Editorial Report 15b

This is it, my last blog post as a college freshman. I can't believe this is really happening. I made it to the end of freshman year intact and that in itself still amazes me. If just one year can cahnge me so much, I'm kind of excited to see what sophomore year has in store. Kubacki out.

• The content changed the most when I went through and re-edited my first body paragraph. Now, everything flows more smoothly and the sentences are a lot less choppy, plus I changed the tone to fit more with an essay, rather than a blog post. I also took out all the contractions to better follow the genre conventions of a standard college essay

• The form didn't change that much when I re-edited my first body paragraph. I added double-spacing, changed the font from 13.5 to 12, and also changed the font style to Times New Roman to align with the common formatting of essays (MLA formatting)

• Here's the selection from the rough cut

• Here's the selection from the re-edited rough cut

Editorial Report 15a

Wow I just feel so nostalgic tonight. I think it has to do with the official end of classes and the fact that I've started to take down my room (so sad still). Actually it's kind of funny, but the one thing that hasn't changed at all since coming to college is my music taste. I'm still going strong with Bowling for Soup, Paramore, all of the pop punk bands that were popular back in middle school. Some things just never change.

• The content changed the most when I went through and re-edited my introduction paragraph. Now, everything flows more smoothly and the sentences are a lot less choppy and I amped it up with the word choice. I also took out all the contractions to better follow the genre conventions of a standard college essay.

• The form changed only slightly when I re-edited it. I added double-spacing, changed the font from 13.5 to 12, and changed the font style to Times New Roman to align with MLA format, which is the common formatting of standard essays (to my knowledge).

• Here's the selection from the rough cut

• Here's the selection from the re-edited rough cut

Open Post to Peer Reviewers

Keeping with the nostalgic undertones of my intros, I want to say that almost nothing has stayed the same since the beginning of the year. Looking back from this point in my life I have grown more in one year than all four years of high school combined. I have new friends, 7 new piercings, a caffeine addiction, and a lease on an apartment. Wow.

• Warning: this is an extremely rough draft of the final project so please understand that and prepare yourself before you click on the link

• Weaknesses: it's not even close to being finished, I'm sure there are so many grammatical errors, I'm not quite sure if I even wrote about the right thing? I'm pretty sure I followed the prompt, but again, very rough copy. Also, I know I don't have any supporting evidence. I'm working on it no worries fam

• Strengths: It's an actual full essay. I mean I actually sat down and whipped something up (even though it may not be good), but at least I actually banged the whole thing out. I mean aside from that, I'm not too sure

• Here it is, the VERY VERY ROUGH DRAFT 

Peer Review 15

Wow time just seems to fly by. I sit here in my room with boxes all around me as I start to take apart the life I created here in this tiny little room. At the beginning of the year I thought my roommate was a wild party animal and I wouldn't like her. It turns out she is a crazy wild child, but now we're best friends and I'm living with her again next year. It's crazy how much a year can change.

• I decided to peer review Mariana Chacon's rough cut of her final project

• I decided to make a content suggestion about her rough draft of her standard college essay. I think that by adding evidence that supports the claims made in the reflection, it will help for the readers to witness the evolution as a writer, as you explain it. The reflection should take the readers on a journey of the year and direct quotes from other projects would significantly help.

• I believe that by adding evidence, it will help to gain credibility as an author and show specific examples of how the writer has changed throughout the year.

• I incorporated information about why evidence is necessary for the author to gain credibility with the audience from the suggested readings into my feedback.

• I love how the tone isn't static throughout the entire essay, I think it helps to hold the reader's attention by changing the tone (not too drastically though). Overall, loved the essay and how it seemed to flow so easily!

Peer Review 14

I think I may be the worst procrastinator in the entire world.

• I peer reviewed David Klebosky's content outline  

• I decided to make a outlining suggestion about how his outline meets the requirements of the project 4 rhetorical situation. He seems to focus a lot on the specific projects as main ideas when they should be switched. He should focus on how he realized his writing style has changed and use the different projects as evidence instead.

• I believe that this feedback will help the author to produce a final product that will meet all of the requirements and also make it easier to read and easier to understand how his writing style has changed throughout this year.

• I incorporated the suggestion of how specific evidence can better back a main claim when the roles aren't reversed and can lead to a better overall essay from the suggested reading into my feedback.

• I loved how sure he seems about his writing style and how he's the opposite of a procrastinator. I need to take notes from him because I feel like I'm always dragging behind with the development of my writing process.

Production Report 14b

It's still so crazy to me that I'm almost a sophomore in COLLEGE. When did I become so old? I look back from where I am now and I honestly don't think my high school sophomore self would even recognize me. Crazy how time flies am I right?

• I decided to present my content in paragraph form on a google document since I chose to do a standard college essay. I decided to use a google document since they're easily shareable, unlike a Word document.

• The production of the first body paragraph was a lot more challenging to write since it was a pretty hefty chunk of the essay (in comparsion to the introduction). Really the only main hiccup during this production was my time management (or lack thereof to be more specific). But I still managed to get it done so I consider it an accomplishment.

• Here's the outline of the first body paragraph

• Here's the REALLY REALLY ROUGH adaptation of the first body paragraph

Production Report 14a

As much as I hate dorm life, I'm really going to miss it. I still feel like a little kid living with a bunch of other little kids in a dorm. But next year in an apartment, now that's a whole different ball game. I'm going to have to be an adult, living with other adults...I don't know how I'm going to deal with this.

