car accident and was just medivaced." I froze. I didn't know what to do. I ran to the car and as I was leaving the parking lot with my parents, we drove by the softball field, where Mallory's dad was waiting for her to show up. As I drove by, I begged my parents to let me out so I could tell him what happened. We kept driving, and as I turned around the police were pulling in to tell him the worst news any parent would want to hear.

Blogging on Research Experience

I was always shakey on what to do for my research topic, but then I decided to do why women are portrayed as sex objects in the media. After reading numerous sections from books I started to feel confused about how I was going to present my information. I got really annoyed because I kept reading things like how women were portrayd and what lead up to that portrayal more than why they were being percieved as sex objects. So, I decided to do how women are percieved as sex objects in the media and I felt a lot more comfortable with my writing. When it came to the writing though the citing really confused me and after getting my literature review back I was completely right. I really need to work on how to cite certain sources and when paraphrasing and using something completely my own.
This is actually really interesting me more and more because I am a female and we are the ones being portrayed this way. In some cases I find it somewhat offensive because to some people it gives women a bad name and they stereotype, when that's not true for all of us. The women in the media are usually shown to be half naked and I myself don't walk around parading myself half naked. So to gather information about the Methodology section of the paper I am going to give a survery to see what other peoples opinions are of how women are portrayed and ask similar questions in relation to my topic, such as, what outcomes can from it and if they think the images can affect youth at a young age.

Paraphrasing

During the writing of the final paper, it is being found that many students are constantly overusing word for word quotations. In the end, when citing sources about only 10% should be directly quoted. Students need to remember to take extra notes and rewrite in their own words. (Lester, 1976)

In class blogging 3 Questions

#1) I'm not really that involved in my town because it's so small and I hate it. There's only 1 traffic light it. I feel like everyone in town is kindof a debby downer. I would like to see more positive changes in the community. The only time people ever really come together is when something tragic happens, and I think that's sad. I'm not trying to stereotype anyone from my town, but when you walk into my high school you constantly seem the same types of people. I feel like everyone from my town is what people lable "an emo skater kid." I feel like drugs are also a big problem in my town. So if I could change anything about it by starting an epidemic I think I would try to make more positive changes and try to open the eyes of others.

#2) The chapter I found most interesting was Chapter 2, about Salesmen, Mavens, and Connectors. I relate myself to a Connector the most because I try to network myself with as many people as I can. I think I could start an epidemic depending what it was and how big it would be. For example, I know that where I work has brought in more business from me constantly talking about it. I work at a high end retail store called Buckle. They are known for their brand name designs and mostly their denim. Having over 50 different fits of jeans, numerous types of washes and lengths from 29 1/2 to 37 1/2 inch in seams. I'm in love with their jeans because I really think their are fits for everyone out their. The register system we use keeps track of everyone we sell to and how much they spend. From knowing how many of my friends now ship their and how much they have spent, I'm fairly confident that I have started a very very small word of mouth epidemic with Buckle brand jeans.

#3) After reading Tipping Point, I feel like I've been opened up to many small, but factual things. I'm taking a lot with me from this book. Small things like why phone numbers are only seven digits, how you can lose connections with people when your around or working with 150 or more. And how two of the top childrens shows had trouble keeping people "stuck" on them. The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context can teach people very knowledgable things in life, it has done that for me.

Chapter 3 Discussion Questions

1) Bernie Goetz, after watching the video of him in class, comes across as a person who most would think has something wrong with him. In the book he approached the subway and once he got on, several young black men seemed they were going to approach them. Bernie then shot them. He had no idea they were criminals. Did he do people a favor? Many looked to Bernie as a hero for what he did. Because indeed the young black men did have criminal records and were looking to be arrested. He took criminals off the street. But then some ask what if he would've shot innocent people? In my opinion, yes he did take criminals off the street, but what if they were just normal young black men? What he did was wrong. If a black man would shoot young white kids, still having criminal records, this story would turn out completely different than the outcome of Bernies trial. Personally, I don't think that's fair at all.

