As my time in WRT 102 comes to an end, it’s important to reflect on the work that I have done this semester. Going into WRT 102, I wasn’t very excited because I didn’t think that I would learn anything new in addition to what I had learned in high school. In all my high school classes I had been told that my writing was pretty strong, and I always preferred writing over math and science. As the course went on, I realized that I still struggled when it came to certain topics. For example, I have always struggled with planning and outlining essays. I find it very hard to write introductions because it takes me a long time to map it out in my head or on paper. I also found that I needed a refresher on proper punctuation and MLA formatting, especially in-text citations. Other than that, I really enjoyed writing the papers because they were about topics that I really liked. Finding sources for papers is my favorite aspect of writing because I get to read interesting articles and journals about things that I hadn’t known before. My least favorite thing about the class was when we had to do textbook reading in the beginning of the semester. We only ever used the textbook in first couple months of the semester, so I don’t think getting it was worth it. I would rather our professor gives us handouts and do lessons on the textbook concepts. Overall, I’m glad that this class is required for all students at Stony Brook because I saw my writing get better with each essay that I wrote. I am especially proud of my argument paper defending DACA and DREAMers. I really liked writing that paper because I found myself writing very passionately about immigrant issues. I hope to continue to improve my writing and carry over these skills in papers for other classes.

Hello! My name is Daniela Robles and welcome to my Writing 102 Portfolio. I’ve had extensive experience in writing and took advanced placement English classes in high school. These classes are where I learned the most about writing and I am no stranger to argument, research and rhetorical analysis papers. Writing 102 has been a valuable class that has helped me refine my writing skills and reiterate concepts that I initially learned in high school. My work is usually based around topics that I am passionate about. For example, I enjoy talking about and educating myself on issues that plague marginalized people. I feel that it’s very important to be a social activist in times where citizens of this country are facing polarization and discrimination. These interests are reflected in the three main writings of this portfolio.

My rhetorical analysis paper will analyze the opening scene of the pilot of HBO’s The Newsroom. Aaron Sorkin, writer and producer of the show, uses Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion to educate the audience about the shortcomings of America. Sorkin’s protagonist, William McAvoy, makes several good points about why America isn’t the greatest country in the world, but his purpose falls short as his delivery becomes crude and offensive. My argument paper will discuss the brief history of DACA and how its policies are beneficial to DREAMers and the U.S. economy. Our current President’s administration and their plans to rescind DACA will have many consequences on the well-being of DACA recipients and should therefore be kept in place and even expanded. My research paper will explore the effects of black representation in media. Due to increased diversity in all aspects of media, it’s important to portray black characters in a positive light, as negative representations will perpetuate stereotypes and harm the self-esteem of black people.

https://stonybrook.digication.com/daniela_robles

I took this time to make modifications on my research paper. Some comments that Professor Seri made on my paper was that my essay focused more on the misrepresentation of black people in media rather than just a lack of representation. Another comment was that some of my paragraphs were lengthy which made them a little tedious to read and often unclear. I went back and split up lengthy paragraphs and then added to some of them so the transition would be smoother. I also edited the introduction to talk more about misrepresentation and then also made the appropriate changes to the thesis. There was one idea where it talks about black male superheroes that was incomplete because I didn’t explain the difference between a black superhero and white superhero. I went back to my source and added additional ideas to make it clearer. I also went back and fixed up some grammar problems as well as in-text citations.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17tv–Sfts2kbhUmDv54KHeXFX_Lv11H7RTsIlUpUD5Q/edit

I thought this essay was very well done. Right off the bat one can tell that the essay is very organized. The introduction was well written but not excessively long. It contained just the right amount of background information regarding popular media outlets and their connection to how body image is portrayed and how it leads to distorted beauty ideals. The format of the essay followed the thesis exactly. The thesis went as followed: “Social media and mass media create an unrealistic portrayal of the ideal human body for both men and women, which leads to the use of unhealthy means to achieve these standards.” The first main paragraph explored the “ideal” female body type portrayed in media, and how its idealization exploits young women. It also explores the psychology behind wanting to attain these unattainable bodies. The second main paragraph explores similar topics, but focusing on men. It explores the hypermasculinity men are pressured to convey and also shows the feminization of eating disorders among men. The third paragraph then delves deeper into the actual consequences and goes more into depth about the eating disorders. The fourth paragraph then displays how prominent social media is in our lives and how it’s virtually impossible not to see these detrimental images on a daily basis. The author also uses appositive very well. He/she establishes ethos in a very smart manner. For example, the author quotes a woman named Kasey L. Serdar who is a “psychologist who specializes in body image concerns and eating disorders.” This information helps establish a credible source because Sedar’s background pertains to the topic the author is writing about, which is body image. I wouldn’t recommend any changes besides introducing the fourth main paragraph in the thesis, the one about how difficult it is to not be influenced by media. Other than that, it was a very good essay.