• I decided to use a paragraph format in a google document to present my raw content in because I'm choosing to write a standard college essay (yay...). I used a google document since it's shareable with people, unlike a word document for peer review purposes.

• The production of this raw material went smoother than expected. It only took me like three hours to start and I only cringed, like, four times while writing it. That's huge for me. However, I'm a little rusty writing a standard college essay since I'm so used to the relaxed writing style of the blog posts.

• Here's the outline of the introduction paragraph

• Here's the SUPER ROUGH adaptation of the introduction paragraph

Production Schedule

Wow, it's hard to believe that this semester's almost over...it's bittersweet really. On one hand, I didn't completely fail out of college, which is good. However, on the other hand, being a sophomore in college means that I'm one step closer to becoming a full-blown adult and being expected to be on top of everything in my life. I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of responsibility.

• Without further ado, here's my production schedule for the final

Content Outline

I don't know how I feel about being almost done with my first year of college. I'm going to have to actually get my stuff together soon since now I'm not a little freshman who can frolic around campus without a care in the world. I'm going to miss that.

My Super Duper Amazing Outline:

• Intro
• Topic Sentence:
• Writing sucks, am I right?
• Background information:
• I've never been that good with writing. Ever since I was little I've always hated writing. I used to dread writing paragraphs in elementary school and book reports in middle school just about killed me. So you can imagine I almost rioted when I was placed in an AP composition and writing class in high school. Being brutally honest, I thought I wouldn't have to take English in college, I thought I was home-free of any more dreadful essays. You can imagine my horror when I found myself in an honors English course at UofA. However, I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that English will always be in my life. It's a love-hate relationship really.
• Thesis:
• I can actually stand English now after realizing the different voices and forms that writing can take place in.
• Body Paragraph 1: The Evolution of My Voice
• Main Claim: By learning how to incorporate my everyday voice into my projects I've learned to distance myself from the stuffy diction-ridden writing I so passionately dislike.
• Evidence: By being able to use everyday language in my blog posts and QRG, I was able to understand that writing doesn't always have to be so serious.
• Importance: This realization was so important for me to grow as a writer since being able to express myself is such an important quality for any kid in the process of becoming a young adult.
• Main Claim: I was able to understand that it's okay to be myself in my writing. I'm slowly learning that my writing self doesn't have to be different than my actual self.
• Evidence: At first I thought that being so casual in my blog posts was a bad thing, but I now realize that that was a stepping stone for me to try on different voices in order to find my own.
• Importance: By trying on different voices (relaxed, passionate, serious, and goofy) I was able to further refine my own personal writing voice and add depth and dimensions to it.
• Body Paragraph 2: The Evolution of My Adaptation
• Main Claim: I've only really experienced standard essays as a means of writing, so I was really unprepared to handle the different genres that were thrown around.
• Evidence:The QRG was most like an essay so I wasn't too thrown off with that, but the podcast was the most unfamiliar to me since I don't have a calm "NPR" voice and I didn't know how to adopt that kind of persona.
• Importance: By being forced into situations I didn't know how to handle (the "sink or swim" method), I was able to refine my skills to handle myself and my writing while under pressure. A great skill to have for the real world; since, you know, the real world is all about being under pressure. 
• Main Claim: I've realized that writing a script and producing a podcast or video essay are two completely different things.
• Evidence: When I wrote my script for both genres, I thought I was basically done and all I needed to do was record it. Wrong. There were so many factors I didn't account for until it was too late.
• Importance: I understand now that writing a script is only half of the process, the actual recording of the videos and podcasts are a whole different beast. Now, if I'm ever asked to make a video (very likely), I'll know more about the actual process work and what's required.
• Body Paragraph 3: The Evolution of My Time Management
• Main Claim: This is the biggest issue I've struggled with all year -- time management.
• Evidence: I literally wait until the last second to complete everything and every single time I always kick myself over it. My project 3 final is perfect proof of that. I missed the deadline by 10 minutes because I severely misjudged the amount of time it would take to edit the video. 
• Importance: Making the same mistake gets really old after a while and apparently I love to learn things the hard way.
• Main Claim: Since I love to procrastinate so much, I had to learn how to trick myself into doing my work on time to not get horrible grades or incompletes on assignments.
• Evidence: Since I know I like to wait to the last minute for blog posts and project deadlines, I would change the deadline to a day before in my calendar from the start and condition myself to believe the new deadline. 
• Importance: This helped my writing process and kept me somewhat on a decent timeline (still a little behind but some people never change am I right?).
• Conclusion
• Bigger picture:
• This class has shaped me so much as a writer since now I don't puke automatically when thinking about writing a paper. Progress right? I realize now that papers aren't as cut and dry as a lot of teachers and professors led me to believe. There are countless genre and genre conventions to choose from that I didn't even realize existed. For this information I'm grateful.
• Restated Thesis:
• Now that I understand how complex English is, I realize that there is literally English in everything and I can't escape it no matter how hard I try. But that also means that there are countless opportunities for me to become a better writer and hone my writing process.

Peer Review 13b

Ok I think I need to be done with the Netflix for a little bit. I have to prepare for the Hell week that starts tomorrow. Wish me luck, because I might not make it to the end of the week.

• I peer reviewed Fernando Coronado's rough cut

• I decided to make a content-based suggestion about the detail and development of the rough cut, more specifically about more clear counter-arguments. More specific concessions make for a stronger argument since it makes the author seem more level-headed and rational.

