Gigi's First Year English

Photograph: Khadijah Williams with her Harvard degree (pg. 92) Why did authors use this photograph? To show the student that graduated from Harvard University. What were they trying to prove? I think they were trying to prove that she looks like a normal your lady that graduated from school, but there aren't any details on how her life was before she graduated or how she got to where she was. What motivated you to analyze the photograph you chose? I chose this picture because it looks like a picture you would find in a school's magazine or banner. What motivated me was that a picture can look normal, but there could be meaning behind it. The photograph that I chose shows her with her diploma, but there's nothing stating that she grew up with barely going to elementary school, living in homeless shelters with her mother, or simply waking up at 4am to get to school. Why is it important to me? It's important to me because she is honestly inspiring to me. She ca...

The photo that I plan to analyze is on page 92 of A Path Appears. It is a photo of Khadijah Williams of her Harvard degree. She came a long way from poverty to graduating from one of the top schools in America. I connect to this photo because we both have the same path and dreams to be successful in out lives, and a way to get there is by education. She realized that education was a way to get out of poverty and I realized education is a way to make a difference.

1. The article addresses the manner in which men and woman are culturally represented. The author claims the different representation between men and women on how they are looked at. He argues that women are self-conscious and are always aware of their own presence. Each gender has their own form of "gazes." 1. 1. "It is important here not to confuse publicity with the pleasure or benefits to be enjoyed from the things it advertises"(138). I related to this since I do buy things that I do not need. I buy clothes rather than food. Buying new clothes or makeup gets me really happy and it makes me want to show it off. I realize that it doesn't even matter after awhile, and I really should have used that money for food when I get hungry. When a new makeup brand comes out, makeup lovers are the first in line to buy these products. Sometimes the quality isn't even good.     2. "Publicity images often use sculptures or paintings to lend allure or authorit...

1. The article talks about the importance of using ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos is a form of argument based on character and authority. Pathos is a form of argument that is based on emotion. Logos is a form of argument based on logic and facts. 2. 1. "An ad on a billboard will reach many people whose assumptions about hunger in America, will vary, as will their levels of education, race, gender, and ethnicity"(238). This line caught my attention because I have noticed that billboard ads hat talk about hunger issues or drug use will be placed on an urban area. I don't see much billboard ads with these topics in a nice suburban area. I believe that these ads try to identify what kind of people they are in a neighborhood. They target the attention of the audience to persuade them into buying their products or joining their company. I notice that pathos is used quite a lot when advertising so it could relate to a person reading it. For example, a car insurance has a bil...

1. This book is about people making a change in our world. A lot of the stories contained people suffering and in misery but they bounced back to prove others wrong. 2. 1."The challenge is to nurture a culture of altruism and empathy, seeking to imbue an instinct for social engagement"(15). This quote really hit me because many communities don't have that good influence for the young people. Kids need to have a mentor and a goal in life to make a change in their communities. Terri Trent set a great example of this because she started out with nothing and came out with a lot to give when she reached her goal to become a doctor. She is an inspiration to many others, including me.    2. "That's how a Californian woman, by donating  $250, underwrote the transformation of a life halfway around the world"(24). The story of how a woman writing a check for a little girl to get surgery with clubfoot was one of my favorites. I didn't even know this was a com...

How was your first essay for a College Writing class?  What did you enjoy about this essay or the activities leading up to it?  What was challenging?    I feel like my first essay turned out pretty good. I know I'm not the best when writing essays but i feel like i connected with this essay and I feel good about my work. I really enjoyed putting my own personal experiences because it shows a little about myself. The idea draft really helped me a lot because my ideas were already jotted down and if I was stuck on something, I would look back at it for inspiration. What I found challenging is writing the actual essay but it's difficult for me in general. Making an outline of the ideas and organizing my paragraphs was challenging. Writing about my personal experiences definitely made my essay sound better and like I said, it tells a little bit about myself that people may not know. 

Reading Blog #5: They Say/I Say Intro and Chapter 7 Introduction: Entering the Conversation 1. In the introduction of the book, it starts off on what the book will be going to discuss and how it creates an identity for the writer and looking at other perspectives of opinions, while also creating their own opinions. It talks about templates, that its fine sharing your opinion, and how the book is organized. It also talks about plagiarism and how it's a serious thing in the real world. 2.  1."To make an impact as a writer, you need to do more than make statements that are logical, well supported, and consistent"(4). This makes sense because when you statements that you're trying to make your point across, you can't just not support it with reasonings. People need to do their research and support their argument. I have written essays to create  thesis and just support it in different paragraphs, but there has to be more than that.      2. Just because much a...

Reading blog #4: from Inquiry 1. Academic writing starts off with someone else's idea and you continuing the conversation.  Habits of mind: you use your curiosity to question opinions, explore alternative opinions, anticipate opposing arguments, etc. You are engaged in critical thinking. Academic writing is making an argument on an issue Steps to inquiry: Observations Asking questions Examining alternatives 2.  1. "[Academic argument] is the careful expression of an idea or perspective based on the reasoning  and the insights garnered from a close examination of the arguments others have made on the issue"(2).  When I first read this, I understood that you need to get that main idea or claim of the issue. Everyone has their own opinion on issues and that's where academic argument comes into play. Academic argument is the main statement of any literacy as it appears as the introduction that the writer will develop in order to convince his readers....