The artifact I chose to do my analysis on was a tweet that I retweeted on Twitter. It’s an article about the Parkland shooter, Nicholas Cruz, and how infamous “serial killer groupies” are sending him money, letters and explicit photos of themselves. After reading the article, I was thoroughly disgusted and shocked. Almost all of the $800 in Cruz’s commissary was sent to him by fans. He was also sent a disturbing letter from an 18-year-old girl who said she was attracted to him and sent nine suggestive photos from an unknown woman. This reminded me a lot of Charles Manson’s groupies who would send the killer letters while he was in prison. I retweeted it in hopes that my followers would see and react as I did. I use Twitter more often than any other social media because it’s where I can reach the broadest audience. It’s also the platform where I have the most “followers” so it’s logical that I would reach more people through it. The post is actually a link to a Washington Post article with a text description of what it’s about. The person who posted the tweet, DeRay McKesson, is a social activist, so his twitter profile has a lot of articles about social and political issues going on in America. He is known for his activism specifically on this platform and was actually arrested after he participated in a protest in Baton Rogue after the shooting of Alton Sterling, an unarmed black man. This tweet warranted posting in the first place because serial killer groupies are a phenomena that have been around since the popularization of such serial killers such as Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. It is also socially relevant as the Parkland shooting occurred in February of this year, 2018. When I retweeted this particular post, I didn’t have a specific group of people in mind that I didn’t want to see the post. In retrospect, I guess I wouldn’t want the dubbed “serial killer groupies” to see this as they portray them in the article as disturbing and wrong. I guess younger people would also be an audience I wouldn’t want reading this as there are explicit mentions of inappropriate behavior.

Link to article : https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/28/the-parkland-shooter-has-fans-and-theyre-sending-him-letters-and-money/?utm_term=.fb1a131a3a0c

March 26, 2018

Re: Licensed Masters Social Worker Position

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m writing to express my interest in the Licensed Masters Social Worker Position available at Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy and Autism Services in your Farmingdale branch. I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of New York and studied at Stony Brook University, where I also minored in Spanish and was involved in many leadership positions. My training in my universities leadership program taught me to communicate well with others and work in a collaborative work setting which would make me an ideal candidate for this position.

My three years being involved in my school’s leadership program has provided me with extensive experience in communicating with others and assisting students in their college transition. The leadership program is extremely selective and only a handful of freshman get accepted. This experience has helped my collaboration and team building skills, as well as my coordination and organizational skills. My role was that of a leader who guided incoming freshman in things such as housing selection, class selection and on-campus resources. My degree in Social Work has prepared me to assess the conditions of individuals and groups in need and take the necessary steps to improve their conditions. These skills would be beneficial if I were to be given the chance to apply them to the children, students and families who seek your services. I have experience working with children and young adults through my years of babysitting and through my involvement in my university. Coming from a Spanish-speaking background and my Spanish degree allows me to communicate with Spanish-speaking individuals fluently. I feel very confident in my ability to cater to different individuals needs and develop the best strategies to assist children with their disabilities.

I am excited to be considered for this position and hopefully be able to contribute to the great services that your company provides. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team that strives to educate family members and caregivers on different intervention strategies to aid children with developmental disabilities. Please find my resume enclosed for your review. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Daniela Robles

Brent Staples, an editor of The New York Times Book Review, talks about the “afrofuturism” of the movie Black Panther. Afrofuturism, a term coined by cultural critic Mark Deray, is claimed to be the new frontier of African American portrayal in cinema. Staples has made some interesting points about how African Americans are portrayed in the media these days. Representation is heavy in art and cinema that revolves around the history of black suffering, such as movies predominantly about slavery. However, we don’t see as much representation in regular films that don’t deal with such a huge aspect of black identity. Staples says that Black Panther has paved the way for more films that include afrofuturist arts and ideals. For some context, Black Panther is part of the Marvel franchise and depicts the protagonist, T’Challa, as his fictional home of Wakanda is threatened by the villain, Killmonger,  who is seeking his throne. The movie was wildly successful and continues to pull in big numbers at the box office. Afrofuturism, Staples says, has been around for about 25 years but the term was made known by Black Panther. Afrofuturism is used to “describe the work of artists who used the tools of science fiction to imagine possible futures.” He says that when Black Panther, written by Christopher Priest, first made an appearance in the Fantastic Four comic book, it was seen in a negative light. It was around the mid-60s when it first appeared, which was the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. It was associated with “black radicalism” and also with the Black Panther Party, as they shared the same name. In terms of the article itself, the author proves his point through the establishment of mostly ethos, of himself and other significant figures. For example, Staples takes the term “afrofuturism” from Mark Dery, and gives him credit while also expanding on the point itself. This shows that he gives credit where it’s due and further proves his point by quoting well-known cultural critic Mark Dery. Staples also further establishes his ethos by proving that he is well-versed in writing about black culture. When navigating his page on the site, the reader can see several articles on issues of white supremacy, Colin Kaepernick, Barack Obama and slavery. He also has several articles on other films such as Wonder Woman and George Romero’s zombie flicks. This shows that Staples knows a lot about film and the cinematic industry, and is therefore a credible source to go to when wanting to read articles about the latest movies.