• I think that this will help in the long-run since a stronger argument will typically result in a better grade.

• I incorporated the idea of concessions and refutations in a public argument from the suggested readings into my feedback of his rough cut. This helps to build a better overall argument.

• I really liked the personality and flair that Fernando put into his script for his rough cut. My topic is more dark and serious so I hope I'll be able to play around with it at least a little bit.

Peer Review 13a

I'm so proud of Meredith for actually trying to be a real human with actual feelings. I swear if she backs out one more time I'm going to jump in the show and take McDreamy for myself. Please excuse my Grey's references for at least one more post.

• I peer reviewed James Fusaro's Rough Cut 

• I made a content suggestion, I said that by adding more specific counter-arguments for every main argument, then he would be more credible as an author.

• I believe that by having specific counter-arguments and equally strong refutations, it really helps solidify the argument and make it more credible, regardless who the author is.

• I incorporated the idea of concessions and refutations in a public argument from the suggested readings into my feedback.

• I really loved the voice he put in his argument and how passionate he sounded when talking about his topic.

Editorial Report 13b

So now Seattle Grace Hospital has been bumped down to number 12 on the ranking and have been bumped down to trauma level 2 instead of 1, so they don't get any of the good cases anymore. It's kinda sad really, I loved the cases.

• The content changed a lot as opposed to the form. I cut down on the introduction and I was able to add more information and facts towards the end to better ease into the topic and the argument.

• The form barely changed with the re-edit. It's not even close to being close to done but I'll get it done no worries.

Intro:

• Selection from rough cut

• Re-edited selection

Editorial Report 13a

Omg Meredith did the cutest thing on the planet and that's a huge step for her since she basically has a black hole for a heart. I'm so proud of her, now she actually has a fighting chance with McDreamy. More to come.

• When I re-edited the concession argument, the content changed a lot more than the form. More specifically, I edited out a lot of umms and likes, also I changed a lot of the script in order to put more supporting evidence in.

• The form barely changed at all, slight video edits but nothing major. Still very rough around the edges and not polished at all.

Body Section 2:

• Selection from rough cut

• Re-edited selection

Reflection on Local Revision

Grey's Anatomy is literally the best show on the planet. I mention that only because I'm multitasking right now and the drama between McDreamy and Dr. Grey is getting intense and I think Dr. Grey is finally getting to the bottom of her severe emotional shortcomings. More to come.

• During this week's process work I actually finished my final cut of the project and I think that's the best source of evidence I can give.

• Some challenges was overcoming the beast that is my procrastination. This is mainly seen by the fact that all of my blog posts are being completed in a major rush and I'm all over the place currently.

• Next week, I'll be focusing more on the writing process and actually getting a head start on the process work.

• Well I feel pretty damn good about the project if I do say so myself since it's finally over. It's finished. There's nothing else I can do at this point. It's a beautiful thing.

Revised Post to Peer Reviewers

I've had the least productive weekend in the entire world. I quite literally laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling for an hour. A whole 60 minutes. Doing absolutely nothing. It was fantastic.

• Just know that both cuts are very rough and they both still need a lot of work. Don't expect anything from this please and thanks.

• A major strength of this cut is the content of the script. Everything else is a mess I realize.

• A major weakness of this cut is the absence of any finesse or any sort of polishing. I understand that that's a thing that needs to happen.

• Also don't judge me for this one but here's my very rough Fine cut

Peer Review 12b

Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE STAR WARS. My family would watch one of the Star Wars movies at least every other day while I was growing up and one of my dog's names is Wookie if that tells you anything. So I have basically been waiting my whole life for the new Star Wars movie.

• I peer reviewed Jacob Corbin's rhetorical analysis of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

• I decided to make a brainstorming suggestion about the rhetorical analysis. The argument is clear, but make sure your audience is following your train of thought since I was a little confused reading through it. What's the importance of "The Force Awakens" having overdone story elements from previous Star Wars movies? Is it bad? Good? Neither? Make sure you explain a little bit before you delve into your argument. 

• I think that the audience having a little background information leading up to the argument will be beneficial so the audience can follow what the author is trying to argue. This way the argument itself will be well-developed and it will be harder to refute based off of the author's credibility.

• I incorporated the idea that background information is crucial in developing an argument from the suggested readings. Without background information, the audience has no context to what the argument is trying to prove.

• I love how confident the tone was in his writing. I didn't question his authority the entire time I was reading the analysis. I hope that my project will sound so confident that people won't question my authority on the topic.

Peer Review 12a

I hate being sick. My voice is gone, I have a constant runny/stuffy nose so I can't get any sleep, and I just feel overall exhausted. This is the worst week that I can be sick. I wish all my sickness could wait until summer and I can just die for 3 months straight. I think I'd prefer that to be honest.

• I peer reviewed Eren Arbac's rough cut on the Qatar World Cup

• I decided to make a form suggestion on his video essay about different ways genre conventions could be employed in the next draft. I think by employing different camera angles (i.e. front, side) while talking helps to hold the audience's attention. Also, by facing the camera straight forward and using a more white light, it will help to improve the quality of the video, thereby increasing the author's capability/credibility.

• By changing the camera angles and lighting, it will help improve the overall quality of the video and make it more interesting for the audience to watch. People will only really listen to arguments that come from a professional and one way to act professional is by putting together a professional, high-quality video.

• I incorporated the concept of form conventions of a video essay from the suggested readings into my peer review. By facing the camera straight forward instead of at an angle, and lights more white than yellow, it will increase the video's quality, which will increase credibility and make it more entertaining to watch.

