Final group project

We are planning on doing a campaign for more TCU free student transportation. We have decided that TCU does not provide enough transportation to students. Rhetorically we have chosen to use more logos to appeal to the TCU students with some ethos as well. The logos is going to come from facts that TCU does not provide bus service to certain areas. The ethos will come from the fact that having more bus service will cut down on drunk driving.

group work

Generally I am the leader in a group. I like to be the person who dictates who does what, and organizes everything. I generally am the most organized in a group so it is easy for me to be the leader of the group. I am also very good at keeping people on track and helping promote communication through the group. I am also rather creative and I like to design things. So not only do I like to organize but I also like to do some of the creative work too.

Authors Note on porfolio

Over all my papers are over an article I read about a bill being introduced that would allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays. I'll explain each piece below

My letter to the editor took me a few times to get where I wanted it. At first I was just restating the article and I didn't really understand that I was replying to what was said in the article. I think that I stated my opinion on the subject quickly so it set the style for the rest of the letter. I believe I used good ethos, pathos, and logos to get my point across.

The op-ed was a bit more challenging to me. At first I did not understand what it was. My first draft was a lot more like a letter to the editor. With some help I got the paper to a point I was happy with. I definitely think it uses ethos, pathos, and logos well to support my view of the subject. I stuck with my article as a basis for my paper. It deals with the same issue with a greater focus on the tax benefits. I am happy with the paper and it took me a lot of time to get that way.

My humorous argument I am very happy with. I had some good suggestions on my blog but in the end I was happy with the picture I drew so I didn't change much. I think it is funny and not offensive to my audience. It is a good use of my topic and it conveys it well.

Humerous authors note

My funny argument is a picture over my topic. I decided to try and draw what I thought was funny about the article I read. I am by no means an artist but I think it is done well enough to display humor. It is a picture of a pastor giving a prayer and in the middle he looks at the time and thinks to himself that he needs to get liquor and that the liquor store just opened. He then dismisses the congregation so he can buy liquor.

humerous argument

I have decided to draw a funny picture for my humerous argument part of the project. Since my topic is having liquor stores open on sunday I have decided to draw a picture of a pastor of a church wrapping up a sermon at noon on the spot so he can make it to the liquor store before the big game. I am not the best artist but I think it will turn out pretty funny.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman900l.jpg

I found this cartoon about a man robbing a liquor store, and he uses the excuse that the liquor store was over stocked. I think it's pretty cute, but it matches my article because it has to do with a liquor store but also the issue of the store being over stocked as a interesting connection. Opening up liquor stores on sundays could possible lower the stock of liquor stores and cut down on the amount of robberies... just a thought. There are a lot of people with opinions about the subject and a cartoon like this lightens up the subject a little bit, adding a new light to the issue.

authors note for op-ed

This is my first draft of the op-ed portion of unit 3. It is still unfinished, no conclusion yet. It is also a bit short but hopefully with the addition of a conclusion and a few tweaks it will meet the requirements. I am unsure if what I have written falls into how a op-ed should be written. I would like some guidance on where my paper needs improvement, mechanically as well as substantively.

op-ed prewrite

Op-ed Prewriting

· After reading a fair amount of articles from the Fort Worth Star Telegram I noticed that the op-ed’s were fairly argumentative. Most people did not agree on what the editor was writing about. The letters were addressing either the author or the original audience of the article. The unique thing about most of the letters I read where a lot of them used facts to support their argument. I didn’t expect people to do the research necessary to support their side but they did.
· The specific issue that I am going to focus on in my op-ed is the issue of having liquor stores open on Sundays to produce more tax revenue for the state. More specifically the pro’s or cons (haven’t decided yet) of passing this bill. My choice for the topic will be how this would affect the state specifically. Whether or not it would have a positive or a negative effect on Texas.
· Since I am leaning on supporting the advantages of having liquor stores open on Sundays I will support the bill in my paper. This bill is a good way for Texan’s to show their support for lower taxes through alternate measures. No one wants to pay high taxes and with more creative ideas like having liquor stores open on Sundays lowers everyone’s taxes and lets people who need liquor able to buy it on one more day of the week.
· I think all the rhetorical appeals will work pretty well in my argument. I think that ethos will be the most effective because having liquor stores open on Sunday’s has been a very emotional argument since the early days of the 20th century. It seems like everyone has an opinion on whether or not to serve liquor on the Sabbath. Especially since Texas is part of the “Bible belt” it ought to make things interesting when people’s emotions get riled up. On top of the emotional response from liquor on Sundays I think logos will work equally well because the underlying fact for the bill is for high tax revenue for the state of Texas. Using valid facts to support the argument that having liquor stores open on Sundays will increase our tax revenue, while lowering private household taxes should be a good way to sway people into my way of thinking. Using pathos is another good way to support my argument because there are a lot of credible people out there that have opinions on the issue and using their knowledge and more importantly their title will be beneficial in a good argument.
· As I mentioned above, using peoples strong emotions about this subject will be a good starting point. When people get emotional about a subject it is much easier to talk them into supporting your opinion if they aren’t vehemently opposed to it. Using facts that play on people’s emotions will be a good way to lure the reader into my way of thinking on the subject. Evidence in others experience will also be a good persuasion builder. Personal experience will be another although I don’t have much personal experience with liquor stores I do have general alcohol experience.
· Lastly, I need to research hard facts about the subject. Getting quotes from political leaders supporting my side and getting facts the shed decent light on my side are good uses of resources.

April 6th op-ed blog

The reason op-ed is ineffective in the way it covers my topic is because it is only my point of view. I cannot use persuasion from other people's point of view to persuade my audience. An Op-ed is supposed to be a specific point of view argument and with this style it is hard to bring in outside elements, especially facts. It seems to me like an Op-ed is more opinionated then factual. This is also an advantage because when people read an op-ed they have in mind that it is an opinionated statement so you can use your opinion and some ethos to persuade the reader. Most writings are supposed to be so factual and not have the writers opinion anywhere in them. Having the ability to input your opinion can be very beneficial.