I feel pretty good about my draft. I know what I wanna write about and what personal experiences I'm going to put in. I would really like to finish this as soon as I can so I can go to the writing center to get feedback. I need more time on it though because I like to do my essays in parts so my brain can refresh and my daily life can be influential when I write.

Introduction: Reading and writing has made a pretty big impact on my life. Without knowing how to read or write, I wouldn’t be able to understand material and love learning. I am a partial reader, meaning I usually read parts of a book and I am usually incapable of finishing a book. As a writer, I write down my feelings and thoughts. I do this because when I have a lot on my mind, I let it everything out and it’s just private to yourself. I like writing about something I have experienced and how I felt in that situation. Writing down my thoughts and reading them over again has helped me grow by being a source of happiness. Paragraph 1:  When I was at a young age, I went to a bilingual school. I knew Spanish better than English because my parents talked to me in that language. As I grew older, I learned to speak English very well and my parents seemed to learn a bit as well. Just like Amy Tan, I speak different English with my parents compared to my friends. Specifically ...

My intentions for writing this draft was to jot down my ideas and the theme I was interested in. I answered questions that were on the prompt to make it easier for me to write my essay. I tried to connect with authors with their interests and what they talked about in their writings. I would like to focus on how I relate with the author/s and my experiences since my theme is "Coming of Age."

Theme : Coming of Age high school kairos softball being a big sister Prompt: Who are you as a writer and as a reader? I am a thoughtful writer. I like to write down my thoughts and feelings. I usually write about something I have experienced and how I felt in that situation. As a reader, I am a partial reader. I am incapable of finishing what I started reading.  In school? As a writer, I am not the best at writing essays. It isn't my strongest point and it usually takes me time to write an essay. To be completely honest, I hate writing essays. Sometimes I don't even know what I am writing about. As a reader, I am also incapable of finishing a book I started reading. I'll usually get up to reading like two chapters and give up on it.  How will it help you as an academic writer and reader in college? As a writer, writing down my thoughts and feelings from my experiences will definitely help me to write narrative essays because I can compare my real life ...

I really enjoyed reading Malcolm X's, "Learning to Read", because he started off learning how to read straight out of a dictionary. I think it is impressive. I really loved how he went into depth about the history of slavery and did his research since most textbooks didn't have much to say about that ugly time. Personally, the things he talked about really got my attention. I am very interested in the discrimination of colored people because a lot of its history is ignored. Americans were embarrassed about their history of slavery and racism. What I also found fascinating was the fact that he gothic knowledge from being in prison. He was a drop out and it just proves that you don't need to go to school to gain knowledge. School isn't for everyone and I believe he made that point pretty clear.

Reading blog #3: Freire 'Reading the World' 1. This article talks about the experience the author went through when reading. When reading, he used the words from his world, meaning he learned how to read with the objects around him and the moments he went through. 2. 1. "I see myself then in the average Recife house where I was born, encircled by trees. Some of the trees were like persons to me, such the intimacy between us. In their shadow I played, and in the branches susceptible to my height I experienced the small risks which prepared me for greater risks and adventures"(6). The author starts off by using imagery to describe his house and the trees. My reaction to this was that instead of getting a dictionary like Malcolm X, he used the objects around him. This is interesting to me because he really focused on everything happening in his world. When he describes his house, he also describes the meaningful things that happened. For example, his first steps an...

Reading Blog #2: Amy Tan 1. "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan is a story about her mother and the language she speaks. Tan talks about the different types of English she uses and in what situation she uses them. Her mother's broken English inspired her to write. 2. 1. "Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery"(1). Although her mother's english isn't perfect, she isn't illiterate and unintelligent. Her mother's language helped her shape and understand the world today. I relate to this because when I am with family, they know their English isn't as great as my cousins and I, but they still communicate with us fine. Languages are fun to learn and it is part of someone's culture.       2. "It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than 'broken,' as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed.."(2). As far as I can tell, she is attached to her mother and ...

Reading blog #1: Malcolm X 1. This is Malcolm's biography on how he learns how to read and it is quite unusual. It is unusual because he learned how to read and write better straight out of a dictionary. While being in prison, all he ever did was study. He learned so much of the world's history and impacted him. At the end, Malcolm realizes that he got more knowledge in prison than he would have imagined if he were to go to college. 2. 1. "I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begins to understand what the book was saying"(2). Reading straight out of a dictionary is one unusual way to read better but it became very efficient for Malcolm. Instead of just skipping the words he didn't know when reading a book and not understanding the book, he actually gets something out of it. I relate to Malcolm because when I read a book or anything, I just read through it and not fully understand it.      2. "You will never catch me with a free f...

My name is Giselle Paniagua but I go by the name of Gigi. I am Salvadorian because my parents originated from there. My last name means "bread and water". I am a commuter at NDNU from San Francisco. I predict that my writing skills will get better and actually finish a book when I am assigned to read it.  I also predict that this class will teach me to write better on topics I am interested in.