• I really liked how the video itself had a sports theme to it so it was easier for the audience to follow and made it a lot more entertaining than staring at his face the entire time. I hope I can edit my video so that it reflects different images and camera angles to keep my audience interested.

Reflection on Post-Production

I'm really digging Halsey and Ruth B. as far as music artists go. I mention that only because I've been listening to them for the past 3 hours straight. It helps me focus on the projects that I actually need to focus on without me stressing out 110%.

• Successes this week was actually recording and putting together the rough cut of the video essay. I never think it'll come together until it finally does (thank the Lord). Actually having a rough copy to work with helps so much to picture what the final product will look like and to be able to plan accordingly.

• Challenges of this week was the effort given on the form-editing end of the project. Although I made a very detailed script, the actual product is less than what's to be desired. I also severely underestimated the time it would take me to finish my ASL signing project, so I wasn't able to put in as much time editing the video essay. This shows in the underdevelopment of the video overall.

• Based on my experiences this week, I think next week will be a bit more productive towards the project in 109H. Compared to the other projects I also have to worry about, but this deadline is closer so I will have to find time to actually edit the video and make sure the video fits the expectations I have.

• Overall, I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed with the project to be honest. Not because the project itself is hard or that the deadlines are asking too much, but because I have so much else on my plate this week with tests and quizzes and such.

Open Post to Peer Reviewers

I feel like this week is going to fly by, but I'm really hoping it doesn't. I have too much to do and too little time. Fingers crossed I can manage a miracle and beat all the odds. Now that would be nice.

• I know my project is very underdeveloped. I plan on actually, legitimately, assembling my project this upcoming weekend since I have had a lot on my plate these past couple weeks and haven't had enough time to work on the project as much as I've wanted to. Please keep that in mind.

• Major issues/weaknesses in the "rough cut" is how underdeveloped the video aspect of it is. I haven't had time to edit the video itself or add in any special effects/cuts of other videos for supporting evidence, but I will be adding those in later. 

• I'm not quite sure what the major strengths my "rough cut" has, I mean I think it's stronger developed towards the content end than the form end for sure, but other thank that I don't really know.

• Without further ado, here's the VERY VERY VERY rough cut

Editorial Report 12b

I feel like this upcoming is going to be so crazy for me. I have to prepare for 2 exams, 2 projects, 2 quizzes and a partridge in a pear tree. Yeah, I'm going to be busy. Hopefully I'll be able to pull all of this together because, well, I have no other choice. #college

• The content changed a lot when I went back and re-edited it. I decided to reword a lot of the intro so it was more attention-grabbing and made it more personal by introducing why I decided to become a psychology major (which shows that I care very deeply about the topic). I also edited the script that I used so the content flowed more smoothly and I made it more relatable to the audience by actively including them in the discussion.

• The form didn't change at all from the original video when I re-edited it. I do need to go back and edit it again to add in supporting evidence from various media sources and cut unnecessary pauses out to make the content flow more smoothly.

Intro:

• Selection from rough cut

• Re-edited selection

Editorial Report 12a

I can't believe this semester's already almost over, I feel like we're just going to be in April, not May. I'm almost done with my first year of college...that's so crazy. I mean I'll be living in an apartment and everything next year, that's such an adult thing to do. When did this happen? I feel like this year flew by so fast. 

• I only made minuscule changes to this section, it was mainly just revision of the script that I went off of rather than video editing changes. I think that now with the revised content, it flows a lot smoothly and elaborates on some of the main mental health stigmas that we perpetuate everyday, sometimes without even thinking about it. By providing examples of stigmas to the section, people can relate more easily and understand what it looks like for mental health to be stigmatized in everyday life.

• The form didn't change at all when I re-edited it. I'm not done editing though. I still need to add in supporting evidence in media form and add in small editing details to make the video run more smoothly and present the content as a continuous stream of consciousness. Rather than choppy and unedited as it is now.

Body Section 2

• Selection from rough cut

• Re-edited selection

Peer Review 11b

Wow I didn't know another kappa took 109H! This is so exciting, now I have someone in the house to stress about blog posts with (no offense, that's just how college kids bond these days). Sisters we are thankful am I right?

• I peer reviewed Veronica Funness' "Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3"

• I decided to make a brainstorming suggestion on Veronica's rhetorical analysis about different ideas that could be incorporated into the project. I'm in love with the topic of America's societal and cultural pressures and misconceptions regarding the topic of girls and sex. Another awesome perspective that could be incorporated into the argument could be your (Veronica's) own personal experience of being a girl and the expectation that girls have in a sorority on a college campus. That perspective could add to your overall credibility and make it a more personal argument (which is harder to refute).

• I think by adding a more personal perspective to the argument, it will make you seem more credible as a source and also help more people personally connect to your argument as well. Both as a college student and a student in Greek life, you're offered a unique standpoint on the view of sex and it would be really interesting to see how you can incorporate it in an argument.

• I incorporated the importance of personal stories to increase an author's credibility from the suggested readings. Since personal stories connects the author and the audience to the topic.

• I really love how passionate you are about the topic, just by reading through the rhetorical analysis I was taken aback by how much you love this topic and how strongly you feel. This is going to make for an amazing argument. I can't wait to read your finished product!