5) The prision experiment I remembered reading about when I was younger. I thought it was actually interesting how normal people were used for the experiment giving that they were never in prision and had roles of either a prisoner or security guard. I didn't think the people used would then become very angered or would abuse the others depending on their role. I've never been to a prision so I wouldn't know what there like but depending on the conditions of them, they could be good or bad.

Chapter 4

The Bernie Goetz story in this chapter really kept me interested. The controversie over his crime is seen in two different ways. That he did a good thing, and that he's dangerous. After watching the video clip of him in class he gives off the appearance of a really big creep. When I read what he did in the book, it's kindof hard to give an opinion of whether what he did was good or bad. On the better side, he did take 3 criminals off of the street. But then there's the question, what if he would've shot 3 innocent people?
What was also done with the subway I think is a really good idea too. Showing those who would grafetti the sub cars at night and re painting them all night so be better for the morning really shows that they're cracking down and won't take shit from them.

English Conference #2

The second confernece I went to was in room 211 and called "Literature in a Bag". And that's what it literally was. There weren't nearly as many people in the previous group and I really liked this one. We were all split into groups of 3 members, and each given a lovely brown bag that you'r mom probably used to pack your lunch in in elementary school. Anyways, in that brown bag was an object, a red lighter was in my bag. Then each person was given a note card and had to write an adjective and noun. The cards were then mixed up and each person picked from the hand a different card. Then we were told to write. We had to write for 20 minutes any kind of story using; the object in our bag, the adjective and noun on the notecard, the word bedroom and square. When we were done writing several people volunteered to read. Compared to my writing, everyones I thought was freaking awesome. They went into such detail and some were the most rediculous stories that I would never think of writing about. I felt like their writings were so advanced and mine was just, blah. I just sat there listening to everyone else's stories wishing I could go into depth and get crazy ideas like they did.

English Conference #1

The first conference I went to was in room 105. To be honest my mind wasn't on paying attention because there were 50 plus people in the room and you could have boiled an egg on the table because it was so hot. In this room two female readers read off their own personal writing pieces. I remember one was called April, and another was Pilgrimage. Several more readings were read and after we were able to ask questions to the two women. What I admired most from the two women was how they read with such passion behind their own personal writings. You could easy tell the different tones and meanings of each reading.

Social Diversity

When I think of diversity, I think of many different things. I think of food, books, clothes, personalities, etc. But with social diversity, people come to mind. Things such as people's religion, race, and culture are the top 3 that come to mind. Since I've grown up I feel those are the first things that were talked about when it comes to diversity.

Research Topic

The light bulb finally clicked and after dreading what to write about because I had no clue, something came to mind. With being a Marketing major, its such a broad field that there's so much to research about. One of the biggest controversies in ad's etc. is how women are portrayed in the public eye. So I decided my research topic is going to be, why are women portrayed as sex symbols in advertisements?

Chapter 2 Reflective Writing

Although I did think it was a lot of reading in Chapter 2, I did enjoy reading about Connectors, Mavens, & Salesmen. If I had to associate myself with a Connector, Maven or Salesmen, I would say I am a Connector. When I go out with my friends they usually make bets of how many people I'll see when we go out. One time I was at an Antic Car Show with my boyfriend in a small town in Philadelphia. As we were eating dinner I spotted my neighbor from down the street who happened to be with her boyfriend. For being where I was at the time I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew. Small world.
Being a business major I always have teachers tell me one big thing that always sticks in my head. ITS ABOUT YOUR CONNECTIONS. And in the book, Gladwell writes about Connectors knowing so many people. You never know who knows someone that knows someone else with connections that can help change your life just by saying a name. (e.g. jobs)

Comparting and Contrasting

When I read a book, I want that book to make me never want to stop reading it. It can be any genre as long as it keeps me interested. The author Sarah Dessen has published numerous books (fiction) that I've read in a period of 2 days because I'm so hooked on them. I feel like I'm actually a part of the book it grabs my attention mentally and emotionally.
With Gladwell's book and the chapters we've read so far, I would say that I'm hooked on it. When reading the Intro and Chapter 1 I was interested in what was being talked about. Everything with epidemics and the tipping points of those epidemics, and especially with Chapter 2 and the Connectors. I got a bit of a chuckle out of that and really got into it because it was talked about how they "know everyone". I would resemble myself to a Connector because my friends are always commenting on how I know everyone. Everytime I'm out somewhere I always run into someone I know. As the book said, life is about your connections, and I believe that 100%. You never know who you know that knows someone that can help get your foot in the door.