For my argument paper, I chose to write about DACA or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an executive action policy established under the Obama Administration back in 2012 and allows immigrants who entered the country as minors to renewable period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. DACA provides no path to citizenship and late last year (September 2017) the Trump administration began taking initiatives to phase it out. This has been a huge issue in America the past couple of month and has sparked many protests in favor of keeping DACA in place to protect Dreamers (participating individuals).  I chose this topic because I come from a family of Mexican immigrants. The majority of DACA recipients are Latinos, though there are many from Asian countries as well such as South Korea. It’s very important because there are so many Dreamers in the country who are facing challenges and discrimination and will face even more if DACA is phased out by Trump’s administration. It gives young men and women an opportunity to work and study here in the United States. Most of these individuals didn’t get a say in whether they wanted to emigrate, and most don’t know any other home than this one.  I think whether you’re pro-DACA or anti-DACA, it’s important to keep an open mind and be sympathetic towards these individuals who are going through a difficult time. In terms of the points I will be arguing, DACA actually has many economic benefits such as labor participation and rise in wages. It also helps mental health overall in the individuals who are eligible, as well as their family members. There is also no evidence that DACA recipients commit more crimes than native-born Americans, as they would not be eligible if they had a criminal record. To back up my claims, I will mostly use facts, statistics and research studies to show the benefits of DACA. I will also try and appeal to my audience by trying to get them to sympathize with Dreamers. America has had mass immigration since colonial times and Dreamers simply want to be contributing citizens and achieve a better life. In terms of counterarguments, an obvious one I will face is that Dreamers are stealing jobs from native-born Americans. Other counterarguments I will face are: Dreamers are criminals, DACA will encourage more illegal immigration, is a violation of the law and is unfair to young Americans starting out. However, I believe I have enough evidence to refute at least most of these claims.

Us and Them is a riveting short story about a boy who keeps tabs on his new abnormal neighbors. His neighbors, the Tomkey’s, don’t watch television and are just strange in general. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite read and at times I just wanted it to get straight to the point, but it was pleasant enough. Something that I really enjoyed was the progression and growth of the main boy and that it was written in the boy’s particular voice. In other words, it really had its own unique style. You could really feel the curiosity the boy felt towards the family. Almost as if they were a family of reality TV personalities.  For example, when the Tomkey’s are gone Halloween weekend, the author states, “It did not make their absences any easier to bear. I felt as if my favorite show had been cancelled” (Sedaris 1). This clearly displayed how invested the boy was in this family’s life. I admire the character development of the boy, from his semi-superiority complex all the way to his self-reflection towards the end of the story, despite it not being that great of a reflection. It seemed as if the boy thought that the Tomkey’s were some kind of charity case that needed guidance in everyday life; that they didn’t know how to function properly. He pitied them like one would a small dog and was also very judgmental, something that is reflected throughout the entire passage.  For instance, he claims he, “protected and watched over these people” and that, “[he] had given them the gift of [his] curiosity” (1). The boy is very self-absorbed and sounds as if the Tomkey family should be grateful that he is nosey, because no one would have paid attention to them otherwise. His attitude made it very hard to, in my case, feel any sympathy for him because the Tomkey’s were just minding their own business and the boy felt the need to judge them and think of them as inferior for being strange. He also makes the audience feel very uncomfortable for his distasteful reaction to having to give the Tomkey’s candy. It is disappointing and ironic to see that the boy would rather stuff his face with chocolate and endure the headache rather than share candy with those who were so willing to share with him (e.g. the gumdrops the Tomkey’s left out for Halloween in their absence). The only hope the audience feels that maybe the boy had realized his wrongdoings is when he is sitting on his bed with chocolate smeared on his face and he feels some semblance of guilt (brought upon by his mother) about his behavior.

HBO’s “The Newsroom”, which only lasted for 3 seasons, was written and produced by Aaron Sorkin. Aaron Sorkin can be credited for many hit shows and movies such as: West Wing, Moneyball, and The Social Network (which he won an Academy Award for). He is also best known for his one shot “walk and talk” scenes, where the actors play out the scene with no cuts. For the screenwriting of The Newsroom, Sorkin did a lot of research of cable news programs to make the show as realistic as possible. Having done some basic research on Sorkin, it can be said that he is a longtime supporter of the Democratic party, played a role in Barack Obama’s campaign, and has established that he is anti-Trump. A lot of his work is political, so I think it’s easy to say that his intended audience is mostly millennials and older adults who are involved and actively follow politics. Sorkin uses many rhetorical elements throughout the clip such as humor (when evading questions), pathos (in the last 3/4 of the clips), and logos (when he is telling the young women stats about America). He also establishes ethos, as the main character is apparently highly respected, a news anchor, and was deemed “the Jay Leno of news anchors”.  However, he also displays fallacies such as excessive sentimental appeal (when he begins swearing and ranting) and ad hominem arguments (where he insults the “sorority girl” and what we can infer is millennials. I believe that Sorkin is trying to convey the fact that many American citizens are actually very uneducated about problems in our country today, and this scene was somewhat of their “rude awakening”. Sorkin is trying to convince the audience that America is not the great country that he believed it to be.