Peer Review 11a

I think I need to start managing my time better. I say that only because I'm currently surrounded by 3 different notebooks, an ecology textbook, and 10 tabs open with only 3 pertaining to English. Oh, and also a bag of Cheetos. Yeah, it's becoming more apparent that I have a real problem here. At least the Cheetos are satisfying.

• I peer reviewed Mariana Chacon's "Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3"

• I incorporated the power of concession and refutation in an argument from the suggested readings in my feedback. 

• I decided to make a brainstorming suggestion about other ideas or approaches to the assignment that I can imagine based on Mariana's rhetorical analysis. I think that the topic is really interesting and there is definitely framework for a great argument, but maybe take the opposing view (that horror movies don't have any effect on kids or that they can have a positive effect) as a concession to rile up the parents even more. Because nothing heats up an argument quite like calling a parent wrong or disproving their beliefs on raising kids. That would be an interesting argument to make as either the main argument or just the concession. Some food for thought.

• I feel that by conceding to the opposing argument, it in turn strengthens the author's own argument. It shows that the author has taken into account opposing facts and refuting them with more statistics that support their own argument. However, by making the unseemly argument the main argument, it can add intrigue and fascination with the topic overall. What's a more likely article you'd read: "Horror Movies Bad for Kids" or "New Study Reveals Horror Movies are Great for Developing Children?" 

• I really like how honest and open Mariana is in her writing. Her style of writing makes me want to keep reading and makes me genuinely interested in what she has to say. Hopefully I can have the same effect on people in my own writing.

Reflection on Production

I think this might be the first time, in any English class, where I actually think I might know I'm doing. See though, now that I've said that I've definitely jinxed myself. Great, I'm already the worst when it comes to luck. Maybe I broke a mirror and don't remember it because that would explain a lot. I need to go throw some salt over my shoulder or whatever.

• Some successes during this week's production was that I was actually to finish a completed script (not even lying), and I don't feel rushed or worried about editing any of the videos I recorded since I'm familiar and comfortable with the video-editing platform (iMovie) I'll be using. I'm currently feeling cautiously optimistic about the content outline I based my argument off of and the sources that are mentioned in the actual video essay (so far).

• A challenge during this week's process work was the fact that I currently don't have my pretty MacBook with my nice camera and super easy video-editing program. Let me tell you, from a first-hand experience, it hurts. A lot. At least I'll have it definitely by this weekend so I'm not too worried. Another challenge was the fact that I'm a procrastinator to the core and almost forgot to actually record my videos. I actually had to trick myself into doing my work on time by setting every clock I own 3 hours ahead. I wish I was joking.

• Based on my experiences this week, I am cautiously optimistic for next week's post-production. Since I'm not in unfamiliar territory I think I'll actually be able to manage editing a bunch of videos into a cohesive video essay. However, it's just going to suck not having my video-editing computer right away and having to wait until the weekend.

• Overall, I think I may be putting a little too much faith in my video-editing abilities and overall comprehension of the project, but I think I'll leave my rose-colored glasses on for a while. I think I'll actually start worrying once the final deadline gets closer. Right now it's a comfortable distance away so I'll meander my way through the deadlines until I reach the Point of No Return (usually the weekend of the final deadline).

Production Report 11b

I'm just a powerhouse tonight, I'm doing my blog posts, taking chem pre-lab quizzes, taking notes and class quizzes for ecology, I'm just all over it this week. Hopefully this productiveness doesn't die out before the week actually starts.

• I decided to use a video form (raw footage, straight from my computer, expectations should not be raised) as part of a video essay for the genre. Eventually, I'll upload the finished product to Youtube since that's the most widely accepted platform for any kind of video, but especially opinionated rants, I mean, public arguments of course.

• The production of this video was really rough. Since now I'm getting more into the body sections, I need to insert different videos and special effects, the video I hyperlinked in this blog post has none of that since my computer doesn't have any editing software (but my computer at home does, so no worries with the final draft).

Please don't judge: VERY VERY ROUGH

• Outline item of body section 2 (refutation)

• Adaptation of outline item of body section 2 (refutation)

Production Report 11a

This has been so much fun to write and film. It's more fun to write since I can write how I talk and how I'm feeling, since it's an argument that FINALLY let's me put my own opinion into it. This is so much fun I almost don't care what grade I get. Almost.

• I decided to use a video that was just uploaded straight from my computer since I chose to do a video essay. I thought a video essay would be the most appropriate genre for a public argument since the point of an argument is to sway the audience one way or the other, followed by a call to action. Personally, I find if I can see and hear a person, I'm more easily persuaded since they have my entire attention.

• The production was a little difficult since the resolution on my computer camera I'm currently using's pretty low and not as advanced as my computer back home. So it was more just annoying trying to record and not being able to edit little parts out that I don't like immediately.

Please don't judge: VERY VERY ROUGH

• Outline item for the intro

• Adaptation of outline item for intro

Peer Review 10b

I'm definitely a pre-med student, I could never be an engineer. I definitely admire the people who have a passion for machines and computers and coding, but I prefer the brain and human interaction over programming. So I take my hat off to those who are engineering majors, good luck.

• I peer reviewed Coby Allred's rhetorical analysis called, "Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3"

• I decided to make a brainstorming suggestion about the analysis, more specifically a different approach towards the controversy at hand. Since this is a public argument, you'll want to put your own opinion into the argument, since it's your argument you're making. Definitely have sources to back up your opinion, but an unbiased opinion will make for a very boring argument. Just something to think about.