Tipping Point: Chapter 1

I didn't have any idea what this book was going to be about, but after reading the Introduction and Chapter 1, I really am interested in the what the rest of the book is going to talk about.
Throughout the first assigned reading, Malcolm Gladwell, went on to speak about several epidemics happening in the world starting with Hush Puppies in Manhatten, New York, to Syphillis in Baltimore, Marlyland, and to the PCP epidemic in a small town in Limberg.
Epidemics spoken throughout the book started with Hush Puppies, and the murder rates in New York being outrageous, to one day, suddenly plumeting to where people finally felt safe sitting on their stoops again. Further along the epidemic of Syphilis began from a thought of Crack. After further research was done in a clinic where a map was set up and a star placed on each city in Maryland, there were trends that began to form. As winter then came, the research was still continued and a new trend formed. This new trend gave the researcher an idea that because of a harsh cold winter, could it really have kept people away from the downtown cities preventing them from buying Crack, and preventing them from catching Syphilis or spreading it.
Epidemics and Tipping Points are very well explained in the beginning to help you get a better understanding of what the voice in the book is trying to tell you. Gladwell left me wondering when I was done reading because he gave examples of the 3 Tipping Point Rules and put ideas in my head of what else they apply to that are to common you'd be surprised.

A Family In The USA

- traditional
- all live together in one house (mom, dad, children)
- rules and responibilities
- definantly dysfunctional at times
- humerous
- religious
- respect eachother
- supportive
- giving
- provide as best they can for their children
- give children space to learn and grow
- push hard when it comes to education
- they want the best for you
- middle class
- 2 or more kids
- had it alot different w/ grandparents

From how my family acts and how I would want my family to be when I'm older is something I think about all the time. I want the traditional family but at the same time I want things to be a lot different than how my family is now. I feel like my mom needs to give me more space to grow and learn and stop treating me like a child. I need to learn from my mistakes and I would let my family do that when I'm older.

About Me

Hello, my names Ashley Landsberger, everyone calls me Berger. Yes, I love cheeseburgers. Anyways, I'm from Allentown which is about an hour outside of Philly. My birthday is August 10th. Im currently a sophomore and a Marketing major. As of now I have a love/hate relationship with my major and am considering switching it. I'm involved in a sorority on campus, Alpha Sigma Alpha and love it! When I'm bored I like to sit in my room and color huge pictures haha. Feel free to join!

Linguistic History

Looking back and thinking about all the English classes I have taken and all the writing assignments given, I've come to realize that I enjoy writing a lot. For school I've written all types of writing from persuasive to informative to personal experiences, etc. In middle school my English teacher had a contest every year of who could write the best poem. A certain amount of people were chosen, I was one of them that won. With winning, your poem was published in this huge book all over the world. When it comes to writing outside of school it doesn't bother me at all. I've always had an interest in it and there's been numerous times at night where I'll just write about anything to help me relax and clear my mind.
What I enjoy about writing is I become very passionate about it and find it easier to express my true feelings better than talking to someone face to face about them. I try to go into the actual deeper meaning of what I feel and especially if I'm writing about something I've read. When writing summaries about stories we've read in class I tend to get a little frustrated when they have to be a certain length because I can verbally give a summary in a few minutes then sit and write about it because I end up getting into every little detail which leads to my flaws in writing. I like to be very descriptive and make you feel as if you're experiencing and picturing what I have as I'm telling it. I also feel as if I repeat myself a lot when I'm writing and end up getting frustrated.