• I hope that my feedback will help to make the argument more interesting since passion and personal opinions definitely make for the best arguments. Also, since it is a public argument, you'll have to put your opinion in it anyway, but catching it earlier is always better so you'll have time to rework your content outline (if need be).

• I incorporated the suggestion from the Student's Guide readings about the definition of controversy and how exactly to present an argument to the public's eye to make sure there is enough of your own credibility to take a stand on the subject.

• I really liked how passionate he was about his topic and was able to use terminology that other people involved in the controversy would most likely use, which I definitely really admired.

Peer Review 10a

Do you know how terrifying pink slime is? But do you also know how delicious french fries and burgers are? It's an eternal struggle really, between Big Food Industries and my own personal taste in food.

• I peer reviewed Tianna Jones' rhetorical analysis for project 3 titled, "I'm Trying!"

• I made a brainstorming suggestion to Tianna's rhetorical analysis in regards to the detail and development of the analysis. I think it was a great start, but sometimes it's a little unclear as to what exactly the controversy is. I know we're just getting started and your focus will most likely get sharper as we dive further into the assignment, that's just one thing to look out for, otherwise I thought your analysis was very developed and interesting.

• I believe this feedback will help her to narrow down on an exact topic. By narrowing it down, it will most likely help during production week to know exactly what the controversy is and what both sides are saying precisely, rather than a more vague, general answer.

• I incorporated the brainstorming skills that were suggested from the Student's Guide readings, which will help to narrow down on an exact topic.

• I love how passionate you are about everything you were writing about. I could tell you really knew what you were writing about and it seemed like you held a lot of authority based on passion alone, which made me want to keep reading! I loved it!

Reflection on Pre-Production

So I have this huge ecology test on Tuesday that I haven't even started studying for. This bad. This is very bad. See? I told you, I always procrastinate no matter what. This definitely is not okay. I should probably do something about that. 

• Successes for this week was getting everything accomplished that I needed to for pre-production, especially creating an actual content outline. That makes me feel so much better going into production week.

• Definitely some challenges this week was dealing with my innate procrastinator. I think it becomes a game, how long can I wait until I absolutely have to do it so I can finish literally with one second to spare. It's an evil cycle. Maybe it's an addiction? Do they have support groups for procrastinating?

• Hopefully, with any luck, especially now that I have a strict schedule to stick to, I can get everything I need to get done in a timely manner. Fingers crossed on this one.

• I'm honestly really excited about this project since I'm an opinionated person and I love telling people all about every opinion I could possibly have. This might get interesting.

Production Schedule

Just a forewarning, I'm not good at time management. Actually, I don't even know what that word means. I like to say I run on Mexican time (I can say that because I am, indeed, Mexican) where on time actually means about 2 hours late. However, Mexican time doesn't really get along with deadlines...can I claim cultural difference?

Anyway, here's a link to my production schedule!

Content Outline

I'm actually really excited for this project believe it or not. I never thought I'd ever be saying that about an English project to be honest, but I'm such an opinionated person this is going to be so much fun.

My really cool outline:

• Opening
• Background music, a black background with the title and my name then it fades out to me talking about the background of the controversy, when it all started, what exactly it's about, cut with different still images and different video angles.

• Body section 1
• Stigma around mental health
• Evidence: "Why We Need to Talk About Depression" a Ted Talk by Kevin Breel
• Proves: The main purpose of this Ted Talk is a call to action the movers and shakers of this world in order to change how mental health is stigmatized and by removing the stigma, people will feel more willing to seek the help they need without having to hide it or keep their condition a secret.
• Important: It's important that the people who don't know about mental illness or depression hear about it. It's also for people who do struggle with a mental disorder and can relate to his message so they don't feel as alone. But more importantly, this talk is directed at the movers and shakers of this world who have the power to change how mental illness is stigmatized in America.
• Evidence: My own personal story
• Proves: So many people deal with a mental illness, 1 in 4 people struggle with some kind of mental illness and I add to that statistic. My story will help relate to the audience and increase my credibility.
• Important: It's important that I share this story so I can make the argument more personal and harder to refute since it's something that I deal with personally and know all the ins and outs of.
• Body section 2
• Counter-argument
• Evidence: "Radio Host: Bipolar Disorder Does Not Exist" by Fox News Radio Host Tom Sullivan
• Proves: This talk proves that so many people believe that mental illness is just the "latest fad" and are just fancy terms used by the psychology business to make more money by prescribing medication.
• Important: This is important since so many people see mental illness as not real because the people who suffer from it have nothing to show, no x-rays or urine samples that can prove they have a mental illness, so instead it's "made up."
• Evidence: "Mental Disorders Do Not Exist" a blog by Jon Rappoport
• Proves: This blog proves that a lot of people think that because there is no specific test you can do or specific gene you can isolate to determine if someone has a mental illness, then that means that it simply doesn't exist.
• Important: This is important because this is what perpetuates the stigma around mental health, the fact that the whole "anti-psychiatry" movement is happening to make sure that mental illnesses "aren't real."
• Body section 3
• Refutation of counter-argument
• Evidence: "What's so Funny About Mental Illness?" a Ted Talk by Ruby Wax
• Proves: The main purpose of this Talk is to help break the stigma behind mental health using humor. She delivers the content in such a funny way that it doesn't scare people off with the reality of what a mental disorder means.
• Important: Everyone relates to humor and by Ruby laughing at her mental illness and making jokes, it makes it easier for people to open up about mental illness and make it a more normal conversation.
• Evidence: "Here's the Real truth About Mental Health" by Lindsay Holmes and Sahaj Kohli
• Proves: The main purpose of this video is to inform people who don't know what a mental disorder means, as well as a call to action for those same people who didn't know what a mental disorder was to seek more information on it and to feel comfortable talking about it.
• Important: It's important because if a person feels like it's a safe environment, they'll feel more comfortable opening up and receiving the care they need.
• Closing
• Restate the argument and why it's so important for the stigma around mental health to go away since it makes it more likely that people will actually go out and seek help if they need it. Have background music playing and various still shots and different video angles throughout. Close with a fade to black and roll credits.

Research Report

I can't wait until all of these blog posts are behind me and I can focus on recording the video essay and actually going out and capturing footage for this project. Patience.

1. "The Stigma of Mental Health" a Ted x Talk at UNC by Alyse Schacter

• Alyse Schacter has been publicly speaking out about the stigma surrounding mental illness since 2002.
• She's won the Dr. John Davis Burton award, the Royal Ottowa Foundation for Mental Health Inspiration award, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's (CAMH) "Courage to Come Back Award," among many others.

• The target audience is college students and college administrators since she's speaking at a college campus and sharing her own personal testimony.

• Her main goal of the Ted x Talk was to tell her personal story about how she was able to overcome her mental illness (OCD) and be able to use her experience and speak out against the stigma that surrounds mental health and being open about her disorder. A cal lto action to students who are currently struggling to be an advocate for mental illness and for students who haven't reached out, to reach out.

• This video is a good fit for the project since she says, "In this country, every single year, we will lose three times the amount of people in this room right now in the amount of youth who die by suicide." She also mentions that, "70% of people who drop out of college, do so because of a mental illness."

2. "Imagine There Was No Stimga to Mental Illness" a Ted x Talk at Charlottesville by Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman

• Dr. Lieberman is the author of the book SHRINKS, where he explains psychiatry's origins and case studies that shock the audience into a call to action to start treating mental illness as a disease rather than a set of behaviors.

• Dr. Lieberman is also the chairman of the Columbia University Medical Center, where they have been #1 in annual research funding from the National Institutes of Health since 2007.

• The target audience for his Ted Talk are college students who struggle with a mental illness to let them know they're not alone, as well as anyone in the college administration who can help to break the stigma against mental disorders across the entire campus.

• His Ted Talk's main purpose is to raise the idea that once the stigma around mental health is broken, then that will eventually lead to better treatment for millions of people who are struggling.

• This talk is a good fit for my project since he says, "there's a resilient anti-psychiatry movement that claims there's no such thing as mental illness and wants to eliminate psychiatry." He also states that, "Treatments don't just eliminate the symptoms, they also eliminate the prejudice and stigma."

3. "Lessons From the Mental Hospital" a Ted x Talk at TraverseCity by Glennon Doyle Melton

The source’s author(s)

• Glennon Melton is a New York Times best-selling author for her book Carry On, Warrior, a book about the journey of her self-discovery through her mental illness and the light at the end of the tunnel.

• Melton is also the founder and president of the nonprofit organization Together Rising, which serves women who are trying to get back on their feet.

• The target audience for Melton's talk is anyone who is going through a mental illness or has been to a mental hospital, to help normalize the situation and make it relatable and open to talk about.

• The main purpose of her talk is to get people who have been in situations she's been in, has been admitted to a mental hospital, or may be currently struggling with a mental disorder to accept themselves as they are right in this moment. She also helps to normalize the experience of going to a mental hospital since that's one of the larger dtigmas around mental health.

• Her talk would be very beneficial to my video since she says, "[in the hospital] people wore the truth on the outside so you knew where they stood and told the truth so you knew why they stood there." as well as, "While I was in the mental hospital, for the first time in my life, I found a world that made sense to me."

4. "The Kids are Not All Right: College Mental Health Needs an Intervention" a talk sponsored by Big Think done by Dr. Victor Schwartz

• Dr. Schwartz joined the Jed Foundation back in 2012 as the medical director. The Jed Foundation is the nation's leading organization working to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among America's college students.

• Dr. Schwartz also served as a member of the Presidential Task Force on College Mental Health and has written and lectured extensively on college mental health.

• The target audience for this Youtube video by Big Think is for anyone who is interested in the college mental health crisis (more specifically college students and those in college administration who have the ability to make a change). 

• The Youtube video's main goal is to inform people of the crisis that is college mental health and to raise awareness for the 70% of college kids who drop out of college due to a mental illness.

• This video will be useful for my video since he says, "It's in the school and the student's best interest to provide a very broad array of support systems to its students." He also says, "A real challenge for the school to balance the cost and benefit of the range of services they're providing."

5. "The Suicide Rate is Going Up. Here's What We Can Do to Stop it." a video by Big Think by Dr. Christine Moutier

• Dr. Moutier is a leader in the field of suicide prevention and has testified before US Congress on suicide prevention.

• Dr. Moutier has also been the host of AFSP's (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) latest documentary on surviving suicide loss.

• The target audience for the video by Big Think is people who have struggled with suicide, known someone who has struggled with suicide, or people in the field who want to get more information on how to better prevent suicide.

• The main purpose of this video is to inform the audience how even prejudices against people who struggle with suicide can actually increase the suicide rates. The only way for the rates to go down is if these people receive the treatment they need and don't feel ashamed about going.

• This video will be very beneficial to my argument since she says, "[suicide rates] have been trending up, in terms of our national rates over the last decade or so. It had trended down prior to that." What changed? She also mentioned that, "[men are more prone to suicide since] they are the least willing and able to seek help because of social norms."

6. "6 Things You Need to Get Right About Depression" a video by Big Think by Dr. Patricia Deldin

• Dr. Deldin is a professor of psychology and psychiatry as well as the Clinical Science Chair and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Michigan.

• Dr. Deldin is also leading a community-focused mental health research recruitment project in collaboration with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

• The target audience for this video are people who don't know that much about mental illness or depression and don't really understand what exactly depression, as a mental illness is. It can also be for people who struggle with depression to let them know that they're not alone and that everyone who struggles with this illness feels the same way that they do.

• The main purpose for this video by Big Think is to shed light on the the mysteries that is depression and mental illness. Even though depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, it's still treated as taboo to talk about it in public or to tell someone that they're struggling with a mental illness. This video helps normalize depression to make it easier for people to talk about it.

• This Youtube video would be very helpful in my video essay since she says, "depression is an invisible illness, it's not something you can see jsut by looking at someone." She also points out that, "depression is definitely not related to someone's character or moral shortcomings." Also, "if medication can help people who have these illnesses, how could it really be about their morality?"

7. "Why We Need to Talk About Depression" a Ted Talk by Kevin Breel

• Kevin Breel is a critically acclaimed writer, comedian, and mental health activist. Recently, Parade Magazine named him as one of the top six "Most Influential Millenials in the World" alongside Mark Zuckerberg and Malala Yousafzai.

• He also has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, INC Magazine, and NBC.

• The target audience for this Ted Talk are people who don't know about mental illness or depression as a mental disorder. It's also for people who do struggle with a mental disorder and can relate to his message so they don't feel as alone. But more importantly, this talk is directed at the movers and shakers of this world who have the power to change how mental illness is stigmatized in America.

• The main purpose of this Ted Talk is a call to action the movers and shakers of this world in order to change how mental health is stigmatized and by removing the stigma, people will feel more willing to seek the help they need without having to hide it or keep their condition a secret.

• This talk will be extremely helpful since Breel states that, "Real depression isn't being sad when something in your life goes wrong; real depression is being sad when everything in your life is going right." He also mentions that, "Depression isn't chicken pox. You don't beat it once and it's gone forever, it's something you live with and the scariest part is, after a while, you become numb to it."

8. "Why We Choose Suicide" a Ted x Talk at Toronto by Mark Henick

The source’s author(s)

• Mark Henick, at 22, was the youngest president of a provincial Canadian Mental Health Association division in history.

• Currently, he's the youngest ever board member for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

• The target audience for this Ted x Talk are people who continue to keep suicide a hushed topic only to be talked about in the privacy of their own home. This talk is also meant for people who are currently struggling with the possibility of suicide, so they know that they're not alone.

• This talk's main purpose is a call to arms for people who were once ignorant on this topic. He calls for people who weren't previously aware of just how serious suicide is and how important it is to break the stigma behind it, which would allow people to be more open about how they're feeling so they can get the help they need instead of trying to commit suicide and feeling like they don't have any other option.

• This video will be extremely important to use in the video since he brings to light, "Because that's how these things go: people seem plenty eager to talk about suicide, just as long as it's behind closed doors and in hushed voices." He also says, "Can suicide really be a choice, if it's the only choice available?"

9. "Here's the Real truth About Mental Health" by Lindsay Holmes and Sahaj Kohli

• Lindsay Holmes is the Deputy Healthy Living Editor at the Huffington Post and has published countless articles relating to mental illness.

• While Sahaj Kohli has been a blog editor at the Huffington Post since March 2014 and also an emotional and mental health advocate working alongside Holmes.

• The target audience for this video are people who don't know that much about mental health or how the mental health stigma can affect people who are struggling with a mental disorder and what they can do to help stop the stigma that surrounds mental health.

• The main purpose of this video is to inform people who don't know what a mental disorder means, as well as a call to action for those same people who didn't know what a mental disorder was to seek more information on it and to feel comfortable talking about it. Because if a person feels like it's a safe environment, they'll feel more comfortable opening up and receiving the care they need.

• This video will be helpful since it has a lot of statistics I can use in my video such as, "Only 25% of people with mental health issues feel like others are understanding of their condition." Which means that, "75% of people with mental illness feel judged and shamed for something that's not even in their control."

10. "What's so Funny About Mental Illness?" a Ted Talk by Ruby Wax

• Ruby Wax has a master's degree in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy from the University of Oxford and has used this degree for the basis of her Sunday Times #1 bestselling book: Sane New World: Taming the Mind.

• It was also announced in April 2015 that Ruby will be awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by the Queen.

• The target audience for this Talk are people who don't know that much about mental illness, but Ruby is also a comedian and so she delivers the content in such a funny way that it doesn't scare people off with the reality of what a mental disorder means. Since it takes on a more light-hearted tone, it's an easier pill to swallow for people who haven't really had to deal with a mental disorder before.

• The main purpose of this Talk is to help break the stigma behind mental health using humor. Everyone relates to humor and by Ruby laughing at her mental illness and making jokes, it makes it easier for people to open up about mental illness and make it a more normal conversation.

• This video will help my video essay since she talks in a more fun, light-hearted way (like me) with, "You hear about a hundred thousand abusive voices all at once, like if the Devil had Turrets, that's what it would sound like." Or when she says, "Here's my question, my question is how come, when people have mental damage, it's always an act of imagination?"